Oct. 4.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2935

Notice to Mariners No. 58 of 1928.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 20th September, 1928.

THE following Notice to Mariners, which has been received from the Admiralty, London, is published for general information.
G. C. GODFREY, Secretary.

BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS MESSAGES TO MERCHANT SHIPS.

MARINERS are informed that arrangements have been made for broadcasting by W/T, messages considered to be of sufficient importance to communicate to all British merchant ships in any part of the world.

The scheme for broadcasting messages of interest to merchant ships under the arrangements promulgated herein will not be in operation continuously. It will, however, be introduced for trial purposes for one week on 1st January and 1st July each year. It is intended to operate the scheme for a first test period during the week commencing 1st July, 1928.

During these test periods brief messages will be issued by the Admiralty to all British merchant ships and by the Naval Authorities responsible for the respective areas shown in the Schedule, to British merchant ships in those areas. These “test” messages will not, however, be broadcast by the 600-metre stations shown in the Schedule.

Should it be desired to send a message of special importance to British merchant ships, at any time outside the periods fixed for trial purposes, the scheme will be brought into operation for this purpose. Messages notifying the operation of the scheme at such other times will be broadcast by the Admiralty, the Naval Authorities responsible for the area or areas concerned, and by stations included in the scheme which transmit navigational warnings, weather reports, &c., at routine periods. These messages will bear the address “All British Merchant Ships” or “British Merchant Ships in area,” in full; the use of the call signs mentioned in the scheme will commence from the time notified as that on which the scheme will actually be brought into force.

The procedure outlined in this scheme is not intended to interfere with or replace existing arrangements for broadcasting to merchant ships messages concerning navigational dangers, weather reports, or gale warnings. Where routine arrangements exist for broadcasting such messages, those arrangements will continue in force.

The following are the arrangements which have been made for the operation of the scheme:—

1. The world has been divided into certain areas (vide chart appended) and collective call signs have been introduced for (i) all British merchant ships, and (ii) British merchant ships in a particular area. These call signs are as shown in the following table:—

Messages for Area on Call
Chart. Sign.
All British merchant ships .. .. .. .. .. .. .. GBMS
British merchant ships in Home Area .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 GBMS 1
” Mediterranean Area .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 GBMS 2
” East Indies Area .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 GBMS 3
” China Area .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 GBMS 4
” Australia Area .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 GBMS 5
” Africa Area .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 GBMS 6
” America and West Indies, East Coast, Northern Area .. .. .. .. 7 GBMS 7
” America and West Indies, West Coast, Northern Area .. .. .. 8 GBMS 8
” America and West Indies, East Coast, Southern Area .. .. .. 9 GBMS 9
” America and West Indies, West Coast, Southern Area .. .. 10 GBMS 10
” New Zealand Area .. .. .. .. .. 11 GBMS 11

2. Messages under this scheme will be broadcast from—
   (a) Rugby W/T Station on 18,740 metres at 0000 and 1200 G.M.T., immediately preceding the British Official Wireless News.
   (b) Certain medium and high power W/T Stations abroad operating on 2,400 metres at 0400 and 1600 G.M.T.
   (c) Certain W/T Stations operating commercial traffic on 600 metres at any time.

3. A list of the stations included in the scheme showing the areas for which they will transmit and the wave lengths on which messages will be broadcast is shown in the Schedule. The times 0400 and 1600 G.M.T. have been fixed for transmissions from stations under paragraph 2 (b) above, since, in all areas of the world, one or other of these times will fall within a period when ships with one operator are keeping watch. Times at which messages will be broadcast from 600-metre stations are not included in the Schedule, since merchant ships keep normal watch on this wave length and messages may therefore be broadcast from these stations at any time when the ships with one operator are keeping watch and are not listening for any routine transmissions on another wave length.

4. The organization provides for messages containing information affecting British merchant ships to be broadcast—
   (a) By Admiralty to all British merchant ships in all areas;
   (b) By Admiralty to British merchant ships in any particular area or areas.;
   (c) By Naval Authorities abroad to British merchant ships in the areas for which they are responsible,