Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

11 Electronics Reports: Latest reorganization of NPA Electronics Div., effective Jan. 5, finds staff whittled down to 35, many of top personnel gone, some new men brought in from other agencies. Richards W. Cotton, still listed as director, is slated to return in next few weeks to Philco, where he is asst, to president Wm. Balderston and v.p. of Philco International. Donald S. Parris continues as deputy director. Under new setup, radio & TV receiver and broadcast & communications equipment sections will be merged into equipment section, to be headed by Joseph W. Bauler, who now heads program & requirements branch of NPA Communications Equipment Div. He’s ex-Federal equipment design engineer, veteran of 15 years with Illinois Bell, wartime Signal Corps electronic engineer. He’ll replace Lee Golder, chief of radio & TV receiver section, who becomes gen. sales mgr. of Carbonneau Industries, and J. Bernard Joseph, chief of broadcast & communications equipment section. Other new branch and section chiefs, together with their present positions: Products branch — R. D. Parker, "now chief, capacitor & resistor section. Components section — E. MacDonald Nyhen, chief, transformer & special components section. CMP section — Eric Bovet, mobilization planning asst, to Mr. Cotton; 0. W. McDaniel, asst, chief. Expediting & expansion section — Wm. E. Dulin, military production asst, to Mr. Cotton. Harold G. Butterfield, chief, electronic tube section, returns to post of director of purchasing, National Union Radio Corp. Components branch chief James A. Mendenhall leaves NPA, is said to be slated for new govt. post. Wm. Bapst, chief, expediting & expansion section, becomes v.p., Carroll Electronics, New York. * * * * Thanks to end of freeze, employment in communications equipment industry reached a postwar peak of 408,200 in August and upward trend is likely to continue through February, according to a report by Labor Dept.’s Bureau of Employment Security based on survey of 309 leading manufacturers. Bureau said main reason for payroll increase was race for TV equipment and receivers. TV-radio-phonograph and radar equipment manufacturers accounted for over 90% of June-August job increase, and an additional 8.5% payroll boost is expected by February. “Since there are 110 TV stations on the air [August] and the present goal is 2000 and industry estimates it takes from 9 months to a year to prepare a station for its first telecast, there would appear to be a fertile market for equipment firms for at least the next 3 years,” concludes repoi’t, available from Labor Dept. New Philco plant in England will manufacture TV sets in 6 months, is now turning out radios for world-wide distribution. In announcing operation of new 100,000-sq. ft. British plant, Philco International Corp. said Englishmade models are being offered to “place Philco distributors and dealers in the most advantageous position competitively [by enabling them] to purchase Philco receivers from either England or the U. S. depending on the currency available.” British operation uses British-made components, but all designs are checked at company’s Philadelphia laboratories prior to production. All 10 radio models now being produced are multi-band shortwave sets, 3 of them including broadcast band. * * * * “Automatic allotment” steel quotas for second quarter 1952 were announced this week by NPA. Manufacturers who compute own materials quotas — and that includes all but the 10 or 12 largest TV-radio makers — will be entitled to as much as 110',; of the amount they were allotted in third quarter 1952. Quotas of copper, aluminum and nickel stainless steel will remain at third quarter level. Remington Rand continues active in industrial TV field, contrary to Vol. 8:50 report referring to its TV dept, as “defunct” — based on misinformation from what was regarded reliable source. Executive v.p. A. R. Rumbles tells us sales and engineering of Remington Rand’s Vericon monochrome system and color TV installation and service is continuing, though arrangement with CBS has been discontinued. Sales are now handled by M. H. Simmonds out of New York office, 315 Fourth Ave. New techniques in printed circuitry and miniaturization are described in new group of govt, and industry research reports listed in current issue of Bibliography of Technical Reports, available from Commerce Dept.’s Office of Industry & Trade. Included are papers on printed circuit construction based on conventional components, adhesive-tape resistor system, miniature sealed power transformers, waveguide construction, sealed units. Tremendous increase in amateur licenses since World War II— a 67% jump to 117,069 — was noted by FCC Comr. George Sterling, himself a “ham,” in recent talk to New York Radio Club. Oldest amateur is 86, youngest 7, he said. He reviewed amateurs’ problems, commended their fight to cure TV interference, urged formation of “TVI” committees in new TV communities. Symposium on electronic components has been scheduled for April 29-May 1 in Pasadena, Cal., sponsored by IRE, RTMA, AIEE and West Coast Electronic Mfrs. Assn. Inquiries regarding technical papers, etc., should be directed to Dr. A. M. Zarem, Stanford Research Institute, Suite 1011, 621 So. Hope St., Los Angeles. Underwater TV equipment has been ordered from Britain by Belgrade shipping material import company, Brodomipeks, for dock and harbor inspection work in Yugoslavia’s Adriatic ports. Contract marks first export order of the equipment developed and manufactured by Marconi and Siebe, Gorman & Co. (Vol. 8:24). High Vacuum Equipment Corp., 349 Lincoln St., Hingham, Mass., organized by Joseph B. Merrill, president & gen. mgr., to manufacture for electronics, metallurgy, plastics, etc. Universal Can & Condenser Co. has been formed by McNaught Metal Products Inc., 3435 N. Kimball, Chicago, to manufacture condensers for electronics. Acrovox Corp. has bought out Acme Electronics Inc., Pasadena, Cal., whose 2 plants will operate as subsidiary under continuing management of Hugh P. Moore, pres. B IRE's 1953 convention in New York March 23-26 will cover more ground than ever— with 220 papers, 400 exhibits, 43 sessions. Convention has as theme “RadioElectronics, A Preview of Progress,” will be conducted at Grand Central Palace, Waldorf-Astoria and Belmont Plaza. Sessions will run gamut of electronics, including uhf transmitters and receivers, station construction, color, propagation, antennas, transistors, management. Attendance of more than 30,000 is expected. Rio de Janeiro’s new Channel 2 municipal educational station, to be directed by Dr. Fernando Tude de Souza, professor of radio at the U of Rio de Janeiro, is gettingshipment of some $700,000 worth of DuMont equipment as of Jan. 15, according to DuMont transmitter div. Good reading: Dr. Allen B. DuMont’s article in November Academy Magazine, organ of Academy of Radio & Television Arts & Sciences, explaining advances in application of TV to education, industry, military tactics. Handy directory of all commodities & services which have been removed from price control through Dec. 18, with the corresponding OPS exemption order number, is available for 35(; from Supt. of Documents, Washington.