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

OUTLOOK OF POST-WAR TELEVISION IS BRIGHT RCA Research Director Beal Tells Institute of Fiinince in New York of Great Potentialities TELEVISION, with its elec- tronic eyes made sensitive to ordinary light, will emerge from the war strongly qualified to be- come a vast post-war industry giv- ing employment to many people in various fields associated with the new art, Ralph R. Beal, Research Director of RCA Laboratories, said June 1 in discussing "Radio-Elec- tronic Research" before the Insti- tute of Finance at the New York Stock Exchange. The spectrum of tiny wavelengths, measured in cen- timeters, he said, is being opened by the development of new radio tubes bringing possibilities to radio greater in scope than all of its past. Predicting unparalleled progress in other fields as well as in radio, Mr. Beal said the potentialities stimulate the imagination of re- search scientists to visions of new and unexpected horizons in the fields of physics, chemistry, metal- lurgy, biology and in many indus- tries. Commenting on the post-war prospects of television, Mr. Beal continued: "We now have electronic televi- sion. As an added service in broad- casting it has potentialities which surpass those of other mass com- munications services of informa- tion, education and entertainment. With post-war television broadcast- ing stations connected into net- works, events of the nation will pass in review on the picture screens of home television receiv- ers. Larger and brighter pictures of greatly improved ([uality will bo realized and research and develop- ment plus genius in design and pro- duction will bring the television re- ceiver set within the range of the average pocketbook. "Post-war television will use elec- tronic camera tubes which will be improved more than one-hundred- fold in sensitivity, and that is not the limit. This will make it possible to pick up scenes with ordinary amounts of illumination. Night events, theatre performances, opera and many other programs which utilize artificial lighting will come well within the range of camera tube sensitivity. The problems of heat and glare in television studios have been solved. "And then we have theatre tele- vision with possibilities as a post- war service. For the first time in the centuries of theatre history, a means is available for bringing to theatre audiences the thrills and drama of events as they occur in real life. Electronic methods have made it possible to produce pictures of theatre-screen size. RCA Lab- oratories demonstrated a picture about twenty feet wide shortly be- fore the outbreak of the war." Envisaging automatic radio re- lay stations as the key to network television, Mr. Beal told how the television pictures would be flashed from city to city to home audiences. At the same time he depicted inter- connecting circuits carrying televi- sion pictures of events directly from the scene of action to theatres in different cities. 3 IN RCA VICTOR WIN WPB MERIT AWARDS Jwo Men and Woman Giuen Honors for Suijcjestions Tliot Speed War Production Effort TWO certificates of individual production merit and one hon- orable mention were awarded to RCA Victor Division employees in the War Production Board's list of honors announced by the Office of War Information on May .31. The awards were: CEKTIFICATE OF INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION MKRIT Charles Chudoba, machinist, RCA Victor Division of Radio Corpora- tion of America War Production Committee, Harrison, New Jersey, suggested a way of preventing burnt out coils on induction heating equipment, which not only saves 3.50 pounds of copper but also 450 man hours per year. He proposed enclos- ing the coils in fibre gla.ss sleeves, which prevents sweat, oxide and scales from short circuiting the turns of the coils. The sleeves have been in use for three months with- out a single burnout, (chudoba has been at RCA Harrison for 3 years. CERTIFICATE OP INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION MERIT Gerald Thinnes, working group leader, RCA Victor Division of Radio Corporation of America— CIO Electrical Workers, War Pro- duction Drive Committee "To Beat the Promise," Camden, New Jersey, suggested a new process of lapping electrodes which has speeded up production and delivery of vital parts in communications manufac- turing. Electrodes were formerly lapped by hand with a production cycle of two minutes per electrode. Thinnes suggested that twelve elec- ti'odes be put on plates similar to the method used for crystals; and that they then be lapped down to requirements. This method con- sumes ten minutes for twelve elec- trodes, or approximately 8 lOths of a minute per electrode. Thinnes, 23 years old, lives in Runnemede, New Jersey, and is a graduate of Audu- bon High School. His employment at RCA Victor began in September of 1939. HONORABLE MENTION Mrs. Ann Keefe Drewes, chief sta- tistical clerk, RCA Victor Division of Radio Corporation of America Production Committee, Harrison, New- Jersey, decided that the hecto- graph machine could be used on cer- tain forms to eliminate both a three- day wait necessary for filling out by pen and ink and the cost of making photostatic copies. Mrs. Drewes has been employed at RCA Harrison for 3 years, starting as a clerk. She completed a course in Comptometry before gaining her present position. Her Production Committee says of her suggestion: "The idea shows clearly that the people who do clerical work can submit ideas which will aid our War Effort, in the same manner as that of a Production Worker." Wins Safety Trophy The Camden plant of RCA Vic- tor, on recommendation of the Na- tional Safety Council has been awarded the Liberty Bell for excel- lent safety record in 1942. The presentation was based on the plant's record of 22 per cent reduc- tion of time lost through accidents. RADIO AGE 33