Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

CANADA S WOMEN" ARE PLAYING AN IMPORTANT PART IN WAR PRODUC- TION. OF RCA VICTOR WORKERS IN MONTREAL, 46 PER CENT ARE WOMEN. in 1941 the fipiire was 1,588. Last year 1,959 employee.s worked in the Canadian i)lant and the total for March of thi.s year was 2,563. Since 1936 the staff has increased three and a half times. Figures, however, do not begin to tell the story. New buildings, in- creased personnel, steadily increas- ing shipments of communication and sound etjuipment—all these are the e.xterior and visible signs of the company's progress since 1936. And all of these constitute an important company contribution to the win- ning of the war. But even more important, and increasingly so, are the contributions being made through the company's original de- velopment and engineering work which is far greater in quantity, and far higher in quality than the actual size of the company would indicate. Engineering and designing sec- tions of the company are staffed by approximately 70 engineers, draughtsmen, model makers and laboratory, assistants. With this engineering organization, admit- tedly the finest in the Canadian radio industry, the company is now completely equipped to handle all its own technical problems, initiat- ing its own developments and pioneering in certain fields and is qualified, on the basis of accom- plishment, to rank as a working partner in the RCA Family. As a tribute to the progress and high professional respect enjoyed liy RCA Victor, it is interesting to point out that the company has been retained as consultants not only to conduct technical surveys but also to engineer, design and develop communications systems and equipment. Equipment designed, developed and manufactured by the engineer- ing products division, for instance, is used by the Ferry Command, the Canadian Department of Transport, Trans-Canada Air Lines, the Royal Canadian Navy, the British Admi- ralty, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Chinese Government, and other Allied forces, including those of the United States. Much of it is still on the secret list, some of it only partially so. And enough may be told to indicate the importance of the contributions this member com- pany of the RCA Victor family is making to the United Nations' war effort. A pre-war development, still in extensive use all over Canada, in- cluding the Yukon skyways between Edmonton and White Horse and along other Arctic air routes, is the system of airport traffic controls designed for Canadian civil air- ways. Of distinct Canadian design, these fan and cone-of-silence mark- ers have saved many a plane in the north country. A 500 watt, low fre- (|uency transmitter, developed and manufactured by the company, is also used for communications along the northern route. The company has, since the war, originated radio transmitter-re- ceiver intercommunication equip- ment for trainer planes and an im- proved radio-transmitter- receiver for fighter aircraft. The latter equipment is designed for army co-operation, communication from fighter craft to its own base, from plane to ship or for tactical use in the air squadron with plane-to- plane communication. Faced with a specific problem of designing a high-powered set that would be use- ful at high altitudes, the company's engineers originated a high power transmitter for bomber aircraft with a wider frequency range, more power than previous sets and usable up to extremely high altitudes. This is believed to be the only high-pow- ered set in the world that can be used at such altitudes. Six months' development work were needed to solve the altitude problem alone. Known to United Nations forces on all fronts is the Canadian de- signed AT3, regarded as an out- standing ground and mobile trans- mitter. Designed originally by RCA Victor for the Royal Canadian Air Force it is also used by the Cana- dian army overseas, the Ferry Com- mand, and various United Nations air forces, including the Chinese. This was RCA Victor in Canada's first big development job and with it the company won its spurs in the communications war. After more than a year's develop- ment and experimental work the company produced a precision fre- quency measuring instrument for both air and ground use. Of ad- vanced design, smaller and lighter than previous models, this compact set possesses accuracy equal to that of the best previous designs. When the United Nations began prepar- ing to pass from the defense stage to attack, the company also de- signed a portable hailing equip- ment, useful for landing parties. Men wading ashore may carry a piece of equipment in each hand and maintain communications with their headquarters aboard ship. Unusual and extremely efficient, too. is the "super switch-board" or multiple remote control and tone- keying equipment through which it (22 RADIO AGE]