[BC] When did GE die? RCA, Westinghouse, Collins Western Electric.

[DHultsman5@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/1/2006 5:50:14 AM Central Standard Time,  
dynotherm at earthlink.net writes:


IMHO  GE was light years ahead of the pack with the FM boxes they made
in the  late '40's and early '50's, but priced themselves out of the
market trying  to get "military" prices for broadcast equipment and
spare  parts.



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Just after the war all the majors were geared up on technology and  
manufacturing.  The biggies at the time were as I recall;     Federal Radio & TV 
transmitters,  Collins Radio Company, RCA  Broadcast,  Gates Radio, General Electric 
Broadcast,  Westinghouse  Broadcast,  Western Electric  and probably others.
 
Moving from a war oriented economy and transitioning back to a non war  
economy and manufacturing,  I think you will find that the late '40's FM  
transmitters by Collins, Westinghouse and General Electric were similiar and  built 
like tanks as were the RCA, Federals and Western Electrics.  Gates  stayed closer 
to AM until the mid '50's  about the time the FM maket was  slowing.
 
The transmitters manufactured untin about 1954 were real tough, especially  
metering, monitorng and mechanically.  They were too expensive and FM  wasn't 
making any revenue. So most of the manufacturers stopped making product  except 
RCA and Gates which started later.  A new interest in FM transmitter  emerged 
in the late 1950's with several other companies appearing with lower  priced 
and cheaper construction.  After FM stereo approvsl by the FCC the  companies 
geared up by modifying their transmitters and designing new  models.  Some 
were new, some evolved or transitioned well others  poorly.
 
The move from triodes to tetrodes and back to triodes as tubes evolved  etc.
 
But I don't be;ieve you will ever see the quality and experetise of the  
mechanical work, wiring, monitoring and metering of the FM transmitters of the  
late 1940's early 1950;s.
 
Dave