Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

such lines. FMers rebut, say none has ordered commercial TV circuit either, but company has made them available for video. Use of 15 kc lines on experimental basis, (without a fee) was broached to AT&T officials about a month ago by FM & Television Magazine's Milton Sleeper. He was told then that AT&T considered nothing about 15 kc lines experimental. Whole subject is due for an airing in near future. Meanwhile, rates for TV use of coaxial await meetings between TV broadcasters and telephone company ratemakers. Meetings aren't expected until Fall; new schedule may not be filed for some months after. C9L0BFAX AHD SOMETHING MDBS: Mighty nice is Capt. W. G. H. Finch's color facsimile ( "colorfax" ) , shown in New York this week. Far more exciting, however, is his solution to one of FX's major handicaps — paper. He and his research director. Dr. LaVerne R. Philpott, have bypassed use of troublesome expensive electro-sensitive paper. Any kind of paper, including newsprint, will handle it. System involves splitting light from scanned material into primary colors and transmuting their values into radio signal (handled by FM) which actuates varicolored pencil leads at the recorder. Results, says Finch, are permanent, of unlimited color range, require no further processing. Reproduction rate, for color, is 7 sq. in. per minute; but it will record black and white at 28 sq. in. - same as old system. Company admits some bugs in equipment, but assures that all will be gone in time for showing to newspaper publishers at 1948 ANPA meeting in New York. Meanwhile, v.p. of sales A. J. (Gus) Eaves says plan is to have two receivers, §150 home model and §250 industrial model, on market in about a year. Simplicity, he says, will undoubtedly make costs at both ends of system cheaper than present equipment. Nevertheless, company still isn't abandoning production of present equipment. FM SETS, BY HOOK OB BY EBOOK: WIBW's enthusiasm for its "blooper" unit for converting AM sets to FM (Vol. 5, No. 29) has blossomed into production with prices quoted and promise of 60-day delivery. Individually packaged units, with tube, folded dipole antenna and all set attachments are §8.90 in lots of 1,000; §8.40 for 5,000, §7.90 for 10,000 or more FOB, Kansas City. WIBW claims that converter, called "Marquardt's Blooper" after station's chief engineer K. G. (Pug) Marquardt, produces quality limited only by audio end of AM set to which attached. Very favorable rumblings, nothing official yet, still come from Hazeltine (Vol. 3, No. 30), whose FM circuit is scheduled to appear in AM-FM combinations rumored to retail as low as §29.95. Non-technical FMers have heard it and they say it 1 s good ; we haven't any engineer's report on it yet. Cooperatives' struggle to get sets is also bearing fruit. Cooperative Broadcasting Assn., Washington FM-CP holder, reports unnamed New York manufacturer now building §50-§60 sets for them. National Cooperatives, representing virtually all consumer cooperatives and some 60% of farmer co-ops, reports Chicago set-maker about ready to go for them with §65-§70 unit. ILGWU, which said it would buy 20,000 sets for its members when it got New York CP (Vol. 2, No. 30), says it's fidgeting awaiting final decision on New York hearing before it can give factory firm order. Transvision Inc. , apparently making out in TV, moves into FM with a §64.95 set kit, a §14.75 tuner kit (without tubes). Among "name" set-builders, We stinghouse and Sonora are latest with table AM-FM, former with tentative price of §99.95, latter at §59.95 and §62.95. And another tuner for your books — §59.50 unit of Approved Electronic Inst. Corp., 142 Liberty St., N. Y. Time Magazine this week lends its massive circulation to great weight of encomiums pouring in on the Pilotuner (Vol. 3, No. 30), and in passing, • embraces FM with a fond hug: "Comparatively few have actually enjoyed FM’s nearly static less, high-fidelity charms. A new gadget, marketed last week, may change all that — even though the radio revolution which would make FM broadcasting commercially sound may still be a long way off."