Geographical Institute Preparing Radio Equipment For Byrd Expedition--Important Improvements Incorporated in Sets

Work on radio equipment to be used by Rear Admiral Richard. M. Byrd's second Antarctic Expedition, scheduled for next September, has been begun by the Harvard Institute of Geographical Exploration, it was learned yesterday from T. S. MeCaleb, instructor in Field Communication at the Institute. The Institute will furnish specifications for all radio transmitting and receiving equipment to be used on the expedition, and the portable sets for dog team exploration parties will be built in the Harvard laboratories.

Tests of the radio spectrum to determine the optimum frequency for polar communication will be made at the institute, in order to have a license reserved for a suitable wave length for the Harvard-station, WIDMW. So far as is known, this station, located in the Geographical institute building, will be the only station in the world officially in communication with Admiral Byrd on his coming expedition although numerous amateurs will doubtless pick up his messages. The antenna system on the station here will, in the near future, be altered so as to direct impulses to the south instead of radiating them in all directions.

Important improvements in radio telegraphy, discovered since the last Byrd expedition to the South Pole, will be incorporated in the equipment, which will in addition be lighter and more simply constructed than that previously used. Five complete transmitting and receiving, sets will be taken by the party, one for the "Bear", Byrd's ship, one for the airplane used in flights over the Pole, and two portable sets for dog sleds used by land exploration parties.

The Byrd expedition originally planned to leave on its second trip to the South Polar regions during this month, but other duties of Admiral Byrd forced postponement of the trip until next tall. Geographical Exploration time to carry out extensive tests of equipment. T. S. MaCaleh is directing the tests.