"AWATEA CALLING."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 222, 31 August 1936, Page 7

"AWATEA CALLING."

Successful Demonstration Of Radio Telephone. £ MAY BROADCAST. Press Association —Copyright. Wellington, August 30..

During the voyage of the Union Company's 14,000-ton liner Awatea from the Clyde to Wellington there have been frequent radio telephone communications with New Zealand and last night when the Awatea was 1900 miles away there v/as a very successful demonstration of the ship's radio equipment and that of the Post Office commercial radio station ZLW, Wellington. The Awatea called up Mr. N. S. Falla, chairman and managing director of the company, and when contact was established the listener at Wellington was switched through to the captain's cabin. The Awatea having a very complete system of telephone intercommunication, Mr. Falla was able to talk with the captain and chief engineer, the reception at both ends being almost as easy as if the conversations were. taking;. place over local circuits instead.of nearly 2000 miles across the Pacific. It foreshadowed the next development in radio telephony which will enable trans-Tasman travellers to "ring up" land telephones in'Australia and New Zealand at any stage of the voyage. "The reception was extraordinarily clear," stated Mr. Falla. The Awatea had just emerged from a heavy storm. She was proceeding at an economical cruising speed and would-arrive in the stream at Wellington at 8 a.m. on Thursday. It is intended to conduct a broadcast from the AAvatea on Tuesday for the benefit of New Zealand radio listeners who tune in to national stations.