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September 1949 Popular Science
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early
electronics. See articles from
Popular
Science, published 1872-2021. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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In 1949, when this news
items appeared in Popular Science magazine, the only
drones in use were those used for target practice by the military. The term
"drone" came from the sound their small internal combustion engines made. The remote
control systems used to guide them were typically bulky, heavy units both for the
ground-based transmitters and the airplane-based receivers. There were no drone
helicopters or multi-rotor craft at the time. Not many people even conjured futuristic
thoughts of them. Instead, some radio and television receiver installation teams
used helium-filled balloons to float antennas around the site to determine at what
position and height the best interference-free signal was provided. Steering would have
been accomplished by towing the craft around while varying the altitude. It was
a very ingenuous scheme. Note that the article refers to use of a
Kytoon™, which is a sort of
portmanteau
for kite + balloon. You might be interested in my related concept for a
Drone-Based Field Measurement System™ (dB-FMS)™.
Foil-Carrying Balloons Find Right Spot for TV Antennas
 Balloons not much bigger than the ones kids
play with are now helping television service men find the right place for video
antennas.
The helium-filled Kytoons™ actually carry a temporary antenna - strips
of aluminum foil - up into the air to determine the height at which signals come
in strongest. A special coaxial cable brings the signal from the aluminum-foil antenna
to the ground and also controls the height of the balloon. The balloons are used
in mountainous suburban areas where tall antenna mounts are needed to pick up a
strong, "ghost"-free picture.
The Kytoons, which have dirigible-like fins to give extra lift and keep them
steady in windy weather, can also be used to fly permanent antennas in remote locations
where a roof or pole mount would give no image at all. The manufacturers,
Dewey and Almy
Chemical Co., of Cambridge, Mass., report that they have even shipped some to
whalers - to locate newly killed whales.
Posted February 13, 2024
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