Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

10 Trade Miscellany: Sightmaster Corp. extends into electrical relay field, is still making a few TV sets but mainly reconverting old ones to large size tubes on contract . . . Philharmonic Radio’s president Bernard Lippin reports adding 36,000 sq. ft. to present 78,000 New Brunswick (N. J.) factory; firm makes private-label TVs primarily . . . Sylvania’s new tube plant at Newton, Mass, will be ready in 60 days; one at Woburn, Mass, will be completed this summer . . . Standard Arcturus Corp., which recently sold its Arcturus Electronics Corp., CR tube manufacturer, to Hycon Mfg. Co., Pasadena, Cal. (Vol. 8:10), has also disposed of balance of its receiving tube business, and now manufactures only selenium rectifiers . . . Andrea expanding to additional markets with TV line, adding Mitchell Aron, ex-Hazeltine, to engineering staff and S. Ronald Hacker to product design . . . Industria Electronica S.A., Monterey, Mexico, radio & parts manufacturer, reported by Commerce Dept, as preparing to make TV sets. Merchandising Notes: NARDA is making available (at $10 for 500, $30 for 2000) little booklet titled Facts on Television Service for dealer distribution to customers. It’s written by president Mort Farr, has space on back page for store’s imprint . . . Admiral’s 1,250,000-candlepower sign in Times Square, New York, 50x50-ft., using more than 10,000 lamps, 9920 ft. of neon tubing, 1500 separate circuits, 2,000,000 ft. of wiring, is to be turned on and dedicated with big fanfare at 8:30 p.m., April 1 . . . Only 2 of 20 local dept, and furniture stores surveyed by New York Herald Tribune for February showed TV-radio gains over same 1951 months — one up 155%, other up 3%, all others showing decreases of 4-71%; for all, TV inventories were down 42%, radio-phono down 36% . . . RCA Victor expands further into appliances April 15 when it begins shipping an electric dehumidifier at $139.50 list. Sylvania price reductions range from $10 to $70. Changes in 17-in. follow (old prices in parentheses): table $230 ($250), de luxe model $260 ($270), open console $290 ($300), open console with Halolight $350 ($370), blonde $360 ($380), console with doors and Halolight $390 ($410), blonde $400 ($420). Changes in 20-in.: table $270 ($300), open console $330 ($360), table with Halolight $350 ($370), open console with Halolight $400 ($470), blonde $420 ($490), console with Halolight and doors $430 ($500). Added to line were 17-in. blonde tables at $240 & $280, console $300; 20-in. blonde console $340. Warranty is included but excise tax is separate. Trade Personals: Walter J. Currie, ex-Crosley export div., now NPA deputy asst, administrator for civilian requirements, succeeds Lewis Allen Weiss March 31 as asst, administrator for civilian requirements . . . W. E. Henges elected president of Graybar, A. H. Nicoll becoming chairman . . . Reginald Brophy, managing director, Canadian Radio Mfg. Corp., Toronto, onetime NBC executive, succeeds Maxwell W. MacKenzie May 1 as deputy minister of defense production in Ottawa . . . Harry A. Browe, Chicago branch mgr. since 1948, named to newly created job of sales mgr., Admiral radio div., under sales v.p. W. C. Johnson . . . W. J. Jiles named national credit mgr., Crosley Distributing Corp. . . . John C. McDevitt, Crosley zone mgr. in Charlotte, named asst, sales mgr. of Crosley radio sales section under E. W. Gaugan . . . M. G. DuBrow has resigned as Sparton TV-radio district rep for southern California to join Story & Clark, Chicago; LeRoy Miller succeeds him . . . David H. Kutner, ex-Zenith Distributing Co., Chicago, recently Campbell-Ewald director of merchandising, named adv.-public relations director, BorgeWamer’s Norge div. . . . Kenneth E. Jones, Chicago field engineer, promoted to director of service, Motorola-New York Inc. . . . Richard II. Kingston promoted to chief sales engineer, Stromberg-Carlson sound div. Mobilization Notes: Third-quarter allotments of con trolled materials for production of TVs, radios and phonos have been set at these levels (in percentage of rate of use during first-half 1950 base period) : Steel, 55% (vs. 50% in second quarter); brass mill products, 35% (vs. 30%); copper wire, 40% (vs. 35%); copper foundry, 20% (vs. 12.5%); aluminum, 45% (30%). Representatives of TV-radio industry, meeting with NPA March 27, indicated that these allotments would assure adequate materials for this period when production normally is boosted to meet heavy seasonal demand. Manufacturers said current allocations and deliveries of materials for TV-radio have been ample. Shortage of senior engineers, draftsmen, technical writers and other highly skilled technicians was manufacturers’ chief worry. Some manufacturers said they have given up trying to compete with West Coast aircraft firms for senior engineers and other technicians, and instead are training and upgrading technicians in their present work force. Others are subcontracting drafting to outside firms. Long lead times on some military components was another complaint, but the manufacturers agreed that no military equipment had been held up because of these delays or the manpower shortage. Leon Golder, of NPA Electronics Div., presided. Industry representatives attending were Jack Marks, Fada; John Meek, Scott; William H. Moore, Packard-Bell; Joe Friedman, Trav-Ler; Robert Wallace, Zenith. Color TV order M-90 was not discussed. * * * * Accused of violating NPA regulations in filling 7 defense contracts during first half of 1951, Tobe Deutschmann Corp., Norwood, Mass, electronic parts manufacturer, has been summonded to Boston hearing in midApril before NPA hearing examiner Ernest J. Brown. NPA charges firm used defense priority ratings to acquire 337,449 lbs. of steel sheet when it needed only 87,655 lbs. to meet Army prime contracts. Citation charges 14 violations of NPA Regulation 2, alleges president Tobe Deutschmann and purchasing agent Henry P. Shopneck illegally acquired 249,000 lbs. of steel sheet, illegally disposed of 232,000 lbs. NPA is asking hearing commissioner to bar firm from receiving any further priorities and from acquiring or using materials under NPA’s control. Military electronics deliveries in January were 5 times greater than same 1951 months, said Munitions Board chairman John D. Small in reply March 27 to recent charges in Congress and press that procurement has bogged down. Ammunition deliveries, he said, were 6 times as great in January 1952 as January 1951, tanks up 2.7 times, weapons up 2 times. Supply of selenium won’t improve much in 1952, said selenium producers to NPA at meeting this week. Kawecki Chemical Co., Boyertown, Pa., reported it has developed process to reclaim selenium from used and discarded rectifiers, yielding 81% high-grade selenium. NPA officials estimated that some 500,000 lbs. of the rare material can be saved annually from manufacturers’ scrap this way. ■ Donald G. Fink, editor of Electronics Magazine, joins Philco June 1 as co-director of research (with William E. Bradley) under research v.p. David B. Smith. Fink’s duties will be primarily administrative, Bradley’s technical. Appointment presages expansion in research by Philco, perhaps very sizable one. Fink joined Electronics in 1934 as editorial assistant, coming directly from year’s graduate work at MIT. He has been editor since 1946, has served on innumerable industry and govt, committees and panels, particularly in TV, loran and radar. He and Smith grew up together in industry since their freshman days at MIT. Successor to Fink at Electronics is not yet indicated.