1970
Newly qualified senior technician Chris Underwood was appointed to be technician in charge at ZLW. He had begun his five years of technical training in 1965 at the same station (see The Life of a Junior Technician at ZLW).
Senior Technician Chris Underwood in charge at Wellington Radio ZLW in 1970. Photo taken from a Super 8 movie. Courtesy Chris Underwood
Senior Technician Chris Underwood in charge at Wellington Radio ZLW in 1970 with a Navy Redifon transmitter. Photo taken from a Super 8 movie. Courtesy Chris Underwood
The transmitter I am checking in the photo above is a Redifon which was owned by the Navy and line-controlled from the old Defence Building where the Ministry of Economic Development is now housed. The Redifon was one of my favourite transmitters, it was easy to work on and very reliable.
I was not working at ZLW when the Redifon was installed but it raised a lot of interest at the time as it was the first TX that used coaxial cable instead of open wire feeders. It was unpacked and installed by an installation team, the senior member of which was keen on bonfires. With the TX in place but not yet wired up he decided that all the packing material should be burned on site and this was duly done.
Later, when the transmitter was connected to the mains and all the control cables wired up, the last thing was to install the coax feed cable and connect the TX to an antenna. The coax was run but no suitable connector to attach it to the TX could be found. The Navy was contacted and after checking their records advised that the connector had been packed with the TX. The ashes of the bonfire were raked through and, sure enough, the remnants of one very expensive connector were found.
– Chris Underwood, December 2016
Also in 1970, technician Bill Jacob was seconded from Head Office to install new JRC single sideband transmitters at ZLW.
Technician Bill Jacob during commissioning of a 1 kW JRC single sideband transmitter for small ships service at Wellington Radio ZLW in 1970. Photo taken from a Super 8 movie. Courtesy Chris Underwood
Technician Bill Jacob during commissioning of a 1 kW JRC single sideband transmitter for small ships service at Wellington Radio ZLW in 1970. Photo taken from a Super 8 movie. Courtesy Chris Underwood
Commissioning a 1 kW JRC single sideband transmitter for small ships service at Wellington Radio ZLW in 1970. Photo taken from a Super 8 movie. Courtesy Chris Underwood
1974
Canadian-built Nautel NCH1000 single sideband transmitter (serial 101) installed at ZLW around 1974. Photo: Ralph Sanson
When ZLW was dismantled this Nautel transmitter was given to the Radio Reading Service as a standby for their 3935 kHz transmitter. The service no longer operates on shortwave, and the Nautel has found a happy home in Ralph’s ham shack.
Graham Turner joined ZLW as a radio operator in 1974, following two years at ZLC Chatham Islands. In 1991 he would become the last manager of ZLW, serving until its closure in 1993.
1978
Wellington Radio, July 1978. L-R: Fred Gates (at the HF desk), Frank O’Keefe (supervisor), Teariki Kamana, Gerry Bakker (at landline printer). Evening Post photo
Kelvin Brayshaw on 2182 kHz watch at Wellington Radio ZLW in July 1978. Evening Post photo
I was born on Wellington Radio in 1958 when my father Owen (JOS) Bradley was a radio operator there. We lived in the transit flats and we’re neighbours with Tom Scott and his family. I returned to live at ZLW in 1978 when I married Graham Turner, who later became the last manager of ZLW. We lived in the newer duplex flats and our neighbours were Allan and Marilyn Burgess. It was a really great community on Tinakori Hill and we have great memories of parties and kids growing up roaming the hills as their playground.
– Lyn Turner
