Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

12 Elecironics Reports: All-transistor calculating machine was demonstrated Oct. 8 by IBM at press preview of its new multi-million-dollar Poughkeepsie, N. Y. research laboratory. Though still experimental, transistorized calculator performs same functions as IBM’s “604” calculator, of which more than 2000 are now in use — but is half the size and requires only 5% as much power. Using 2200 transistors to do the work of the 604’s 1250 tubes, transistorized calculator utilizes printed circuits, can be operated from ordinary electrical outlet, eliminating bulky power supply. Research & engineering v.p. W. W. McDowell indicated IBM plans further miniaturization of the unit. Also shown was new cathode ray memory storage tube, said to be capable of storing 5-10 times as much information as most efficient present tube. * ♦ * ♦ Harald T. Friis, Bell Telephone Labs director of radio research, will receive IRE Medal of Honor at next March’s IRE convention “for his outstanding technical contributions in the expansion of the useful spectrum of radio frequencies, and for the inspiration and leadership he has given to young engineers.” Morris Liebman Memorial Prize, awarded annually to IRE member who has made recent important contribution to radio engineering art, will be presented to Arthur V. Loughren, Hazeltine research director, “for his leadership and technical contributions in the formulation of the signal specification for compatible color TV.” Bernard Salzberg, Naval Research Lab, gets Harry Diamond Memorial Award for outstanding govt, work in radio and electronics, “for his contributions in the fields of electron tubes, circuits and military electronics.” Vladimir K. Zworykin TV Prize goes to Harold B. Law, RCA Labs, “for his contributions to development of shadow-mask tri-color TV picture tube.” TV may convert 200-in. Mt. Palomar telescope — world’s biggest — into equivalent of 2000-in. Under grant from Carnegie Corp., in cooperation with Bureau of Standards and Naval Observatory, astronomers plan to use TV principles to magnify electronically the light deflected from distant stars on Palomar’s 200-in. mirror. If system is successful, observatory officials say, “it will be the first step in a program directed toward the essential measurement of cosmic distance — by enlarging the images of these distant stars, astronomers will be able to find out how far away they are; right now it’s just a guess.” Industrial TV camera, of streamlined teardrop shape, 5-in. in diameter, 9-in. long and weighing less than 5 lb., was shown by General Precision Laboratory at Instrument Society Show in Philadelphia. Camera controls are located in separate control unit, and camera is available in variety of housings for use in specialized applications. Quadrupling its 1953 production of diodes for TV, Transistor Products Inc., Waltham, Mass., subsidiary of Clevite Corp., announced it will turn out total of 1,200,000 this year. Its 1954 output will be trebled in 1955 when firm doubles its 35,000-sq. ft. plant, pres. Robert B. Holt stated. Two new complete base stations for users of mobile radio stations were announced by DuMont’s expanding mobile communications dept. They are designed for 25-54 and 450-470 me bands. Western Electric has been awarded $164,850,000 continuation contract to produce Nike guided missile. Company estimated about two-thirds of work will be handled by subcontractors. Willys Motors Inc. plans new 12,000-sq. ft. electronics research and development laboratory at Palo Alto, Cal., for completion next spring, to specialize in radar and TV. Raytheon introduces new telephone microwave link, “Telelink,” at Oct. 11 Independent Telephone Assn, convention in Chicago’s Conrad Hilton Hotel. IGGER PICTURE on 21 -in. tube is definite trend — but industry is still split on which type of tube to use. Well-established now, particularly on higher-priced sets, is 21-in. picture tube with 90-degree deflection angle. This gives picture area of 260-270 sq. in., compared with 240250 on old-style 70-degree 21-in. tube. Wider deflection angle also makes possible shorter tube, permitting its use in cabinet about 11^ -in. shorter fi’ont-to-back than previous 21-in. sets. The 90-degree tubes, however, require more expensive deflection yoke and greater sweep voltage — resulting in an estimated 75<--$2.50 increase in cost of making set. Another big-picture 21-in. tube is now finding favor among some set makei's — one with 74-degree deflection and same size picture as 90-degree tube. It’s same length as old 70-degree tube, so doesn’t permit space-saving cabinet as does 90-degree model. However, it doesn’t require the more expensive components needed by the 90-degree tube, can use same circuiti*y as old 70-degree. This week, RCA announced development of new deflection system designed to cut cost of sets using 90-degree tube. New system is made possible by development of new economical flyback transformer and deflection yoke. RCA said new system permits elimination of drive and linearity controls, use of lower-cost output tubes, omission of heater and power transformers through use of “seriesstring” receiving tubes and selenium rectifier-voltage doubler power supply. TV technical papers scheduled for presentation at SMPTE convention Oct. 18-22 at Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel: color TV kinescope recording, by NBC’s E. Dudley Goodale; 7-channel TV booster station, by George R. Sutherlen, China Lake Naval Ordnance Test Station; color broadcasting test instruments, by Wickes Engineering’s John W. Million Jr. & Robert K. Hunsucker; history of TV recording, by CBS’s Albert Abramson; equipment for evaluating TV lenses, by RCA’s E. Hutto Jr.; 16mm projector for operation with TV film chain on partial storage basis, by Eastman Kodak’s Edwin C. Fritts; color film equipment, by RCA’s A. C. Luther; color TV projection equipment, by RCA’s L. L. Evans; preparing monochrome TV prints from Eastman color negatives, by Consolidated Film Industries’ Sidney P. Solow & Edward H. Reichard. RCA’s new special color tube operations dept, in Lancaster, Pa., headed by Harry R. Seelen (Vol. 10:39), has added following executives: Donald 0. Corvey, mgr. purchasing; S. M. Hartman, mgr. equipment development; Homer L. May, mgr. planning & controls; C. Price Smith, mgr. engineering; Rex E. McNickle, administrator of quality control. Kenneth M. McLaughlin, formerly mgr. of RCA transistor manufacturing at Harrison, N. J. plant, was named mgr. of Lancaster color tube plant. Placement of 19-in. color sets in Chrysler dealer showrooms throughout nation, to attract customers during monthly Chrysler-sponsored Shower of Stars on CBS-TV, is in planning stages at McCann-Erickson agency. Set maker involved isn’t disclosed; Motorola placed sets on floors of New York dealers for first Shower of Stars program Sept. 30. Ford and RCA once considered similar arrangement, dropped it. Three-vidicon approach to color film camera has been adopted by Dage which reports it will sell “in the $15,000 range.” First to adopt 3-vidicon method was RCA, and GPL announced similar camera last week (Vol. 10:40). Hirings in TV-radio-phono industry in July rose to 5 per 100 employes from 3.8 in June, Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. Number leaving industry dropped to 3 per 100 in July from 3.4 in June.