WIRELESS TELEPHONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17780, 13 May 1921, Page 6

WIRELESS TELEPHONE.

AN UP-TO-DATE BARQUE.

THE MANUREWA'S EQUIPMENT The small barque Manurewa, which arrived in the stream at Wellington on Monday with a.load of timber from Grafton, Clarence River, New South Wales, is equipped with a wireless telephone which has created much interest on the Australian coast. Recently Captain Holmes entertained a number of wireless operators in coastal stations and on other vessels at sea by sending gramaphone music through wireless waves to them. The Manurewa is fitted with a short wireless aerial stretched between two of the masts, and snugly ensconced in the cabin aft is a complete telegraphic and telephonic installation, with a childishly simple receiver and a wondeifully intricate transmitter, representing the latest, and one of the greatest departures of scientific progress. The entire plant, including coils, reserve batterieSj and switches, could be covered, with four square feet of cloth. There is a small switch, the turning of which transforms the instrument from telegraphic to telephonic By the wireless telephone transmitter an ordinarily, modulated human voice can be carried hundreds, of miles through almost any atmospheric conditions, and received at the other end without any rasp or distortion that is inseparably connected with the ordinary city wire telephone. One of the strangest facts about the invention is that any ordinary wireless plant can receive the voice.

Recently when the Manurewa was proceeding up the New South Wales coast, from Newcastle to Clarence River, the barque passed the Elmaren, a Swedish steamer of about 10,000 tons, and the operator commenced talking to her over the wire. Although not able to reply with the voice, the operator on the big boat sent messages back in Morse, expressing surprise and delight. Captain Holmes, of the Manurewa, then gave the Elmaren some music from his gramaphfme, and the listeners on the latter vessel said that the music had lost none of its richness or quality when transmitted by wireless. Several other boats and stations were similarly treated. Captain Holmes claims that the Manurewa is the first sailing vessel to have a wireless telephonic equipment. The complete_ cost of installating a wireless telephonic plant of the same type as that of the Manurewa in a town where an electric lighting plant exists would be about £400 or £500. Inclusive of electric apparatus the cost would be £1000. On the Manurewa the electric plant is used," apart from the wireless, for lighting the vessel.