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June 1968 Radio-Electronics
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Electronics,
published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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This item from a 1968 issue
of Radio-Electronics magazine's "Looking Ahead - Current Happenings with
Future Overtones" feature might have been in one of those lists of notable quotes
from tech industry leaders that are ridiculous in retrospect. It was written by
editor David Lachenbruch. The R-E staff is not populated with people who
tenaciously hold on to established technology while shunning new concepts. He cites
industry experts who projected that at the time 83% of new color TV sets were of
all-vacuum-tube construction, with only 3% being all-transistor, thus the claim,
"Life in the Old Girl Yet." While I don't have the numbers, I've read enough magazines
of the era to know that a very rapid transition to semiconductors and printed circuit
boards occurred in the early 1970s, and soon thereafter vacuum tubes were manufactured
primarily as replacements for existing equipment. In other news, the FCC was initiating
controls over the amount of unintended radiation could be emitted by electronic
devices. Also, the legal battle over who owned the rights to the standard FM radio
stereo multiplex broadcasting scheme dragged on. Crosley's Tele-Tronics claim was
overruled in favor of General Electric, that being challenged by Zenith.
Looking Ahead
 Life in the Old Girl Yet
Hold back those tears - the funeral of the vacuum tube isn't in sight, despite
repeated inferences to the contrary. Spurred by the high level of TV production
in recent years, tube sales still aren't far from their all-time high. And the prospect
of any sudden industry-wide changeover to solid-state TV sets is remote.
Although transistorized TVs and consumer-product integrated circuits receive
much publicity, the immediate future of TV is tied up with the receiving tube. One
industry marketing expert estimates that only 3% of the color sets produced this
year will be all solid state, while 14% will be tube-transistor hybrids and 83%
will be of the all-tube type. Only 7% of this year's black-and-white sets will be
solid state, according to the forecaster. Looking ahead as far as 1970, he predicts
that 12% of color sets will be solid-state, 40% hybrid-and still 48% predominantly
tube-type. He sees 60% of monochrome TV production as tube-type in 1970.
There are several strong reasons why the TV industry isn't galloping toward solid
state. Tube sets are still less expensive, and generally require fewer components,
thereby saving on labor as well as parts costs. While solid-state technology has
developed rapidly, it's less widely noted that there have been many advances in
the tube art, too, increasing reliability, life and numbers of functions per tube,
as well as improving performance and lowering costs. Not the least important factor
is that both design engineer and service technicians feel far more comfy working
with the old familiar vacuum tube.
Interference-Control Law
The airwaves could become a little clearer as the result of anticipated passage
of long-pending legislation which would give the FCC authority to control manufacture,
import and sale of devices capable of interfering with radio transmission and reception.
Main targets of the FCC-backed bill are the manufacturers of some types of remote-control
garage-door openers, electric motors, fluorescent lighting, medical equipment and
even automobiles, which sometimes generate large amounts of unnecessary rf noise.
The new law would permit the FCC to get after the manufacturers of these devices.
Except in the case of radiation from TV tuners, it now has jurisdiction only over
the user.
Who Owns FM Stereo?
It's taking longer to unwind the patent snarl over the standard FM stereo multiplex
system than it did to invent it. Last year, a New York federal court, in a surprise
decision, upheld Crosby Tele-Tronics as holder of the basic patent for FM stereo,
despite the fact that the so-called "Crosby system" had been rejected by the FCC.
Then, this spring, the appeals court reversed this decision by ruling in favor of
General Electric, which had been sued by Crosby for alleged patent infringement.
After the higher court decision, GE immediately served notice on manufacturers of
broadcast and receiving equipment that it expects them to pay royalties on all FM
stereo devices they make. But another manufacturer is on the scene. Zenith Radio
Corp. also has claims on some aspects of the system and has indicated that it, too,
will insist on royalties from other manufacturers. Most FM stereo makers, meanwhile,
are waiting for the dust to settle.
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