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THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1974.
RADAR SPECIALIST RETIRING
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MR. WONG KO-CHUEN, RADAR SPECIALIST MECHANIC, WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND LEAVING HONG KONG ON SATURDAY CMAY 11).
SINCE HE JOINED THE OBSERVATORY IN 1954, HE HAS BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE INSTALLATION OF MANY IMPORTANT AND EXPENSIVE PIECES OF COMPLEX ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT.
MR. WONG WAS FIRST INVOLVED WITH RADAR DURING THE WAR WHEN HE WAS BILLETED IN THE GROUNDS OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE. WHEN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ACQUIRED ITS FIRST RADAR, THE GL-3, BACK IN 1954, MR. WONG WAS CONTRACTED TO INSTALL THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
THE GL-3 WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR LOCATING AIRCRAFT BUT IT WAS ADAPTED TO FOLLOW REFLECTORS ON METEOROLOGICAL BALLOONS SO THAT UPPER WINDS COULD BE CALCULATED. MR. WONG MADE THE INSTALLATION AND KEPT THE GL-3 OPERATING AT MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE FOR A NUMBER OF YEAR.
SINCE THEN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HAS BEEN ACQUIRING MORE AND MORE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND THE PREVIOUSLY 'ONE-MAN RADAR MAINTENANCE TEAM HAS ALSO EXPANDED. IN 1966, TOGETHER WITH A PLESSEY -ENGINEER, MR. WONG HELPED INSTALL THE 43S, STORM DETECTING RADAR AT TATE'S CAIRN. AGAIN MR. WONG'S WORK WAS OUTSTANDING AND IN 1967 THE 435 RADAR WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL.
BY 1972 MR. WONG WAS THE LEADER OF AN ELECTRONIC MAIN- SENANCE TEAM OF FIVE ASSISTANT RADAR SPECIALIST MECHANICS AND
FOUR SCIENTIFIC ASSISTANTS. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP THE TEAM MEMBERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE HIGH PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE- ABILITY OF ALL THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WITHIN THE OBSERVATORY.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
THE DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, MR. GORDON BELL, VILL BE MAKING A PRESENTATION TO MR. VONG AT 4.30 P.M. TOMORROW (FRIDAY). PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.
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