VK7OTC

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This is an email I sent to Justin on 7/7/05

                                  ATTENTION:  BARRY MCCANN

G'day Justin,

Some time ago I sent you an email regarding the accuracy of the historical
 information on the Domain site as shown on the REAST website.   I noticed
 the other day that it has not been changed and as I am told that Barry is
 proposing to put up a sign describing the station and it's history, I have
 written the stuff below, much of which you could paste into the web page.
   I'll send a copy to Barry.

Where did you get the erroneous information?   We should correct your source
 too.

How about titling the second photo - 180foot mast being erected in 1912.


Our clubhouse has a long and colourful history and has a historic connection
 with the exploration of Antarctica.

This building was constructed by the Commonwealth Government in 1912 as one
 of a chain of coastal wireless stations to communicate with shipping.
   The original equipment, a 5kilowatt spark transmitter and crystal
 receiver were made by the Maritime Wireless Company, run by "the Wireless
 Priest", Archibald Shaw.   The 180 foot high mast was made of oregon
 baulks bolted together.    Initially, all communication was by Morse code
 on 600metres (500KHz).

It was first run by the Post Office with the callsign POH.   Following an
 international conference the callsign was changed to VIH.

Messages cost 6d per word plus 1d per word to forward to the Hobart Post
 Office: equivalent to about $10 per word today.


Douglas Mawson Expedition 1912:

The Hobart station was the second of the chain built and thus ready for
 use with the 1.5KW Telefunken stations erected by Mawson at Macquarie
 Island (MQI) and Adelie Land (MAL).

Mawson's station at Macquarie Island could easily communicate with Hobart.
    The Hobart newspaper, the Daily Post, regularly reported on the ship
 stations contacted each night and "the land station on Macquarie Island".

However Mawson's station in Adelie Land was less successful, the very
 strong winds at Commonwealth Bay damaging the aerial mast and dry
 blowing snow generating static electricity which interfered with reception.

Later

In 1915, the operation of the coast stations was taken over by the Royal
 Australian Navy (RAN), this continued until 1922 when Amalgamated
 Wireless Australasia (AWA) was given the operation of the stations.

By 1924, VIH was using a De Forest ultra-audion valve receiver.   The
 spark transmitter remained in service until replaced in 1926 by a
 2 KW valve transmitter, much to the relief of local broadcast station
 listeners who had had to suffer interference blotting out the daylight
 reception of the Melbourne Cup results from 3LO.

After WWII, the station was run by the Overseas Telecommunication
 Commision (OTC) until it closed in 1992.   The Wireless Institute of
 Australia, Tasmanian Division, Southern Branch took over the premises
 and REASTs club callsign (VK7OTC) recalls this history.

In recent years, the building has been shared by TASMAR or whatever they
 are called, who . . .