Evening star., 1924-06-25
PLANNING TO RELAY
s@
WORD OF MACMILLAN
Canadian Government Steamer
Arctic Is Leaving for
Bafiin Bay.
SHORT WAVE TO BE USED
Hopes to Get in Touch With ANA.
teur Stations.
Special DISPATCH to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star. D.
TORONTO, Canada, June 25.-Wn-
liam Choat, local radio amateur and
radio operator for the Canadian gov
ernment steamer, Arctic, which is
leaving Quebec July 1, on her annual
trip to Baffin Bay, may be the first
amateur operator to relay back to
Canada and the United States the
complete details of the winter ex-
periences and homecoming arrange
ments of Capt. Donald B. Macmillan,
Arctic explorer.
The departure Of the Arctic, un
der the northwest territories branch
of the Canadian department of the
interior, comes at time when the
arrival of daylight in the far north
is beginning to shut off the radio
contact between Macmillan and radio
lay League in Canada and the United
States.
Messages Grow Scarce.
The radio messages that have come
from Donald Mix. the explorers radio
operator last fall and winter have
become gradually less frequent as
darkness began to leave the polar
regions. OF late, there have been only
a few weak messages that have suf-
feed to show that Bowdoin'S crew
have come through without hardship.
The last one told of the explorers
plan to start for home soon.
On its annual trip the Arctic
Craig. NJ. E. I. c., and Capt. Bernier.
famed Canadian explorer. sails as
far north as Etah, Greenland. Last
fall on their arrival in that harbor
the Arctics crew found the Bow
doin there. and one Of them too
snapshot of MacMillan's little schoon-
er as she lay at anchor near the
shore.
This year the Arctic will carry
a short-wave l. c. w. outfit which
will enable it's operator to transmit
on the amateur wave lengths between
100 and $50 meters. This equipmnet
is in addition to her two regular sets,
consisting of a standard 600-meter
tinuous wave transmitter working
on a 2,100-meter wave length.
Tests With Amateurs.
The radio branch of the depart
ment of marine. which looks after
the radio equipment on the Arctic
for the department of interior, de-
sires to carry on tests with anna
League in Canada and the United
States and had the special short
wave equipment installed for this
particular purpose.
to the Arctic is VDM, while that
of MacMillan'S ship is WNP. Spe-
cial permission has been granted for
all Canadian licensed amateur sta
tions to use the wave length of l20
meters during the specified hours.
although transmission on this wave
will not be permitted for any other
communication.
In order that amateurs will know
when to be at their stations for COM
munication with the expedition. def
mite schedule has been arranged, dur
ing which Mr.. Choat will listen for sig
nails. He will stand watch on the short
wave length daily. except Wednesday
and Saturdays, from IL pm. to mid
night, eastern standard time. Saturday,
however, the hours will be extended
from IL pm. to 3 am.
The Arctic is a wooden ship of 162
tons gross, and carries sails in addition
to her engines. AS it is impossible to
insulate the heavy guys which hold the
three eighty-foot masts the ship is not
regarded as ideal for radio work, al
though it is expected that this handicap
can be overcome by the use of high
power.
The ground for the radio equipment is
provided in the form of a copper plate
secured to the side of the ship. If this
= torn off when the vessel encounters
ice toes it will become necessary to
utilize the engine propeller.