November 1961 Radio-Electronics
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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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News Briefs
Electronic Highlights of 1961
Satellite summary as of Nov. 1 shows that the US has launched 55 satellites and
still has 31 in orbit around the earth and two in a solar orbit. Twelve of these
are still transmitting. The Soviet Union has launched a total of 16 satellites.
Thirteen are still in orbit around the earth and two are in a solar orbit. All are
crammed with various types of electronic gear ranging from ordinary radio transmitters,
receivers and repeaters to TV cameras, solar cells, radiation detectors and propagation
measuring instruments.
Back on earth there has been a surge in transistorized CB transceivers. Pocket
units with a range of up to 1 mile fall within the FCC low-power rules and can be
used without an FCC license. FM multiplexing has put stereo broadcasts into thousands
of homes across the US. Only a handful of stations are now broadcasting, but their
number is expected to multiply rapidly.
Some new apartment houses and homes have closed-circuit TV for seeing who is
at the front door.
Transistor use is ever growing, threatening tubes. Latest word is that two manufacturers
are closing down tube operations, will produce only transistors in the future.
Color TV took an upswing with color manufacturers' getting out of the red for
the first time. Field is also getting competitive with introduction of Zenith color
receiver. A Japanese import using an RCA color picture tube also appeared.
Peter Jensen Passes
The co-inventor of our present electrodynamic loudspeaker and originator of the
line of Jensen speakers died Oct. 25, 1961, aged 75.
Jensen was one of the earliest of the electronic pioneers and is one of the contenders
for the title of inventor of wireless telephony. Working with Valdemar Poulsen (inventor
of magnetic recording and the Poulsen arc), he transmitted voice over the Poulsen
wireless equipment in the early 1900's. Staying up every night to play phonograph
records for radio operators on ships at sea, he became unquestionably the world's
first disc jockey.
He came to the United States in 1909 to install wireless equipment for Poulsen
Laboratories. Remaining to become an American citizen, he worked with another engineer,
Edwin L. Pridham to develop what became the Magnavox dynamic speaker. Later he went
to Chicago and. began to make speakers under the Jensen name.
When World War II broke out, Jensen resigned from his own company and took a
low-salaried post with the War Production Board, obtaining sound equipment for the
Armed Forces. After the war he founded Jensen Industries and began manufacturing
phonograph needles.
His native Denmark recognized his contributions to electronics by making him
a knight and hanging a plaque at his birth place.
Jensen Industries, now making phonograph cartridges and accessories as well as
needles, is being carried on by his son Karl.
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