NEW RADIO BEACON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22860, 15 October 1937, Page 12

NEW RADIO BEACON

BARING HEAD STATION ► * OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY %■. GREAT VALUE TO NAVIGATORS t [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday The first automatic radio directionfinding beacon for shipping off the New Zealand coasts, the installation at Baring Head, was officially opened today by the Minister of Marine, the Hon. P. Fraser. Two masts, approximately 60ft. high, carry the aerial for the transmitting station, which is situated near the base of the Baring Head lighthouse. The wave-length will not interfere with broadcast listeners. "The next radio beacon is to be installed at Cape Campbell, and a third at Stephen's- Island, thus completing the three points-, in the triangle," said Mr. Fraser. "Auckland will be the next port to be so equipped. We should then have a safe approach to the two main ports, and after that we shall extend the service to all points of New Zealand." Several members of the gathering spoke of the benefits and possibilities of the service, among them being masters of vessels sailing in Now Zealand waters. . . „ "Most of you know navigation from the ship end," said Mr. L. B. Campbell, secretary of the Marine Department, "and many of you will be using this first radio beacon for navigation. There are two things I should like to mention —do not expect too much; do not be satisfied with too little. A radio direction-finder is not perfect: it is worked by humans, and the human element of error is unavoidable. Signals are likely to be affected by constructive parts of the ship. Mariners are as much mechanics as the.v are mariners these days, and they will have to overcome difficulties with direction-finding apparatus, just as they have to overcome the difficulties of the compass." Captain A. H. Davey said he had already had great pleasure in picking up directional signals from Cape Maria, and that the signals were a great comfort at sea in thick weather. From practical experience he appreciated the value of the radio beacon especially in Cook Strait, where ordinary dead reckoning could not achieve perfect results because of the tides.