AMATEUR WIRELESS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 July 1925, Page 9

AMATEUR WIRELESS.

ASHBURTON TO FRANCE ON LOW POWER. Mr. W. M. Dawson, of Radio SAL, Ashburton, is known to wireless enthusiasts all over Australia and New Zealand as having som e excellent achievements to his credit, hut on a recent evening he eclipsed all his previous efforts by getting into two-way communication with the French amateur radio station BBY, operated by M. C. PerI'oux, 96 Boulevard, Montparnasse, Paris.

The power input at 3AL wa s under 14 watts, i.e., only a fraction of the pow-er consumed by an ordinary household electric lamp. This achievement (says an Ashburton paper) sets quite a new standard on low power work, as hitherto many times thispporerw r er has been found necessary to bridge the 12,-000-mile span—the actual distance would be somewhat over this.

Air. Dawson had been trying to attract the attention of various Australian and New Zealand stations during the afternoon on a wave-length of 35 metres, with no success, and was about disgusted with radio, in general, and 35 metres in particular, when at 5 p.m., he heard a faint signal, which was casually taken to be BBVF, in the United States, but- it was found to he FSBY, and no time was lost in replying. Al. Penoux answered immediately, to the surprise and delight of Air. Dawson. Acknowledgment- was made of BRV, and no time was lost in replyknown that he was receiving 3AL well on ;i two-valve set. Name and address followed, and an inquiry as to strength and quality of signals. 3AL replied, giving the desired information and his name and address, and conveying greetings. Towards the end of this message the power voltage dropped considerably, and the Frenchman had difficulty in copying the message. BBV’s signals also began to fade away, and as the power at 3AL got worse and worse, contact was eventually lost about 5.30 p.m. The whole conversation Was in English, of which AI. Perroux was perfectly master. After tea another attempt was made to connect up again, but without result.

Air. Dawson has lately been receiving advice from several distant parts that ]iis signals are being copied there, and the latest came from Guam, in the Marian Islands (about midway between New Guinea and Japan). Stations in almost every civilised country in the w-orld have been heard, and it is interesting to note that when the transmitter w r as first installed it was hoped, with luck, eventually to be able to Work Australia, some 1200 miles away, and now France, som e 12,000, hits been worked on the same power a sure indication of the progress made in short-wave development in the last venr or so.