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

2 (2) Resistors ; The really critical component, according to one of largest suppliers. He states flatly that shortage of resistors, alone, will limit set production to 5,000,000 during balance of year — even though set makers are geared to build 400,000-600,000 more. Anticipated govt, orders for 1950 don't trouble him much. He says military equipment generally doesn't use any huge niimber ; a couple types could use considerable numbers, but it's hard to see how very many of them can be produced this year. TV is "bottomless pit." Each set averages 115 resistors, radio only 23. Rate of production is now about 75,000,000 monthly; stepped up production should bring total to some 1.3 billion by year's end. Wartime peak 12-month output was 576,000,000. Anxieties over shortages are so great that even jobbers and servicemen, let alone set manufacturers, are loading up. One resistor maker reports even his October production sold out. He's resorted to importing from England, Canada, Denmark. Biggest producers are International Resistance. Stackpole . AllenBradley, Chicago Telephone Supply. (3) Capacitors ; No shortage of production capacity to handle both civilian and military demands, as far as latter is ascertainable. That's opinion of one heavy producer. First things that will create shortages in capacitors, he believes, could be raw material and manpower scarcity, rather than plant capacity. Capacitors use altuninum, tin, zinc, etc. Types of electronic equipment needed by military have important bearing on ability to meet demand for capacitors, he says. It's his impression that types may use smaller proportion of capacitors than equipment did in last war. All in all, he sees no immediate crisis in his line, but reemphasizes that raw material and manpower shortages can develop quickly, foul up any calculation. PICTURE TUBE PRICES, SIZES, PLANS: TV picture tube situation took some interesting turns this week, as major makers indicated they had sufficient capacity to handle probable military orders (mainly oscilloscopes and radar) without appreciably curtailing civilian supplies. Govt, demands on CR tubemakers, of whom there are now 34 (TV Directory No. 11), are still as indeterminate as they are for rest of industry — so it's idle to talk conversion yet. For TV, it appears that over-all supply just about balances demand at moment. Meanwhile, these new items can be reported: (1) General Electric is cutting price of 19-in. metal-coned tubes as of Sept.' 1, retroactive to Aug. 1. Formal announcement is due next week, but fact leaked out through several of its customers. Manufacturer price will be $37.25 (down from $45), distributor $41 (from $49.50), suggested dealer $51 (from $62), suggested list $68 (from $82.50). Other major makers of that size, notably DuMont and Sylvania, were taken by surprise, said they haven't any present intention of following suit since demand is still ahead of supply. One even said he was thinking of raising prices ! Biggest tubemaker RCA doesn't make own 19-in., gets them on contract from Eimac, and those produced by Rauland are supposed to be used entirely by Zenith. GE also reveals it's now sampling its 24-in. metal-coned round tubes (Vol. 6:29), but what's done about them depends on customer reaction — thus far "very favorable." GE still plans pilot run of receivers with this size in September, quantity production in latter October. (2) Corning Glass revealed developmental design for 26-in. rectangular, with picture area about same as 24-in. round, and is showing it to customers with thought that it may be next step after 20-in. (Vol. 6:29). The 20-in. i blanks go into production next month. The 26-in. has 70% deflection, is about 27-in. long, or nearly VA-in. longer than 24. Corning says it has no idea of bringing out this size this year, has orders for all the 20-in. it can turn out (may run about 20% of total units), and is doing some testing with 24 & 30-in. sizes also. Coming's new blank plant in Albion, Mich, goes into production in mid-Sept., making 17-in. and larger. (3) Those rectangular metal envelopes for 24-in. tubes we reported last week being made by Spincraft Inc. (Vol. 6:29), turn out to be test models — being pre