By Jack Fox
Ever get a letter from a police commissioner thanking you for your DX report ? That is what I received from the Victoria Police headquarters in Melbourne for hearing VKC while in an Army camp in Canterbury in 1943.
In thanking me the chief commissioner signed the verification for reporting their transmission on 1640 kHz.
It was not my first report to VKC as I reported them on August 14 1941 conducting radio tests between mobile units and country police stations.
In 1946 I was told by the officer in charge of communications at VKC I was the first in New Zealand to hear their subsidiary transmitting station VKC3 at Seymour, 64 miles from Melbourne on 4490 kHz with a power of 200 watts.
Other police stations heard and verified were VKG Sydney 1750, VKR Brisbane 2180, ZLKQ Auckland and ZLKP on 1680 testing with old army ZC1s. A lengthy letter was from a radio technician of KGPA 2414 500w in Seattle.
He said that after being on for 10 years it was being replaced by a FM station of 250 watts and a 50 watt one to serve 82 cars with three way communication.
The cars had 25 watts transmitting on 37780 and the base on 37900.
Another stateside station was WCK City of Detroit Department of Police on 2414 with 1000 watts and the deputy commissioner had his secretary reply to my report.
Anyone game to report New Zealand police today !!!
