COMMERCIAL WIRELESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18759, 12 January 1923, Page 6

COMMERCIAL WIRELESS

GROWING TRAFFIC. ACTIVITIES OF POST OFFICE. The activities of the Post Office in connection with commercial wireless transmission and reception axe not as generally comprehended as they ought to be, haring regard to their great and growing importance (says :i correspondent of the Manchester Guardian). Recent operations have been o-l a very large scale, and in almost all cases the curves showing increase or decrease of traffic on tho various circuits show a steady tendency to ascend. The big Lealiekl Station in particular, the equipment of which evoked a certain amount of criticism last year, has more than justified its erection, and its output is now impressively varied and copious. Leafield, in Oxfordshire, normally communicates direct with Cairo, the idea being that it will remain the first link in tho Imperial chain. But frequently messages are sent direct from Leafield to India, Cairo only serving as a

link when tropical, atmospheric, or other disturbances render through transmission impossible. The wireless communication between Leafield and Cairo is, however, operated as regards both transmission and reception from the great receiving station at Banbury. 17 miles to the north-east. From Leafield, also, there is a press service to Halifax (Nova Scotia), which is operated from the General Post Office, London, and has been remarkably successful. Not long ago a speed of 35 “paid” words per minute was kept np for six hours on end—this being equal to from 10 to 50 signalled words. it is important to discriminate between paid and signalled words, especially in tho case of ordinary messages, where a number of words—addresses, stations of ori-

gin, and official memoranda —are signalled for which no payment is made. In tne case of press communications the ratio ol paid to signalled words is comparatively high but in that of ordinary messages it is only about io per cent. CABLE v. WIRELESS RATES.

A comparison with cable rates of speed is uncertain owing to the occurrence of gups in wireless communication, but the cable rate to Halifax all the year round averages not more than about .30 signalled words a minute, which, in the case of ordinary messages, would moan only about 750 to 900 paid words an hour. Heafield, in addition to its India. Cairo, and Halifax transmissions, broadcasts daily a service of British official press items, whie.'i are taken in all over the world and arc not infrequently read at Perth, in Western Australia. Finally, at certain hours and for a certain time long-distance broadcasting to certain ships at sea is undertaken on behalf of the Ilodio Communication Company. A similar service is performed ,I'or the Marconi Company by the powerful Norfholl Station, near Harrow, which normally communicates with Koine. Kcgular wireless communication is mam tsinect between the General Post Office and Berlin by way of Stonehaven, in Scotland. Stonehaven itself carries on services to Posen and Budapest. There is also a service to Amsterdam through the wireless station at Caister, in Norfolk, the instruments being operated at the General Post Office. EFFICIENCY TESTS. All the above. "-'th G" - rile- ■ Caister, lie outside the Post Office coastal ■wireless system, which ia highly organ.., u for me niuposi of communication with ships at sea. ’ Associated with this system, though In a sense independent oi it, are the arrange

monts for the examination of candidates for the ILM.G. certificate, which must be held by all wireless operators in chips. Post Office officials also pay surprise visits to ships in harbour in order to ascertain that the operators are fully up to the mark, and that the wireless equipment is in thorough working order. At the General Post Office itself there is a wireless branch. A special section deals with all that pertains to broadcasting, and the strain on this is not likely to remain otherwise than heavy, notwithstanding the decentralisation scheme under which licenses for the reception of broadcast matter are now obtainable at post offices throughout the Kingdom.