Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

15 I Electronics Reports: Nation’s largest radio research lab, j National Bureau of Standards’ new $4,000,000 Central I Radio Piopag'ation Laboratory at Boulder, Colo., was dedicated Sept. 14 by President Eisenhower “to the welfare of humanity.’’ Following a tour through the laboratory, the President said : “Something' of most tremendous significance is proceeding here. It is significant to each of us, to our children, to our progress — to the security of the nation that each of us longs for.’’ NBS director Allen V. •\stin explained that the laboratory will study radio wave behavior, with prime target of seeking more information about the atmospheric medium through which radio waves are propagated. Dr. F. W. Brown is director of the laboratory, which was moved from Washington last spring. Willys Motors Inc. is negotiating for sale of its electronics div. plant in Toledo. Clay Bedford, Willys v.p., said negotiations are underway with Joseph Mellen & Miller Co., Cleveland investment securities firm. Plant employs 112, manufactures aviation electronics equipment. For the past year, Willys has tried to gain a foothold in the TV transmitter and studio equipment field, but its plans to produce a uhf transmitter never jelled. Company has demonstrated its TV cameras at engineering shows, but never actively entered the market. John W. McGee is gen. mgr. of Willys electronics div., A. R. Bitter mgr. of TV dept. Satellites, uhf and color will highlight 4th annual Broadcast Symposium of IRE professional group on broadcast tran.smission systems Sept. 24-25 at Cleveland’s Carter Hotel. Pape:s on satellite design and operation will be presented by Louis Katz, Adler Communications Laboratories; J. R. Wbitworth. WJTV, Jackson, Miss.; Jess Epstein, RCA Labs; L. E. Rawls, WSM-TV, Nashville; Curtis Plummer, FCC Broadcast Bureau chief. Papers on color will include presentations on station certification equipment by Hazeltine’s Charles E. Page, Chromacoder system by GE’s D. Graydon Lloyd, intercity transmission by Bell Labs’ John Barstow. Other papers scheduled; GE’s Frank Bias, on 45-kw uhf transmitter; RCA’s L. L. Koros, on high-power uhf amplifier; RCA’s W. P. Bennett, on 15-kw uhf beam power tube; DuMont’s Rodney Chipp, on TV audio; DuMont Labs’ M. G. Scheraga & Robert Dickert, on application of ’scope in TV broadcast operation. Electronics manufacturers in Los Angeles metropolitan aiea currently employ some 60,000, more than the motion picture, petroleum or agriculture industries — with 374 firms producing 172 types of electronic equipment at 424 plants. Last year, area’s electronics industry had billings I of $750,000,000, payroll of some $231,000,000. All this from re)iort of Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce’s electronics committee, headed by Hoffman Radio’s H. Leslie Hoffman, giving cross-referenced lists of manufacturers, services, products, brand names. It also lists 161 concerns doing research & development work, 19 engineering & design firms, 12 service & testing organizations. Ultrasonic photographing device which detects cysts, g<iiters and tumors in body’s internal organs and may eventually make possible quick discovery of internal cancers, has been announced by Veterans Administration. Called the “somascope” and invented by Dr. Douglass H. Howry of U of Colorado medical school, device uses ultra.>:<)nic waves in a manner similar to sonar, and defines pictures of internal organs on screen of cathode ray tube. ■ Wni. .M. Cousins .Ir. ai)pointed asst, director in charge of business o))ei'ations at .\rmour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. •\dd industrial uses of T\’; Southern Pacific R.R. installs T\' apparatus in one of its Los Angeles freight yards to check car movements, may exi)and use after trial. Financial & Trade Notes: Intense interest of the financial community in color TV was leflected by large attendance of representatives of financial houses at RCA’s 21-in. color tube demonstration Sept. 15 at Princeton (see p. 3). Among them: John Anaya, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane; Martin Gilbert, Bache & Co.; Lawrence li. Kahn, E. F. Hutton & Co.; Peter Strauss & Lloyd S. Coughtry, Lehman Bros.; Sidney B. Lurie, Paiire, Weber, Jackson & Curtis; Ralph A. Rotnem, Harris, Upham & Co.; George Webb, Horirblower & Weeks; Daniel .1. Creem, Car l M. Loeb, Rhoades & Co. ; Robert Morris, Standard & Poor’s; Kenneth W. Heirshaw, Francis I. duPont & Co.; William H. Plolt, Dominick & Dominick; L. W. Fisher, Van Strum & Towne; R. V. King, United Funds Inc.; John M. Woods, Standish, Ayer & McKay. Estimated 1954 per-share earnings of 12 TV industry leaders, as reported by United Business Service: Admiral, $2.50; American Broadcasting-United Paramount, $1.10; CBS, $4.50; DuMont, 50c; Emerson, $1.10; Magnavox, $2.85; Motorola, $3.25; Philco, $1.75; RCA, $2.25; Stronrberg-Carlson, $4; Sylvania, $3; Zenith, $7. (For revenues, earnings and other financial data on these and other major TV-electronics manufacturers for year 1950 thru 1953 and for first quarter 1954, see TV Faetbook No. 19, pp. 377386.) Indiana Steel Products Co. earned $313,343 ($2.20 per common share) in first 6 months of 1954, compared to $209,602 ($1.47) iir first half of 1953. Sales figures weren’t given. Pres. Robert F. Smith told stockholders that “competition, from both a price and delivery standpoint, remaiirs an important factor in our present operations, and the great majority of our custonrers continue their shortrange buying policies, which put abnormal demands upon our scheduling and operational costs. Other than the fact that they are not doing any long-range or inventory buying. their attitude, in general, however, seems to reflect a moderately strong level of expected business in the fourth quaiter.” Hycon Mfg. Co., Pasadena, Cal., manufacturer of military electronic & aircraft equipment and civilian microwave, electronic instruments, controls & precision devices, will show net income of about $290,000 for 6 months ended July 31. compared with $40,000 for corresponding 1953 period. Sales for 1954 period are estimated at $5,000,000, as against $8,300,000 for all fiscal 1953. Raytheon reports net profit of $1,102,000 on sales of $44,698,000 for 3 months ended Aug. 31, first quarter of its fiscal year. This compares with $884,000 profit on $37,272,000 sales for same 1953 period. Standard Coil Products Co.’s secondary offering of Robert E. Peterson’s 189,655 shares of common at $14.50 was oversubscribed and books closed this week by A. C. •Mlyn & Co. and Dempsey & Co. Olympic Radio, for first half 1954, reports sales of $9,342,768, net profit of $76,993 (17c a share) vs. $7,028,352 & $21,115 (5c) for fii'st half 1953. Dividends: Motorola, 37Vjc payable Oct. 15 to stockholders of record Sept. 30; GE, 40c Oct. 25 to holders Sept. 24; Packard-Bell, 5r Oct. 25 to holders Oct. 11. Second and completely new edition of Television by PCA’s Vladimir K. Zwoiykin and G. .A.. Morton, with stress on TV fundamentals and 3 chapters on color TV, has been published by John Wiley & Sons, N. Y. (1038 pp., $17.50). Other new technical books out this week: Princijiles of T vonsistor Circuits, by group of GE engineers, edited by Richard F. Shea (Wiley, 535 pp., $11) ; Electroacoustics. by Harvard physics professor Frederick V. Hunt (Harvard L Press & Wiley, 260 j)])., $6) ; TItc Oscilloscope, by George Zwick (Gernsback, 191 pp., $2.25).