Radio today (Jan-Mar 1939)

Actual size of bantam jr. tubes just developed by Hytron for ultra-compact receivers and devices. Predictions have been made that there may be a thousand television stations in a few years compared to the present 765 broadcasting stations we now have. Then there must be U-H-F stations for facsimile and frequency modulation. A total of 10,000 more stations within five to ten years is entirely possible. That means an average annual sale of parts in excess of the total number of parts now in use in broadcasting. TRANSMITTERS GALORE Then to. provide remote tele pickups, there must be available at each television station at least several mobile television transmitters. And should radio links be used to form television chains, a few more thousand relay transmitters will be needed. In addition to radio's entertainment possibilities, there is the commercial aspect. Today all commercial airliners have 2-way radio communications. In a few more years when the public takes to the air and there are a few million private planes, it will be necessary for all private planes to have 2-way radios. With the air thick with planes in the vicinity of airports, radio will be essential in order to properly direct traffic and effect safe landings. Several million 2-way radios will give the parts people something to keep busy — naturally special light-weight designs will be needed, but such problems are easily solved. Government figures show that there are now almost 250,000 numbered motorboats — boats that are used for pleasure on U. S. waterways. Here is an expanding market for radio that hasn't been scratched. Two-way radio installations will be used in a large percentage of these boats because of the safety angle. Others will have a radio only for its entertainment value. Every radio sold, means dozens of parts for the initial building, and later parts for replacement when the set needs repairing. Straying away from straight radio applications, there are sound and electronic musical instruments which require hi-gain amplifiers having more parts than our average presentday radio set. The day is approaching when it will be considered just as essential that an audience hear without ear-strain, as it is that we see without eye-strain. Sound will be considered as necessary in large rooms and auditoriums as proper lighting. Amplified and electronic musical instruments, just now in infancy, are raising a man-sized sound for recognition in the musical world. Electronic organs have won acceptance in the past several years. Now there are pianos, stringed instruments, and combination instruments giving piano, organ string, and wind effects from one keyboard. All these instruments use amplifiers, and many of them have electrical filters for giving various overtone effects. "RADIO" PIANOS About 15 years ago, when pianos were expensive, some 400,000 units were sold, all of which are obsolete. In 1938 about 100,000 pianos were sold, and for 1939 expectations are for a 25 per cent increase. Electronic pianos should be able to corner this entire market and develop more sales, since it is anticipated that the "radio" pianos can be sold for a fraction of the cost of a standard one; yet the tone of an electronic piano compares with the finest grand piano. Close to a million electronic pianos a year, a few years from now is entirely possible. Then there are all the other versions of electronic musical instruments to be sold. Industrially, there are numerous devices requiring radio parts that are being developed and tried out. The most spectacular ones being photocell control of operations. Many authorities are predicting a rapid rise New circuits and features provide parts manufacturers with an ever-growing market. Pictured is the Admiral Aeroscope loop antenna. in the use of electronic devices in industry as soon as the various engineers get acquainted with the devices and what they will do. MEDICAL FIELD In the medical field there are the cardiograph and diathermy that have won tremendous acclaim. While in numbers the cardiographs are few, each unit calls for an exceptional number of radio parts. Diathermies, on the other hand, are devices that many claim can be sold to the public. This being true, there is a tremendous market on tap. Companies offering diathermy machines for sale to the public, report sales far beyond their fondest hopes. Machines, incidentally, sell for upwards of $150. And if it were not for limited space, it would be possible to continue ad infinitum giving illustrations of how the demand for radio parts will expand in the future. Certainly, the future of the radio parts industry is excellent. The Hammond Novachord employs a host of radio parts to provide amplification and reproduction of piano and other tones. MARCH, 7939 2?