RADIO BEACONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23411, 29 July 1939, Page 14

RADIO BEACONS

SAFER NAVIGATION aids in hauraki gulf CUVIER ISLAND PLANT PROGRESS WITH WORK available to guide vessels into the Ha raki Gulf Further months will be re Sc.T to complete similar ejpment at Mokau Hinau Wand, but, when hoth are in operation, shipping P preaching New Zealand Ld other! Pacific, porta amd south will have the benefit of radio directional signals. „ n nsirlerThis modern aid will be of consider able advantage to masters aPPJoaching the gulf and will inspire therewith greater confidence when making ■ port of Auckland in thick weathei. The'beacons will be operated regula } throughout 1 the 24 hours of the day. Installing Transmitter Work on the erection of these stations has been since las September, when the Public Works Department landed men and materials on the islands from the Government ngn - house , tender Matai. The work on Cuvier Island was pushed ahead farst and the ..power-house and generating plant with - all electrical equipment is now ready. When-the Matai leaves Auckland tor the gulf, probably .next week, she win take the transmitting instrument and a staff of experts from the Post and Telegraph Department to instal it. J.ne vessel will also carry a number of Public Works men who are to be landed at Mok.au Hinau to complete the work on the power-house and plant. The small powerhouse at Cuvier Island contains! twin Diesel engines. One is sufficient to run the generators, but, should a fault develop in it, the other one would cut in automatically, thus maintaining the continuous service so vital to the operation of the beacons. All batteries, switch Rear ard electrical wiring„haye been installed bv the Public Works men, who have also erected the transmitting masts, • Modernising Lighthouses At Mokau Hinau Island the powerhouse building is ready and the P a £ty going there next week is to instal the engines and generating plant, as well as the two masts. This work is expected to take about two months. The men will live on Mokau Hinau until their task is-completed. Advantage is being taken of the erection of the generating plant on these two islands to replace the oil lamps in the lighthouses with brilliant electric lamps. These lights will not have to be watched continuously, as by an ingenious contrivance a defective electric bulb can be "replaced instantly and automatically with a sound one. When this happens a -warning bell rings in the lightkeeper's Quarters, so that the spent lamp can be replaced and provision for an emergency is again established. '• . ' It .is understood that a third radio I. beacon is to be erected on the North ; Auckland coast, probably in the extreme. north, but the exact location as far as is known has not yet been decided, ' j