Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

ASTRONOMICAL HOP FROM heavenly stars to tv stars may seem to be a long jump, but in Nashville, Tenn., it's a short hop. John H. DeWitt Jr. and Aaron C. Shelton, WSM-TV Nashville presidentgeneral manager and chief engineer respectively, were called in sometime ago to help astronomers at Dyer Observatory, Vanderbilt U., Nashville. The astronomers wanted to use an image orthicon tube as a light amplifier, but they couldn't hold the star image steady because of movement due to atmospheric conditions. The Nashville broadcast engineers devised a method of using an electronic deflecting system to accomplish this purpose and then found that it could also be used to move the tv image around the target so the tube will not suffer "burnin." Its movements are followed by the scanning beam on the rear of the target, causing the transmitted picture to appear as a normal, stationary image. A low frequency generator, mounted in a box on the side of the camera (see picture above) supplies the current to the device. An application for a patent on this WSM-TV's orthicon saver (arrow) device, which has the potential of doubling the life of an image orthicon, has been filed by Messrs. DeWitt and Shelton. They estimate the apparatus can be sold as a kit at about the cost of a single image orthicon (about $1,200). There are two companies interested in taking out licenses, they reported last week. Last month at the NARTB convention in Chicago, two image orthicon extenders were shown. Visual Electronic Corp., New York, showed a device using a mechanical oscillator, selling for about $2,400. RCA showed an optional kit for color cameras, using a rotating plate before the orthicons. selling for $700. iicrease rapidly. RCA claims to be the "first abe manufacturer to reach full commercial iroduction" of tubes which have glassutton base, new electron gun of "straight" |,-pe functioning without ion trap and "preision control" of aluminizing process. RCA Components Div., which has de(eloped companion components of deflecting yoke and horizontal output and highloltage transformer, is in volume produciion of items at its Findlay. Ohio, plant. fobotape Allows Commercials "o Be Added at Purchase Point bEVELOPMENT of a tape player for interpersing "on location" commercial messages »ith fm broadcast music for use in food and >ther stores, as well as numerous commerial institutions, has been announced. The player unit, developed by Oakton :ngineering Corp., Skokie, 111., and anlounced by Cody Adv., Chicago, is designed 0 sell shoppers "automatically" by remote ontrol from fm stations. It's claimed that intil multiplexing is ready — and even after —the automatic player can help expand rommercial and industrial applications of torecast and background music fm broad:asting. When the unit (Robotape) is connected to 1 special fm radio broadcast receiver, the : itation can send out an inaudible 20 kc dgnal, the music is silenced and the player eeds commercial messages to point-of-pur;hase, according to Cody. Several units can operate simultaneously in various departnents of a food store. Its use also is envislged for specialty shops, banks, airlines, -ailway terminals and other public places. Rek-O-Kut Plant Start Set NEW 25.000-square-foot plant for Rek-OKut, radio-tv recording equipment and high fidelity components manufacturer, is scheduled to go into operation in July, George Silber. company president, has announced. An outgrowth of increased sales volume in high fidelity components, the new plant will be located at 108th St. and 39th Ave. in Queens, N. Y. In addition to expansion, plans for 1958 call for a greater diversification in manufacture of radio-tv recording equipment as well as hi-fi components. Rek-O-Kut sales, according to Mr. Silber, are 50% ahead of same period last year. He estimates sales volume for the industry for 1957 will be in excess of $200 million. New 'Scatter7 Firm Formed TRIP AC ENGINEERING Corp.. Bethesda, Md.. last week announced the formation of a subsidiary, Tripac Scatter Communications Inc. which will share office space with its parent. The new arm specializes in the engineering, design, and installation of scatter" radio communications systems. "Scatter." a recently developed technique, has found wide acceptance with the armed forces in areas where conventional signals are subject to blackout. All members of the new firm were associated with installation of the Air Force's own "scatter" system. Kay Lab Profits Soar KAY LAB, San Diego manufacturer of Kin Tel electronics equipment, had net profits before taxes for first quarter of 1957 approximately 10 times those of same period of last year— $154,499 this year to $15,481 last — La Motte T. Cohu, president and board chairman, reported. After taxes, net profits for first quarter were $90,499 this year to $15,481 last. (No taxes were paid for this 1956 period because of a previous loss.) Net product sales rose to $1,080,000 from $420,080, orders to $1,611,000 from $647,000 for quarter. Hoffman Sales Up SALES and profits of Hoffman Electronics Corp. reportedly were the second highest in company history last year when sales totaled $46,580,279, up from $44,416,673 in 1955. Net income was $1,601,974, or $2.19 per outstanding share compared to $1,560,596, or $2.15 per share in 1955, according to the annual report to stockholders of H. Leslie Hoffman, president. Company's sales peak was hit in 1953, its highest profit in 1952. DuMont Launches ITV Program AN intensive marketing program for a completely new line of industrial tv products has been launched by Allen B. DuMont Labs. The program, according to Kenneth F. Petersen, manager of DuMont's Industrial Television Dept., is based on the findings of a two-year nation-wide survey of operating industrial television installations. MANUFACTURING SHORTS RCA, Camden, N. J., reports shipments of 3-Vidicon color cameras to NBC in N. Y.; six-section superturnstile antenna to WPSDTV Paducah, Ky. (ch. 6); three-section superturnstile antenna to KMAU-TV Wailuku, Hawaii (ch. 3), satellite of KGMBTV Honolulu; 50-kw transmitter to KETV (TV) Omaha (ch. 7). Westinghouse Electric Corp. has announced addition of two new 14-inch portable tv receivers, models 14T198 and 14T199, to its spring line. They have vinyl finish metal cabinets and contain full 15-tube horizontal chassis and new Westinghouse 90-degree aluminized 14-inch picture tube. Each model weighs 30 pounds. Sets are priced $149.95. RCA Tube Div. changes its name to RCA Electron Tube Div. Reason given for change is that new name defines more closely type of products made and merchandised by RCA tube unit. Motorola Inc. announces new high power transistors with "significant potential" in field of audio amplifiers. Among advantages claimed are more power output, more reliable temperature performance, maintenance of gain at high power, less distortion and uniform quality and performance. Sylvania Electric Products, tv picture tube division, Seneca Falls, N. Y., announces new lightweight 17-inch 90-degree deflection picture tube is in experimental production at division and will make possible man Broadcasting • Telecasting May 6, 1957 • Page 93