Another of Art’s contacts?
Another of Art’s contacts?
Another photo found in the U of I Library collection.
If the large sign in the center reads 9BWC, then this would be the basement ham shack of F. E. Nelson 1431 2nd Ave. E, Cedar Rapids, IA. The bottom half of the sign is pretty washed-out - I tried everything in my toolkit.
One problem with our guess is there are no 9-zone (local) QSL cards on his wall...
Published with permission from the University of Iowa Libraries - "Records of the Collins Radio Company" MsC 814 View full size.
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Autotune® Research.
Autotune<font size="3"><sup>®</sup></font> Research.
1944: Arthur and General Manager of the Engineering Division, Frank M. Davis review a new Autotune design. View full size.
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20B Transmitter Schematic
20B Transmitter Schematic
1932 schematic for the 20B, a 1,000 watt HF transmitter. The 20B was actually a power amplifier (PA) requiring about 150 watts drive from its companion, the 150B.
Drawn by Clare Miller and approved by Arthur Collins - Clare was one of the first employees of the company, starting in June 1932.
Looks simple on paper but weighs a ton when assembled. View full size.
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One of Arthur’s early contacts
One of Arthur’s early contacts
Found with some of Arthur's miscellaneous papers at the University of Iowa Library.
The ham shack of 9BCX - James E. Smith, 334 W. Center Street, Sikeston, Missouri.
We can see several other 9-region QSL cards on his wall. Sorry, no 9CXX is visible.
However, Arthur posted this 9BCX QSL on his wall. See: Art's 1925 Shack.
Published with permission from the University of Iowa Libraries - "Records of the Collins Radio Company" MsC 814 View full size.
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Byrd Equipment: 1934
Byrd Equipment: 1934
Two 150B and one 20B Byrd special-built transmitters waiting shipment from the 2920 First Avenue Metropolitan Building.
The 150B on the left appears to be the driver for the 20B (no insulators on the top) whereas the center 150B has output insulators for direct connection to the antenna - the 150B used on the “Ice Party” View full size.
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Mobile Radio Propagation Study: 1927
Mobile Radio Propagation Study: 1927
Summer 1927, Winfield Salisbury, Paul Engle and Arthur Collins about to leave on a 7,000 mile trip to several western states to conduct 40-20 meter radio propagation.
Arthur, 9CXX, was assigned a special call, 9ZZA, for the trip.
The project was championed by Dr. Taylor of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington to help the Navy learn and become more proficient using short wave frequencies.
Still working on the make of the van! Clues are: wooden spoke wheels, no front bumper, front leaf springs (common for the date), distinctive swirl at the top of the grill frame, the roof makes a gentle slope. I’m guessing 1926 Dodge Bros. delivery van.
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32G Production: 1938
32G Production: 1938
A number of 32G Transmitters being assembled by, what appears to be, an army of workers.
We have it from a reliable source (Milo Soukup) that there were NOT that many assemblymen employed by Collins Radio Co. in 1938. If fact, every available person was collected to populate the photo. They do have a lot of bench space however - all sturdy home-made wooden models.
This editor is thinking the photo was recorded in the factory complex directly behind the Metropolitan building - to the West. View full size.
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150B aboard the “Jacob Ruppert”
150B aboard the “Jacob Ruppert”
Often published 1934 photo of Guy Hutcheson posing with one of the 150B transmitters employed by the Byrd expedition to Little America in Antarctica.
Mr. Hutchenson was the Radio Operator aboard the "Jacob Ruppert" (KJTY) and Operator on the Ice Party.
The second 150B was flown in a Curtis Condor to a position on the ice near the South Pole where Guy operated the unit to communicate with the aircraft. View full size.
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Arthur Relaxing
Arthur Relaxing
Rare photo of Arthur Collins taking a moment to rest. View full size.
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Breadboard-style
Breadboard-style
Two of Arthur’s early transmitters, laid out in the breadboard fashion. Photographed in the attic ham shack at his boyhood home at 514 Fairview Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA. Both designs were later built into rack-mounted assembles and described in a November 1925 Radio Age magazine article. Read the article here. View full size.
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ARC-13
ARC-13
Occasionally we build a product and it never makes it into production. The name tag on this unit say’s “UNIT 1AOF AN/ARC-13 (XN-1) NXSA-67966 SER.2:COL”.
This radio was a UHF COMM Transmitter/Receiver complete with a GUARD channel targeted for U.S. Navy aircraft.
The RECEIVER window shows the number 100, the EXCITER window is centered on 110, the INT.AMP. shows 320-220-110, TRANS. indicates 120 and ANTENNA is set on 70.
It has 5 Autotune knobs and what looks like a 6-position preset switch on the left.
Take a look at the ‘comment’ below to see two of ’em under test. View full size.
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10th Anniversary Dinner
10th Anniversary Dinner
Quoted from the October 1945 issue of Collins Column. “Collins Employees, who have been with the company ten years and longer, were guests of ARTHUR COLLINS, President, at a dinner in the Florentine Room of the Hotel Roosevelt, August 2, 1945. Ten-year pins were presented to forty-five people.” View full size.
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