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

value of the metallically shielded loop, which came out of RCA marine developments, has become so important that such a loop is now required by law on all air transport planes. One of the major advances in aviation radio came from a com- bined RCA-Sperry Gyroscope Com- pany project which resulted in the automatic direction finder. This in- vention abolished the necessity for pilots turning either the loop or the airplane in order to get a bearing on a distant station. In 1941, RCA's automobile radio experience was applied to private airplanes, w'ith the result that ex- pensive ignition shielding was made unnecessary by the installa- tion of RCA receivers under RCA supervised airplane production line techniques. This cut the cost of private plane receiver installations nearly .50 per cent. All Types of Equipment RCA makes every type of equip- ment used in broadcasting stations, from the microphone to the an- tenna. Practically every broadcast- ing station is now equipped with RCA microphones, and RCA studio amplifying and record reproducing equipment are universally used. As of 1944, 324 standard broad- casting stations are equipped with RCA transmitters—more than that of any other manufacturer. Forty per cent, of the total licensed power in the United States is being broad- cast from RCA transmitters. A number of FM broadcasting trans- mitters have been delivered and i;('.-\ is prepared to manufacture a complete line of FM equipment after the war. A large number of standard band and short-wave broadcasting transmitters have also been supplied foreign countries and LI. S. Government agencies. Many advanced design features for AM and FM broadcasting transmitters have been developed l)y liCA engineers, and their pio- neering i-esearch work on antenna and ground systems has proved of great value to broadcasters. The universally known RCA vel- ocity microphone improved the fidel- ity of the broadcasting system and its familiar design has literally be- come almost another RCA trade- mark. Aircraft Television RCA may be justly proud of its pioneering development of televi- sion transmitting equipment which varies all the way from the pick-up tube through to the transmitting antenna. In 1937, RCA developed and con- structed its first aircraft television system. The experience gained in that work has since been used to great advantage in the development of the first high frequency televi- sion system for relay work. In the industrial field, RCA tele- vision has found important use in one of the nation's large industrial plants. Such equipment is expected to have a wide field of usefulness in observing dangerous or inaccessible industrial or testing processes. In the military field, RCA's out- standing position as the pioneer and leading supplier to the Armed Forces is unchallenged. History will record the part it is playing in the war eff'ort. The more widespread use of elec- tronic apparatus made it necessary for RCA to develop special devices which would make it possible for users of RCA communications equipment to test and measure the performance characteristics of their equiijment to insure maximum op- erating efficiency. The revelation of RCA's spec- tacular contribution of electronic products in this highly-specialized World War II must of necessity await the end of the war. When the story can be told, it will become a classic in industrial history. Broadly speaking, there are two types of Government business. One consists of a relatively small num- ber of contracts that entail large factory runs and large monthly shipments. The other is to produce a wide diversity of highly intricate products requiring extensive re- search, development engineering and manufacturing "know-how." Because of RCA's obvious qualifi- cations and experience in producing the more difficult types of electronic apparatus, that is the field in which RCA was able to perform greater national service. In peacetime, the added experi- ence and new skills gained in the engineering and manufacturing of these critical wartime products will be applied to the design and pro- <i*iiction of the most advanced com- munications and electronic appara- tus that has ever borne the RCA trademark. X LEFT: FM "TURNSTILE ANTENNA DEVELOPED BY RCA AND INSTALLED FOR A PHILADELPHIA STA- nON. CENTER: FIELD INTENSITY METER USED FOR MEASURING COVERAGE OF FM AND TELEVISION STATIONS, right: RADIO-TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT IN A POLICE CRUISING CAR. [RADIO AGE 33