Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1950)

sets have Improved shielding to minimize both outside and interior interference. RCA dealer meetings July 8 throughout coiintry were informed that"MP" slogan means "Million Proof" ("proven in more than 1,000,000 homes"). Enormous ad campaign starts July 16 with simultaneous publication of 16-page special sections in newspapers in 40 TV cities, plus biggest magazine, radio, TV and other sales aid promotions ever undertaken. Bruno-New York's Irving Sarnoff revealed that $20,000,000 will go for advertising "for electronics alone — no refrigerators, washers, etc." DuMont's 17-in. table leaders won't be delivered for another 30-60 days, nor will its top-of-line 19-in. job be ready until November. It also showed 50-in. in mock-up (see story this issue) but took no orders for it. By end of distributor meeting July 7, it reported signing them up for $51,700,000 worth of merchandise. DuMont line has new chassis, features switch for fringe-area reception, new EM circuit for TV sound, all TV-only sets with phono-jacks. Company plans $4,000,000 ad campaign, highlighted by Norman Rockwell illustrations in magazines, starting with Saturday Evening Post insertions next month. Raytheon had 150 at Chicago convention July 6, new 22-set line retaining 4 of last season's. New line intermixes dozen 16 & 17-in. rectangulars , $10 more charged for latter. Raytheon reported $10,000,000 in orders. Sylvania has line of 25 new models, mainly with 14 & 16-in. rectangular tubes. Held over from last line are 4 sets, with prices cut |30-$100. Line leads with 14-in. rectangular table at $190 and 16-in. round table at $200. Tele-tone offers 2 classes of sets — a regular line of 12 models, "Imperial" line of 8, latter with more powerful chassis, better furniture. All are TVonly, with phono-jack. Single-knob tuning is featured, as is "Duo-Dynamic" circuit which it says means set uses only 100 watts instead of customary 150 to 200. Teletone has several sets with remote control. Zenith is playing up optional remote control, called "Lazy Bones" ; reflection-proof "black" tubes, variable speed turntable (anything between 10 & 85rpm) ; Phonevision outlet (Vol. 6;26) ; turret tuner capable of being modified for uhf (Vol. 5:11-16). All except its 16-in. rectangular use "porthole" or circular picture, but all have switches permitting viewer to change picture to rectangular. ♦ * ♦ * RCA particularly stresses radio, introducing 3 new plastic tables, each with phono-jack, at $25, $28 & $50 (latter AM-FM). There are 4 new consoles: with AM FM-45rpm, $180; AM with separate 45rpm and 33 1/3 & 78, $200; Traditional, AM-FM with half doors and 2 changers, $240; Regency, same with full doors, $270; all in oak $10 to $15 more. Tele-tone has 4 new table radios at $12 to $18, one $25 portable, one AM-FM-phono low-boy at $140. GE this week released 8 clock radios at $30 to $40; 8 AM tables and one AM-FM at $20 to $50; 4 console combinations at $170 to $280. Sylvania has 3 AM radios, $18-$21 ; portable, $30; 3 clock radios, $30-$35. MORE HANS FINDING FOOTHOLDS IN TV: Amateurs are finally beginning to sink their teeth into TV, ingeniously finding ways around principal 'Stumbling block — costs. It goes without saying that, as in radio through the years, they'll make substantial contributions to TV. They already have, in fact — leading way in reducing various kinds of interference, e.g., harmonic and oscillator. One of most helpful techniques yet developed to ease amateurs' entrance into TV is that devised by J. R. Popkin-Clurman, Hazeltine engineer and ham. He "steals" expensive-to-generate sync pulses out of the air from commercial stations, uses them for his own transmissions (Vol. 6:8). Radio & Television News is currently carrying series of articles, by him, giving full technical description. There's unusual concentration of active hams in San Francisco area. June QST, technical organ of the hams, has excellent roundup by staff member Edward P. Tilton. He says credit for first ham transmission of standard RTMA signal probably should .go to Clarence Wolfe, W6JDI, Burlingame, who was on air May 1948. Others in area who've actually had pictures on air: Robert Melvin, W6VSV ; Milton Cooper, W6QT ; George Badger, W6RXW — all Berkeley. Planning to transmit are: William S. Sadler, W6WCD, San Francisco; Robert Sutherland, W6U0V, Oakland; R. Loren Grace, W6VQV, Richmond. British and Dutch work is also covered in article.