Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

15 Electronics Reports: New all-welded transistors designed for automatic production at price “competitive with the general range of vacuum tubes” are now being turned out by General Electric. The junction transistors, evacuated and in hermetically-sealed metal housings, are said to permit “power ratings up to 3 times those of any previously announced transistors.” At demonstration at San Francisco Western Electronics Show, GE’s germanium products sales mgr. James H. Sweeney said new construction allows power ratings of almost one watt, using 2 units in Class B push-pull circuit. GE is developing “automatic factory” for eventual total mechanization of transistor production. Sweeney said GE engineers in Syracuse are currently developing small transistorized portable radio, with total size of 20 cu. in. GE predicts industry-wide production of transistors to reach 2,900,000 in 1954, as against present yearly rate of about 100,000. Electronic Control Systems Inc., 2138 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, is newly formed research & development firm, partly owned by Stromberg-Carlson, which will concentrate on development of automatic process control and data handling equipment and may later go into manufacturing. Stromberg-Carlson pres. Robert C. Tait is a director. Leonard Mautner, ex-Hughes Aircraft Co. and onetime DuMont transmitter div. mgr., is pres. Alexander F. Brewer, also ex-Hughes, is exec. v.p. & secy. Methods of extremely precise measurement of frequencies up to 75,000 me are described by Bureau of Standards in technical report 1790, now available. For highest frequencies, ammonia and oxygen clocks are being developed and, says Bureau, “even greater absolute accuracies are possible from a standard based on atomic beam techniques, as in the NBS cesium clock.” Texts of all papers presented at 1953 Electronic Components Symposium Apr. 29-May 1 in Pasadena, Cal., sponsored by RETMA, IRE, AIEE & West Coast Electronic Mfrs. Assn., are available in book form for $4.50 from Suite 1011, 621 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17. Old line-sequential color system has been brought up again by Dana Griffin, Communications Measurements Laboratory, Plainfield, N. J., who wrote NTSC chairman Dr. W. R. G. Baker, arguing that line-sequential system may offer cheaper, though somewhat inferior, color sets than are possible with NTSC system. Dr. Baker answered : “It is hardly to be expected that during the early stages of commercialization when production must, of necessity, be limited to some extent that the price of color TV receivers will be of the same order as when the annual production rates are several million receivers.” Note: Color TV Inc., which espoused line-sequential system during last hearing, is member of NTSC, goes along with its recommendations. Avco deferred usual quarterly dividend of 15<f at board meeting Aug. 28, chairman-pres. Victor Emanuel explaining it was due to current earnings and working capital requirements and that next common stock dividend consideration will come at year-end meeting in Nov. Earnings since beginning of second fiscal quarter have been adversely affected by strikes in 4 plants, he added, and working capital is being conserved for increasing defense contracts and for big promotion of Crosley-Bendix lines. Avco stock fell same day from 6% to year’s low of 5%. Pacific Mercury started construction this week on first unit of its new factory at Hayvenhurst Ave. & Chase St., Van Nuys, Cal., to house executive offices, research, engineering & production depts. and TV receiver assembly lines. It’s scheduled for completion about Dec. 1, according to pres. Joe Benaron. Financial & Trade Roles: Emerson Radio and sub sidiaries report consolidated net profit before taxes of $5,189,077 for 39 weeks ended Aug. 1, compared with $2,330,404 for like 1952 period. After taxes, profit amounted to $2,333,227, or $1.21 per share on the 1,935,187 shares outstanding, compared with $1,005,359 (52(1) for same 1952 period. Sales figures weren’t released. General Precision Equipment Corp. reports for 6 months ended June 20 sales of $41,102,567, more than double the $19,216,574 for same 1952 period. Net profit was $1,469,067 ($2.22 a share) vs. $361,112 (54<!) last year. For quarter ended June 30, sales were $20,985,580, net profit $649,087 ($1.21) vs. $11,436,566 sales, $325,452 (48 (!) net profit in 1952 quarter. Allied Electric Products Inc., parent of Sheldon Electric Co. div. (tubes), reports net sales of $6,685,196 for fiscal year ended April 30, 1953 and net income of $212,922. Chairman Nathan Chirelstein notes improvement of working capital position, amounting to $200,566 as against deficit of $198,513 as of April 30, 1952. Pye Ltd., big British TV-radio-electronics manufacturer, reports net profit of $660,000 (£235,717) for year ended March 31, compared with $454,212 (£162,219) for same 1952 period. Both figures are after taxes amounting to approximately double the net profit. Arvin shows net profit of $910,596 ($1.02 a share on 890,625 common shares) after taxes of $1,017,095 on sales of $17,309,104 in quarter ended June 28 compared to $778,639 (87(0 after taxes of $858,641 on sales of $13,262,026 same 1952 period. Dividends: Sylvania, 50 <£ payable Oct. 1 to stockholders of record Sept. 10; Stromberg-Carlson, 37%^ Sept. 30 to holders Sept. 15; Aerovox, 15^ Sept. 15 to holders Sept. 1; Wells-Gardner, 15^ Sept. 15 to holders Sept. 3; Bendix Aviation, 75 (j; Sept. 30 to holders Sept. 10. National Union Radio Corp. reports profit of $334,844 (13tf per share) on sales of $7,723,082 in first 6 months of 1953, compared to net loss of $34,963 on sales of $6,580,642 in same period year ago. n Educational TV advocates got heartening assurances on future of their channel reservations this week from FCC, which turned down request of WWEZ Inc., New Orleans, for rule-making procedure so it could apply for that city’s Ch. 8 educational assignment (Vol. 9:28). It was first such request to come before Commission since end of one-year reservation June 2 — and educational TV leaders promptly expressed hope Commission’s action would discourage other would-be commercial applicants from making same request. In turning down WWEZ request, Commission cited “substantial progress” made by Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation in raising money to establish educational station, said it should be given more time. Joint Committee on Educational TV had joined New Orleans educational group in opposing WWEZ request. Tokyo’s first commercial TV station, Nippon TV Network Corp.’s JO AX-TV (newspaper publisher Matsutaro Shoriki) went on air Aug. 20 with RCA 10-kw transmitter. Other Tokyo station, operated by Broadcasting Corp. of Japan (NHK) went on air last March with 500-watt transmitter. First station in Philippines, Bolinao Electronics Corp.’s DZBC-TV, Manila (Juan Quirino) is nearing completion and plans to start soon on Ch. 3. Tea Council of the U.S.A., 500 Fifth Ave., N. Y. has completed 4-min. TV film titled No Dishes Today, prepared in cooperation with National Restaurant Assn, to support National Restaurant Month in Oct. Tea Council’s agency is Leo Burnet Co., N. Y.