RADIO TELEPHONE CALLS FROM N.Z. POPULAR OVER CHRISTMAS

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 December 1947, Page 4

RADIO TELEPHONE CALLS FROM N.Z. POPULAR OVER CHRISTMAS

Many Christmas calls by radio telephone from New Zealand to Britain. the United States, and Australia are being made this year through the Post and Telegraph Department's service. Most of them are family calls and a large number of New Zealand girls living overseas as war brides have spoken to their parents this Christmas. Inward traffic has also been heavy. The Dominion is allocated the following times for its overseas radiotelephone calls: To Australia, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; San Francisco, 3pm. to 6 p.m. and 3 a.m to 6 a.m.; and United Kingdom,' midnight to 3 a.m., unless altered to suit atmospheric conditions. The San Francisco terminal receives calls for the United. States and Canada. CALL RELAYED TO YACHT. The proportion of business to social calls is about even. Recently a Naw Zealand business man booked a call to a business man in New York. When the call was put through it was discovered that the New Yoyk man was in his yacht in the Bahamas. The American Telegraph and Telephone Company ascertained that the yacht was equipped with radiotelephone apparatus and the New Zealand call was relayed through from the American system to the New York man in his yacht. New Zealanders may sit at home and talk to their friends In distant lands over the telephone. Bookings are made through the telephone toll and the subscriber Is told when his call may oe expected. Speech tests are made of the subscriber’s telephone to make sure it is satisfactory for an overseas call. No further test is necessary in the else of a previous user of the service making 4 later call. GOOD RECEPTION. The service, which was closed down during the war for security purposes, can also be used for people wishing to call the inter-island ferry Hlnemoa. The Hinemoa is the only New Zealand ship fitted at present, but before the war the liner Awatea on the Tasman run was equipped foe a ship-to-shore telephone service. Ninety-five per cent, of the overseas radio-telephone calls handled by the Post and Telegraph Department are classified as having good or very good reception. Factors affecting the clarity ot transmission at times are background noises, produced by static, cosmic noises and interference from some other transmission on the same frequency or wave-length; weak or fluctuating signals, caused by selective fading, auroral effects, magnetic storms;, and sunspots; and the excitement of the subscribers. Where the conversation becomes difficult in spite ot satisfactory radio conditions, the Post Office traffic officer assists the speakers by repeating their remarks. AVOIDING INTERFERENCE. To avoid interference, an international organisation has been set up to register every frequency in use by every administration. Should a particular radio-telephone channel be subject to interference from another station, the trouble can usually be overcome by mutual arrangement. Transmission paths that lie even in part of the auroral zones are subject to a greater degree of irregularity and erratic performance. This is one of the factors which has made the from New Zealand to England a difestabllshment of a direct channel flcult problem. It is hoped, however, to solve this problem within the next two years by the installation of highpowered equipment at the proposed Himatangi station. The charges are as follows: To Australia. 10s a minute, minimum charge three minutes for £1 10s; to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. £1 5s a minute, minimum charge £3 15s; to the Hinemoa, 2s a minute, minimum charge 6s.