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heavy loading but when they did work properly, nearby residents ob- jected to the escaping sounds. At this point, RCA engineers started an intensive study of the problems presented by the new industry. After trying out substitutes for the large open-air speakers, including a system of underground speakers placed beneath each car, RCA in 1940 designed the first in-car speak- er and power supply system, an innovation which was the forerun- ner of the tried-and-proved post- war layouts now going into use. Loud Speakers Hung in Cars Under that earlier RCA arrange- ment, a patron driving through the theater entrance gate received a portable speaker unit with exten- sion cord which he plugged into a receptable beside his parking place. The speaker was hung at any con- venient place within the car. In this way, the film program could be enjoyed even when the weather made it desirable to close the car windows. Moreover, there was no "leakage" of sounds to annoy the neighborhood. However, it soon became evident that the constant handling of the speakers by careless customers, necessitated frequent repairs to the units. After a thorough study of this problem, RCA Victor contrived the new weatherproof, foolproof speaker which was announced a short time ago. This speaker is in- stalled permanently on a pedestal beside each car space and is equipped with a coiled cord which allows the speaker to be drawn through a car window and sus- pended in the most convenient place. The patron adjusts the volume by means of a control on the speaker case. The combined terminal box and speaker receptacle unit has been so designed that a short circuit in the speaker unit or cord can affect no more than the two speakers con- nected to any one terminal box. This permits all other speakers to continue normal operation. For- merly, a short circuit in even one speaker could put an entire line of speakers out of operation until the trouble could be located and cor- rected. Built to take a lot of hard han- dling, the new RCA speaker has been tested under extremely ad- verse conditions and found able to withstand greater variations in temperature and humidity than would ever be encountered in ac- tual operation. Speaker Units Are Weatherproof The new type neoprene-covered extension cord is sixteen inches long when retracted and can be stretched to about four and one- half feet with only a slight pull on the speaker unit. If necessary, the cord can be stretched to a maxi- mum, of approximately seven times its retracted length, or about nine feet. Since the cord covering is treated with a "sun proofing" wax, it can be exposed to the hot sun over long periods without deterio- ration. The new in-car speaker and re- ceptacle are part of a complete new line of drive-in theater equipment offered by the RCA Victor Division. One of the outstanding features of the new sound system is an auto- matic arrangement for keeping the sound level constant regardless of the number of speakers in use, once the line volume has been adjusted. LOUD SPEAKERS WHICH CAN BE DRAWN THROUGH CAR WINDOWS ARE SHOWN BELOW ON THEIR PARKING-LOT PEDESTALS. AT RIGHT: AN IN-CAR SPEAKER HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF ITS PEDESTAL AND HOOKED ONTO THE INSIDE OF A CAR WINDOW K-WWH^MOHB^ RADIO AGE 15]