7dx biog
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biog 7DX Richard Rogers, VK7RO, 29/3/97
"Watty" Watkins, T336, 7AA, 7DX, OA7DX, VK7DX.
William Trevor (Watty) Watkins was born on 27th March, 1898 and
became the leading wireless experimenter in Hobart before his
untimely death (from TB?) on 25th August, 1931.
Many of his papers were preserved [by his uncle/brother?] and
passed to the Wireless Institute in Hobart.
The letters from Government Departments form an interesting
series, giving insight into Watty's radio career and into the
rapid changes in the administration of radio in its early days.
The first letter dated 23rd. October, 1920, is from the Department
of the Navy in Hobart, ". . . on the subject of the erection of a
small Wireless Installation not exceeding 250 metres . . .".
Watty had called on the Department was obviously hoping to obtain
a transmitting license.
On 12th November, 1920, the Postmaster Generals Department Radio
Service forwarded a form of application for a Licence. An
attachment to the letter noted "A general licence to transmit
cannot be at present be issued but a limited permit for a specific
experiment will be granted upon application . . .". An annual
fee of 2 pounds was required.
A letter sent on 1st December, 1920, enclosing his Licence, asked
him to sign it on page 6, so it was obviously a substantial
document, which had to be returned to be signed by the Minister
for the Navy.
On 29th August, 1921, a circular was issued regarding "the
irregular use of Wireless apparatus", apparently unlicenced
transmitting, and asking every holder of "amateur Experimental
licences" to help "suppress the evil".
On 10th October, 1922, the Prime Ministers Department, Wireless
Branch, advised Watty that his call T336 was to be superseded by
7AA. This followed the liberalisation of licencing after the
Governments reorganisation of radio.????????????????
The administration of radio was back with the Postmaster General's
Department by 30th October, 1923, because then then PMG,
W.T.Gibson, personally signed a letter thanking Watty for his work
as an Honorary Radio Inspector. I have been told that the late
7JK, Jack Heine, said he (Jack) had the distinction of being the first
person in the Commonwealth of Australia prosecuted for illegal
transmitting, so apparently Watty had been busy "suppressing the
evil".
Approval was given on 20th December, 1923 for an altered circuit
to be used.
On 25th September, 1924 permission was granted for Watty to
publicise the Commonwealth Loan. This was before regular
broadcasting began in Hobart and a newspaper article showing how
to construct a crystal set said that the signals to be looked for
were: the time signal from VIH at 9pm, an occasional ship station
and Mr Watkins, 7AA, on Saturday nights.
Examinations for the issue of "Amateur Operator's Certificates of
Proficiency in Radio-Telegraphy" commenced in late 1924 and Watty
received his certificate number 107 on 1st May, 1925.
On 28th July, 1925, permission was granted to conduct experiments
on 20 and 36 metres and he was advised that his call sign had been
altered to 7DX. This was because the Department wished to use
the call 7AA as an official Departmental call.
A letter dated 13th October, 1925 advised "the following wave
bands have now been tentatively reserved for amateur
transmissions. 125-250, 85-95, 32-37, 21-23, 8-10 metres".
From this time, the fee for a licence was 1 pound.
On 23rd June, 1926 he was granted permission to use a power of 100
watts, so the normal power permitted must have been less.
During 1927 and 1928, a number of Departmental letters request his
assistance by reporting on 6WF (Perth, WA) on 1250 and 100 metres,
2YA (5000 watts, Wellington, NZ) on 420 metres, British Official
Wireless Press on 22 and 37 metres and 3LO (Melbourne) on 32
metres. In 1929 he reported on test of the "Southern Cross"
VMZAB.
A circular dated 8th December, 1928, for the first time used
frequencies to define the amateur bands: 60-56, 30-28, 14.4-14,
7.3-7, 1.99-1.715, 1.715-1.2 Megacycles. A later amendment
allowed 4-3.5 Mc. In accordance with the International
Regulations, call signals in future were to use the prefix VK.
As his licences were all returned to the Department on expiry I
have no firm evidence of the official attitude to the prefixes A
or OA although they were certainly in common use once
international communication became common.
The floods of 1929 dislocated all telegraphic communication with
Hobart and in conjunction with Ray Jones 3RJ, Watty provided a
radio link for several days. As well as the Director General's
very sincere thanks, Watty received 1 pound, 11 shillings and 3
pence for traffic handled (@ 3d / 50 words).
An initiative by the Wireless Institute, led to the issuing of a
questionnaire by the Department and the setting up of a list of
stations available for use during emergencies. Tasmanian
stations were used during telegraphic failures in ??????????????
[see Aus Archive stuff]
On 22nd July, 1930, the Department advised that a number of
broadcast stations were to operate between 1500 and 1200 Kc and in
consequence, amateur stations were to refrain from using these
frequencies during the hours of service of broadcasting stations.
The final letters from the Postmaster General's Department we have
were to Watty's mother following his death in 1931. Mr Malone,
the Chief Inspector (Wireless) saying "His death . . . is a
striking loss to amateur radio. We have lost one of the
pioneers, whose early struggles and achievements are practically
forgotten in these more advanced days."
In QST for December 1931, the Silent Keys listing, includes
W.T.Watkins, VK7DX, Hobart, Tasmania.
I hope to recount some of Watty's achievements as revealed by his
log books in a future installment.
73, Richard, VK7RO.