News Briefs
November 1957 Radio-Electronics

November 1957 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.

For many years, Radio-Electronics magazine featured a monthly column titled "News Briefs," which as the name suggests reported on breaking industry news. It could be the announcement of a significant new invention, research, a tradeshow event, recognition of someone's achievement, or any item deemed worthy of making public. Some months flourished with interesting (to me) tidbits while others had none. The November 1957 issue was middle of the road, so to speak. One that might interest you is that RETMA Changes Name. The Radio-Electronics - Television Manufacturers Association has changed its name to Electronic Industries Association (EIA) - the name it still bears to this day (except the "A" now stands for "Alliance"). Imagine the level of bureaucracy and expense for change that "A." Also, a scheme to simultaneously broadcast a free-TV and a pay-TV show is introduced. A new battery concept using hydrogen and oxygen, called a "fuel cell," is presented as well (now commonplace).

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News Briefs

RETMA Changes Name. The Radio-Electronics - Television Manufacturers Association has changed its name to Electronic Industries Association (EIA). This is hoped to be the end of a series of changes, by which the Radio Manufacturers Association (RMA) successively became RTMA and then RETMA before adopting its present title.

2 TV Programs to a Channel, making it possible for one to be used for pay-TV and the other for free viewing, has been proposed to the FCC by Blonder-Tongue Labs. Though exact technical details are not yet available, it was revealed that two pairs of signals are to be transmitted by the TV station, one pair for program A and the other for program B. Program A consists of two positive units (see Fig. 1-a) which combine to produce a show on the viewer's screen. However, program B is made up of one positive and one negative signal. (see Fig. 1-b). These signals cancel each other and do not appear.

When you wish to see program B, a Bi-Tran decoding signal is fed to the receiver. The decoding signal reverses the negative image in the B program to positive and the B program is received (see Fig. 2-b). Simultaneously, one of the positive signals for the A program is reversed to negative and the A program is cancelled out (see Fig. 2-a). As applied to pay TV, the normal (free) program would come through on the A channel and the pay program on the B channel. To watch the pay program, the set would be switched to the B channel. This would bring decoding signals-carried on the regular telephone line-to the receiver, and at the same time would transmit information as to the program selected back to the telephone office. The payment could be included in the viewer's monthly phone bill.

Modification of both receiving and transmitting equipment would, of course, be necessary.

In military uses the Bi-Tran system could allow transmission of classified information as only persons who knew the proper decoding signals could decipher the signal.

Doubling the number of TV channels would also permit educational programs and public service information as required by police and fire departments and hospitals -to be transmitted without disturbing any existing programs.

New Battery makes electricity direct from gases, by feeding oxygen and hydrogen through its electrodes. The simplified diagram shows the basic operation of this new battery, called a fuel cell. Hydrogen and oxygen enter the cell through specially treated, hollow, porous carbon electrodes. When the gases diffuse to the electrodes' surfaces, they come into contact with the electrolyte, a solution of potassium hydroxide. At the hydrogen electrode, the electrochemical reaction releases an electron which flows through the external circuit and is accepted at the oxygen electrode. This flow of electrons is the current that powers electrical equipment. Ionic conductivity through the electrolyte completes the circuit, positive potassium ions picking up their missing electrons at the oxygen anode. Water formed in the reaction passes from the cell in the hydrogen stream. There is no deterioration of electrodes or electrolyte, and the cell can operate indefinitely as long as "fuel" (oxygen and hydrogen) is supplied to it. Research has indicated that the optimum fuel-cell design will deliver approximately 1 kilowatt from a unit 1 cubic foot in volume. Potential across the terminals is about 1 volt.

As a producer of electrical energy, the fuel cell, developed by the National Carbon Co., depends on a practical and economical source of hydrogen. This gas, at present, is expensive and requires relatively bulky containers.

Posted December 28, 2021