WIFELESS

Otago Witness, Issue 3519, 23 August 1921, Page 24

WIFELESS

A WELLINGTON AERIAL EQUIPMENT

IFeom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 16. In his house in a suburb of Wellington Mr E. A. Shrimpton, Chief Telegraph Engineer, has what is known as a Chief Postmaster's wireless aerial equipment, witn which he is able to listen to the talk that goes on between not only the southern wifeless stations, but also that which comes from stations in the northern hemisphere. He can hear (says the Dominion) San Francisco chattering away to Kobe in Japan, Honolulu sending Pacific news to Los Angeles, Guam, the little ocean mountain peak in the centre of the vast Pacific, saying a word to Singapore, Suva “chinning” to Sydney, and away at the back of these spectral voices is a deeper note. What is it? Listen: “W 11, ’ “IV I I,” “W 11. AVeli, what is it? Why, its La Fayette, in France, one of the biggest powered stations of Europe, sending to Belmar (New Jersey). So one skilled in the Morse code can sit in Mr Shirmpton’s kitchen or study and hear Tie crosstalk of the nations. • The marvel of wireless in increased when Mr Shrimpton says that, anyone can hear wireless messages by perching on liis roof a 2ft square board with wire coiled round and round, and ultimately leading to the receiver, by connecting his receiver with the wire mattress on which he sleeps, he can hear the station on the Tinakori Hills speaking. That is independent of any exterior aerial device whatsover. From the foregoing it will be seen how very essential it is for restrictions to be placed on amateur wireless operators. That is why, when issuing permits to people to erect receiving stations, the Government authorities insist on certain rules being strictly regarded. One of the chief of these is that no wireless operator to whom a permit is issued may write down a message of any kind, save in the case of meteorological or time messages, as such would be a breach, or might tend to a breach, of the secrecy condition.