New-York tribune., 1922-09-17
Radio Compass
Guides Ships
Into Haven
wondcrfulSy "
by Government Brings
Steamers Safely Into
PORT in Foggy Weather
Operates Under 2 Forms
One Aids Vessels on Coast
wise Course and Other
Directs Ship Into Harbor
NAH. Nall. de KpT. QTE.

eNAH. NAH, de KDT. CITE. =
Behind the strange combinations
abeye there lies the story Of the most
important work done by radio telee-
ranhv Those readers who understand
The Continental code OF dots and
dashcs and tune in their set to the
Soo.metcr wave length can hear such
a cal any foggy day if they arc situ-
a,cd near ono Of the important harbor
entrances on the Atlantic or Pacific
Coast e.
The symbols reproduced above this
article show the manner in which d
ship caught in a fog calls the radio
compass control station on shore and
asks for It's bearing The letters NAH
are those Of The compass station: the
letters kDT those of the ship making
TIC request, and QTE is the interna-
uonai abbreNation which means the
same in all languages What is my
true bearing" >" The call letters used
here are merely for illustration.
Slowly and surely radio is removing
;he last remaining dangers away from
navigation at sea, and unique stionahly
The most important service ii renders
IS that Of guiding ships along their
courses during foGgy weather or in
periods when atmospheric conditions Of
iow visibility exist
system Divided in Two Sections
The manner in which ship itself
can obtain its true position by taking
| bearings upon tho so-calied radio bea-
con stations already has been described
in these columns. I his can be done
however, only by ships which are
equipped with radio direction finding
| apparatus.
For vessels which do not carry such
apparatus the government maintains a
cries Of land stations which are
equipped to supply this information to
vessels caught in fog. The system
,hich is absolutely invaluable, is d.
yidcd into two scctions-the first to aid
-hips engaged in coastwise trade or
lhose approaching land, and second to
assist ships nearing an>important har-
bor TO make their way to the entrance
buoy in safety
Tho first consists OF certain stations
located 1T strategic points along the
coast. each of which acts independents
Iy, They arc 50 designed that they can
siye fairly accurate hearings to ships
Up to distance of 80 miles.
Consists Of Three Station Group
The second systamja really the more
important of the two and is remark
able deyelopment OF careful organiza-
non. lt generally consists of a group
Of three radio stations arranged
around tho entrance to the particular
harbor in such manner that perfect
trianGulation can be obtained on any
vessel, no matter in which direction it
IS approaching the harbor The three
stations arc all linked torether bv land
line telegraph wires and are controlled
by central station. All three have
Tho same call letters.
As an example Of tho manner in
which the system WORKS. We can take
tho stations 2bout the entrance to Now
York Harbor as an illustration. The
three stations involved are located at
H4ntoloking. n. J.; Sandy Hook. n. J.,
and FIR Island \ Y
Oar ship, caught in sfo@ somewhere
%''hn the Triangle formed BY these
'nlee stations, desires to know It's po-
Al.on aAd Immediately calls NAH. the
call letters of ali three. The ship op-
orator ut the erd of the call signs his
own call letters and then adds the SYM
bols Q.E.
How system O3era.es
Orc oc .I,o ,,ro, ,,.,.,,u.. ..o.;.-
bagrr H. ,ll a,,d ,dI;.t.I,
fas +rn o+hnr 4,,.a i.,1 49,. ~ ~
| orsph 70 Eetrn in irha,, t1a oo,+roI
oncrato, Of 'bo ,,,.o,,,, ra,Iin ~
,allin~ ~h;n ..,I s,o"P ,opaies - az! t.'v
vhic,, 1noa,. oo -'bc,d .,.;tb no 200
ocni4od toeti,,- s.cnois
Tho SHIN ono,.a or tl,o,, hoo.;,n -
sehd ms ca! letters very carefully ana
o-,l- ed ti.., VI III
ha j.. sond;,, Iii ~ i~r Ie9t'ls; nlle
pass station. ,rn ~, husiJ tm'ff ol nome com,
.urnin' ,b~T io'!r o Are puaiy o,. engaged IN IN
or5@r @r'g = 'nct' ne, 10 .oop ae[l&is , aropnd j"
npn ,esit Io se' one m. may IN; mum and mini
- %cr srcr, p,,s on ti,, 'n[ snip slsnas AZ. In
pocCse.,r, S'ca5 ''ne 5hey complete the
wjth each ctbor ",f,,otSi b,' compare res9.'s
tcll "O' N'cr ny teleGraph and thca
Searir.. I'e s"'p rl; operator What his exact
cnroto ritfi., M! ms hear,ng WI be ac-
'D'''c w'tn'' TWO degrees Of 2n are
E&act Position Also Given
II the compass stations are unable
| to complete their observations duriYr
,hc frst fifty seconds The control sta
tion viii request the shin operator to
repeat the proccss for anotSer fftv
seconds. until the calculation has been
made satisfactorily.
Now it may be that the captain of
nr