Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-10-27
BIGGER RADIO
STATIONS FOR
PANAMA CANAL
TBy Latest MALL


VANCOUVER, b. CAS- a part of
the equipment Of the Panama canal,
new and larger radio stations are be-
ing constructed at Colon and Balboa
to supplant the present stations in
communicating with commercial YES
sells within a normal operating radius
OF 500 miles from the canal. Their
service will be similar to that of the
present stations, but will exceed in
area the present 300-miles daytime
area of the present station at Colon,
and the 200-mile daytime range of the
Balboa station. The Colon station
will be equipped with two interchang-
able sets, the smaller to be used regu-
.larIy for local work, and the larger to
be switched in for further comnluni-
cation when desired. The large set
viii be capable of communicable as
far as Key West, and may thus be
substituted for the Darien high.power
station in communicating with the
United States. If the need arises. The
lErger set at Colon win use the equip
ment of the present station.
The Colon and the Balboa radio
services, while primarily for naval and
military work IN connection with the
Panama canal. and secondarily for
shipping, viii be used for all official
communication with ships approach
ing or departing from the canal, or in
transit through the canal They will
be opened, as the present stations are,
to commercial service. under restric-
tons subordinating this use to gov
eminent needs and under the further
restrictions imposed by international
convention, such as, for example, the
ruling that government radio services
may not be used for commercial mes
sages between points in connection
with privately owned submarine cable
or overland wire service. Tie Colon
and Balboa services will, further, be
distinct from the service of the high,
power station at Darien, which will be
used. except in case Of emergency, for
official business, communicating di-
rect with the Arlington station near
and relaying messages to
ships within q nominal
radius of 5000 miles of the isthmus.
Hid Towers for Antennae.
The new stations at the ends Of
the canal will be practically identical
IN form, except that the Colon sta
ton will have slightly larger power
house, to accommodate the two sets
OF sending apparatus. At each the
antennae will be stretched between
two 300-foot steel towers, 600 feet
apart. Each tower will be self-sup-
porting, resting on three footings, ar
ranged in an equilateral triangle, 60
feet on the side. The footings, which
have been completed, with anchor
Orders, are blocks of concrete, nine
feet square in plan, resting on piles
driven through Ill to rock. At Colon,
where the piling is below sea level.
timber piles were used, but at Balboa,
on account Of higher elevation, rein
forced concrete piles were driven.
The stations will receive power
from the canal electric system, devel-
oping 1t through transformers to the
potential required for operation. They
viii use a different system of radia-
lion from that proposed for the Darien
station so that there wifi be no inter-
terence. They will conform to the
convention, using wave
length of 900 meters for communicate I
IRg with commercial ships and from
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