OUR WIRELESS STATION'S ACTIVITIES 



than the long-wave ones. There was a long in- 

 terruption of our radio communications from May 

 till July in 1928 which grew out of the episode 

 which I am about to relate. 



Before doing so I may point out that the short- 

 wave plants are usually much more efficient over 

 long distances than are long waves, and they are 

 also very much less expensive to install and operate 

 because less energy is required for the transmitter. 

 Careful estimate by an expert of the engineering 

 division of the Navy Department for a long-wave 

 radio plant to equip our Greenland station was 

 $11,000. The short-wave plant actually erected 

 would have cost less than one-third of that 

 amount had we been compelled to purchase all the 

 materials outright, and it has cost very much less 

 because of generous gifts of special parts and 

 because the services of John Reinartz, who de- 

 signed the plant, were generously given us. 



In the summer time with continuous daylight our 

 operator had much difficulty in maintaining con- 

 tacts, and these have sometimes been most embar- 

 rassing because not understood by men in charge 

 of other stations. 



In the summer of 1927 the very efficient radio 

 operator on the motor-ship Disko which took our 

 expedition to Greenland, was a young lady, the 



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