Rockwell Collins
Encyclopedia
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States
-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, primarily providing aviation
and information technology
systems and services to government
al agencies and aircraft manufacturers.
founded Collins Radio Company in 1933 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, for the purpose of designing and producing both shortwave radio equipment and equipment for the burgeoning AM Broadcast industry. As the Collins reputation for fine quality and uncompromising construction grew, Collins was solicited by the military, the scientific community and by the larger AM radio stations for special equipment. The company captured worldwide attention when Collins supplied the equipment to establish a communications link with the South Pole
expedition of Rear Admiral
Richard Byrd
in 1933.
Financial income increased steadily enabling Arthur Collins to continually change and enhance, broaden and diversify his equipment, which, in the end, became a dominant force in the radio equipment industry. By 1936 Collins had already begun production of their famous 12H audio console, 12X portable field announcers box and their 300E and 300F broadcast transmitters. The 300F design remained stable for over a decade with most remaining in service throughout the 1960s. They were replaced not because of equipment failure but because of relaxed rules permitting daytime only stations operating on clear channel frequencies to increase power and operate at night with 1000 Watts power and more. Throughout WW2, speech equipment also evolved dynamically as industry feedback influenced the designs at Collins. The 12H was quickly replaced with the stunning success of the 212A1 and 212B1 designs that remained in service for decades. It is important to note that during these initial decades of the Collins production of radio equipment, reliability and dependability characterized the demand for equipment. As an example, during the pre-WW2 years, the National Radio Company was the principal contractor for the US military. This changed with the US entrance into WW2 and Collins quickly became the principle supplier of radio and navigation equipment used in the military theater. Uncompromising performance was required.
Arthur Collins excelled not only in aspirations and an eye for high quality equipment but an eye for good people as well. It's safe to say that while Arthur Collins guided the design work of his equipment in the pre-WW2 years, the Collins Radio Company's staff assumed that role during WW2 under Arthur's guidance. In the post war years, particularly during the Cold War, the Collins Radio Company continued to expand its work in all phases of the communications field while broadening its technology thrust into numerous other disciplines. This moved Arthur Collins into a more active role as CEO guiding department leaders holding significant responsibilities. New developments such as flight control instruments, radio communication devices and satellite voice transmissions created great opportunities in the marketplace. Collins Radio Company provided communications for America's role in the Space Race
, including equipment for astronauts to communicate with earth stations and equipment to track and communicate with spacecraft. Collins communications equipment was used for Projects Mercury
, Gemini
and Apollo
, providing voice communication for every American astronaut traveling through space. In 1973, the U.S. Skylab
Program used Collins equipment to provide communication from the astronauts to earth.
in 1973. In 2001 the avionics division of Rockwell International was spun off to form the current Rockwell Collins, Inc., retaining its name. Rockwell Collins is highly concentrated in the defense and commercial avionics markets and no longer markets receivers to the public. The Collins mechanical filter
is still in production and does, however, find consumer and commercial use.
The company has acquired several companies, including Hughes-Avicom's in-flight entertainment business, Sony's in-flight entertainment business (Sony Trans Com), Intertrade Ltd., Flight Dynamics, K Systems, Inc. (Kaiser companies), Communication Solutions, Inc., Airshow, Inc., NLX (Simulation Business), portions of Evans & Sutherland
, TELDIX GmbH, IP Unwired, Anzus Inc., Datapath Inc., SEOS Displays Ltd. and Air Routing International.
The company is among the major suppliers of in-flight entertainment
on board aircraft. Rockwell Collins' key competitors in this industry include Panasonic Avionics Corporation
, Thales Group
, and JetBlue's IFE subsidiary LiveTV
.
As of 2010, the company employs over 20,000 people and has an annual turnover of 4.665 billion US dollars. Its chairman, president and CEO is Clayton M. Jones
.
industry. The model 12H, which appears to be the first manufactured broadcast console to integrate the amplifiers into the control surface case, was called a "speech input assembly". Due to the Great Depression
, fewer than 100 were sold and only a handful remain today. Extant 12Hs show revision numbers as high as 12H-10, and some of the tube types were changed over the course of the revisions. One variant is known called the 12N, almost identical in appearance.
In 1939, as war in Europe broke out, the model 12 Speech Input Console as well as the 26C limiter amplifier was licensed to Canadian Marconi Co. as the C12H and C26C respectively for both sales in Canada (for the new Canadian Radio Network) and Her Majesties Service for the war effort. Collins success in constructing broadcast transmitters continued to grow, selling well over a thousand up to the start of World War II. During World War II Collins expertise grew in higher power transmitters producing designs which ran well over 15 kilowatts of RF power on a continuous basis. After the war a limited number of AM transmitters were produced called the 300G and remain the finest in low power AM transmitters (300W) ever produced. The 300G employed the lowest noise circuitry of the time using the 6A5G triode that was more than 10db quieter than its substitutes the 6B4G or 6AV5.
Collins remained an important manufacturer of AM and FM broadcast radio transmitters for the commercial market surviving the drastic cost cutting market of the 1960s and 1970s. The transmitter line was later sold to Continental Electronics
, which continued to produce a number of Collins designs under its own nameplate before phasing them out in the 1980s. Many Collins transmitters remain in service, primarily as backups for more modern equipment. As history would have it, Continental destroyed all the imported Collins documentation in a random and unexpected warehouse clean-up. Very few original documents remain today and what survived is essentially in the hands of collectors. Some documentation was recently donated to the University of Iowa Library.
After World War II, Collins continued to support both broadcast and the quickly growing post-war amateur radio market. The United States Coast Guard Cutter
USCGC Courier was equipped with two Collins 207B-1 transmitters
during its time as a ship-borne radio relay station to transmit Voice of America
programs behind the Iron Curtain
.
Legendary amateur radio
transmitters, including the 32V-1, -2, and -3, KWS-1 and the rack mounted KW-1 can easily sell for several times their original cost. Like the no- expense-was-spared 300G, the KW–1 demonstrated Art Collins' ability to produce the finest in shortwave transmitters. Though comparatively few were built, it set the tone for his "S-Line" series which continued to serve as the standard by which all shortwave equipment was judged. Even today, the "S-Line" station is bought, sold, restored and coveted by radio fans with true appreciation for both radio and what Art Collins brought to it.
receiver, the 75A-1 (originally simply called the 75A). This set achieved excellent stability for the time due to high build quality and the use of a permeability tuned oscillator (PTO) in its second conversion stage. It was one of the few double conversion superheterodynes on the market and covered only the amateur bands.
With the experience gained in the design of the 75A-1, Collins released the 51J-1 receiver, a general coverage HF set covering .5 to 30 MHz. It would be produced in somewhat updated versions (51J-2, 51J-3, 51J-4) for about a decade. It found use in military and commercial settings but was too expensive for most enthusiasts. In the military it was known as the R-388 and was used in multiple receiver diversity RTTY
installations.
The 75A amateur line was updated throughout the early 50s, finishing with the 75A-4, which was released in 1955. The Collins mechanical filter
was introduced to consumers in the 75A-3, and the 75A-4 was one of the first receivers marketed specifically as a single sideband receiver.
Around 1950, Collins began designing the R-390 (.5–30 MHz) for the US military. This was intended to be a receiver of the highest performance available, with the ruggedness and serviceability required for military duty. It featured direct mechanical digital frequency readout. The set is composed of several modules for easy field repair—a bad module could simply be swapped out and repaired later, or junked. Sets built during the original 1951 contract cost the government about $2500 each and around 16,000 were produced.
Concurrently, Collins developed the R-389, a longwave version with fewer than 1000 made. The R-391, another variant of the R-390, allowed choice of 8 different autotuned channels. The three radios shared common power supplies, audio and intermediate frequency modules.
About three years later, Collins delivered the R-390A
to the military. While nominally a cost-reduced R-390 (savings of about $250 each), its design compromises were minimal, and it added mechanical filters for improved selectivity. The gear-driven tuning and band change mechanisms were simplified and the parts count reduced. About 54,000 were produced and the set was a military workhorse until the 1970s. Like the R-390, it can outperform many modern radios, to the point that it was designated top secret
until the late 1960s.
In 1958 Collins replaced the 75A series with the much smaller 75S series, part of the S/Line, discussed in the next section. These featured mechanical filters, very accurate frequency readout, and excellent stability. At the request of the US government, Collins designed the 51S-1 general coverage set, which was essentially (in intended use) a physically smaller replacement for the 51J series. It was not intended as a replacement for the higher performance R-390A, and unlike the R-390A, it was extensively marketed for commercial use.
Collins produced a few high performance solid state
receivers in the 1970s, such as the 651S-1. Like their tube
predecessors, these are coveted by collectors today.
transceiver
, the KWM-1, the year before. Together, these two innovations put Collins temporarily ahead of its competition and set the stage for other manufacturers and the next generation of amateur (and military) HF radio equipment.
The 75S-1 receiver and 32S-1 transmitter, comprising the heart of the S/Line, operated separately or together to transceive. The units included crystal bandpass filters
and a new compact PTO design that provided stable, highly linear tuning across 200 kHz band segments. The S/Line tuning dial mechanism was unique when introduced. It used concentric dials and a gear mechanism that provided precise dial resolution, better than 1 kHz.
Within a few years Collins had introduced additional S/Line components, including the 30S-1 kilowatt power amplifier, the 30L-1 desktop power amplifier, and the 62S-1 transverter
, which provided coverage of the 6 meter (50 MHz) and 2 meter (144 MHz) amateur bands. The KWM-2 transceiver replaced the KWM-1 using many of the S/Line’s design features and matching its styling. Other accessories included speakers, microphones and control consoles.
Illustrating the uniqueness of their new, smaller units in the market, Collins advertisements in the 1950s and early 1960s emphasized the S/Line’s physical styling and size as often as they did its performance.
Collins continued to improve the S/Line, first introducing the S-2, then the S-3 units, the 75S-3 (and -3A, -3B and -3C) receiver, and the 32S-3 and -3A transmitters. The -3A and -3C units were identical to the -3 and -3B units, respectively, except they provided an extra set of heterodyne
oscillator crystals enabling them to cover extra bands – useful for military, amateur and MARS
operation, where operation just outside the regular amateur bands was necessary.
Among amateur radio
operators, the S/Line established its reputation as perhaps the most solidly engineered equipment available – and the most costly. As a result, S/Line equipment, and the A-Line and other predecessors, are restored, prized, and operated on the air by collectors today.
Collins continued to produce the S/Line well into the late 1970s and after its acquisition by Rockwell.
In 1978, with the move to solid state
design, the S/Line came to an end after a two decade production run. The KWM-380 transceiver was introduced the next year – a break with the past both in its use of transistors and digital technology, and its styling. It would be Collins’ final entry in the amateur radio market until it was discontinued in the mid-1980s.
With products technically successful and far ahead of their time in many respects, Mr. Collins continued to invest in development at a rate that could not be supported by sales when a downturn occurred, and began to have financial problems.
The CS division services the commercial airline industry and business aircraft, providing navigation, communication, Synthetic vision
, other cockpit products such as autoland
autopilot
s, and cabin products such as In Flight Entertainment (IFE). The GS division services primarily the US government and military, but also provides some products and services to foreign governments with close ties to the United States. Notable government related projects that Rockwell Collins has involvement with are Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS), Joint Tactical Radio System
(JTRS), Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT), Defense Advanced GPS Receiver
(DAGR), and Future Combat Systems
. The I&SS division is an amalgamation of (IB) International Business organization whose responsibility is sales, engineering and human resource of personnel outside of North America and Service Solutions who provides support services such as customer support,simulation and training and technical publications. I&SS provide a common service to both CS and GS divisions and its formation was announced on the Rockwell Collins press release web page on February 19, 2010.
Other prominent divisions in the company include display systems, flight controls, aircraft simulation, and navigation systems.
equipment, there is an active community of Collins radio enthusiasts, with clubs, web sites and on-line discussions
dedicated to restoring and operating the equipment. The Collins Collectors Association (CCA) and the Collins Radio Association (CRA) are two examples of such organizations.
Groups of Collins users also organize meetings, gatherings at hamfest
s and regularly scheduled on-air discussions called “nets”
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, primarily providing aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
systems and services to government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
al agencies and aircraft manufacturers.
History
Arthur CollinsArthur A. Collins
Arthur A. Collins was an American entrepreneur, who founded Collins Radio Co., which is now Rockwell Collins, Inc..Art Collins' father owned several thousand acres of farmland. After graduating from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Collins attended several colleges although he never...
founded Collins Radio Company in 1933 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, for the purpose of designing and producing both shortwave radio equipment and equipment for the burgeoning AM Broadcast industry. As the Collins reputation for fine quality and uncompromising construction grew, Collins was solicited by the military, the scientific community and by the larger AM radio stations for special equipment. The company captured worldwide attention when Collins supplied the equipment to establish a communications link with the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
expedition of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Richard Byrd
Richard Evelyn Byrd
Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics...
in 1933.
Financial income increased steadily enabling Arthur Collins to continually change and enhance, broaden and diversify his equipment, which, in the end, became a dominant force in the radio equipment industry. By 1936 Collins had already begun production of their famous 12H audio console, 12X portable field announcers box and their 300E and 300F broadcast transmitters. The 300F design remained stable for over a decade with most remaining in service throughout the 1960s. They were replaced not because of equipment failure but because of relaxed rules permitting daytime only stations operating on clear channel frequencies to increase power and operate at night with 1000 Watts power and more. Throughout WW2, speech equipment also evolved dynamically as industry feedback influenced the designs at Collins. The 12H was quickly replaced with the stunning success of the 212A1 and 212B1 designs that remained in service for decades. It is important to note that during these initial decades of the Collins production of radio equipment, reliability and dependability characterized the demand for equipment. As an example, during the pre-WW2 years, the National Radio Company was the principal contractor for the US military. This changed with the US entrance into WW2 and Collins quickly became the principle supplier of radio and navigation equipment used in the military theater. Uncompromising performance was required.
Arthur Collins excelled not only in aspirations and an eye for high quality equipment but an eye for good people as well. It's safe to say that while Arthur Collins guided the design work of his equipment in the pre-WW2 years, the Collins Radio Company's staff assumed that role during WW2 under Arthur's guidance. In the post war years, particularly during the Cold War, the Collins Radio Company continued to expand its work in all phases of the communications field while broadening its technology thrust into numerous other disciplines. This moved Arthur Collins into a more active role as CEO guiding department leaders holding significant responsibilities. New developments such as flight control instruments, radio communication devices and satellite voice transmissions created great opportunities in the marketplace. Collins Radio Company provided communications for America's role in the Space Race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
, including equipment for astronauts to communicate with earth stations and equipment to track and communicate with spacecraft. Collins communications equipment was used for Projects Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
, Gemini
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
and Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
, providing voice communication for every American astronaut traveling through space. In 1973, the U.S. Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
Program used Collins equipment to provide communication from the astronauts to earth.
Rockwell Collins
After facing financial difficulties, the Collins Radio Company was purchased by Rockwell InternationalRockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....
in 1973. In 2001 the avionics division of Rockwell International was spun off to form the current Rockwell Collins, Inc., retaining its name. Rockwell Collins is highly concentrated in the defense and commercial avionics markets and no longer markets receivers to the public. The Collins mechanical filter
Mechanical filter
A mechanical filter is a signal processing filter usually used in place of an electronic filter at radio frequencies. Its purpose is the same as that of a normal electronic filter: to pass a range of signal frequencies, but to block others. The filter acts on mechanical vibrations which are the...
is still in production and does, however, find consumer and commercial use.
The company has acquired several companies, including Hughes-Avicom's in-flight entertainment business, Sony's in-flight entertainment business (Sony Trans Com), Intertrade Ltd., Flight Dynamics, K Systems, Inc. (Kaiser companies), Communication Solutions, Inc., Airshow, Inc., NLX (Simulation Business), portions of Evans & Sutherland
Evans & Sutherland
Evans & Sutherland is a computer firm involved in the computer graphics field. Their products are used primarily by the military and large industrial firms for training and simulation, and in digital projection environments like planetariums.-History:...
, TELDIX GmbH, IP Unwired, Anzus Inc., Datapath Inc., SEOS Displays Ltd. and Air Routing International.
The company is among the major suppliers of in-flight entertainment
In-flight Entertainment
In-flight entertainment refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship Hindenburg offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the 2½ day flight between Europe and America...
on board aircraft. Rockwell Collins' key competitors in this industry include Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California with major business functions also shared with the former headquarters located in Bothell, WA.Established in 1980, the product engineering and development departments are...
, Thales Group
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
, and JetBlue's IFE subsidiary LiveTV
LiveTV
LiveTV is a major provider of airline in-flight entertainment systems. Originally a joint venture of Harris Corporation and BE Aerospace , it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways Corporation...
.
As of 2010, the company employs over 20,000 people and has an annual turnover of 4.665 billion US dollars. Its chairman, president and CEO is Clayton M. Jones
Clayton M. Jones
Clayton M. Jones is the chairman, President and CEO of Rockwell Collins.Jones grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and studied at the University of Tennessee and George Washington University. He served as a fighter pilot in the U.S...
.
Broadcast transmitters
In the mid 1930s, the Collins Radio Company constructed and sold transmitters and audio mixing consoles to the broadcastBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
industry. The model 12H, which appears to be the first manufactured broadcast console to integrate the amplifiers into the control surface case, was called a "speech input assembly". Due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, fewer than 100 were sold and only a handful remain today. Extant 12Hs show revision numbers as high as 12H-10, and some of the tube types were changed over the course of the revisions. One variant is known called the 12N, almost identical in appearance.
In 1939, as war in Europe broke out, the model 12 Speech Input Console as well as the 26C limiter amplifier was licensed to Canadian Marconi Co. as the C12H and C26C respectively for both sales in Canada (for the new Canadian Radio Network) and Her Majesties Service for the war effort. Collins success in constructing broadcast transmitters continued to grow, selling well over a thousand up to the start of World War II. During World War II Collins expertise grew in higher power transmitters producing designs which ran well over 15 kilowatts of RF power on a continuous basis. After the war a limited number of AM transmitters were produced called the 300G and remain the finest in low power AM transmitters (300W) ever produced. The 300G employed the lowest noise circuitry of the time using the 6A5G triode that was more than 10db quieter than its substitutes the 6B4G or 6AV5.
Collins remained an important manufacturer of AM and FM broadcast radio transmitters for the commercial market surviving the drastic cost cutting market of the 1960s and 1970s. The transmitter line was later sold to Continental Electronics
Continental Electronics
Continental Electronics is a major American manufacturer of broadcast and military radio transmitters, based in Dallas, Texas. Although Continental today is best known for its FM, shortwave, and military VLF transmitters, Continental is most significant historically for its line of mediumwave ...
, which continued to produce a number of Collins designs under its own nameplate before phasing them out in the 1980s. Many Collins transmitters remain in service, primarily as backups for more modern equipment. As history would have it, Continental destroyed all the imported Collins documentation in a random and unexpected warehouse clean-up. Very few original documents remain today and what survived is essentially in the hands of collectors. Some documentation was recently donated to the University of Iowa Library.
Shortwave transmitters
Collins also produced several shortwave transmitters delivering what it learned in the production of amateur radio equipment to the commercial market. A "30" Series production catered to the growing need of state highway patrol agencies and Department of Commerce aviation needs. The most famous of the series was the 30J-18, which stunned the industry with an art deco appearance rivaling the best of the best. During World War II, Collins Radio combined both its broadcast experience and its shortwave expertise to produce high power transmitters capable of operating around the clock with minimum maintenance. Both their famous aircraft transmitter the ART-13 and their patrol boat radio equipment played fundamental roles in the Allied effort to defeat Germany and Japan. If it is true that the M1 Garand turned the tide of infantry combat to favor the Allies, it is also true that Collins Radio military equipment provided critical communications support when Allied operations needed it. This role was repeated in Korea and Vietnam. Collins military radios were in such continual demand that long after hostilities ceased, the surplus radio sales have remained an active market up to even today.After World War II, Collins continued to support both broadcast and the quickly growing post-war amateur radio market. The United States Coast Guard Cutter
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
USCGC Courier was equipped with two Collins 207B-1 transmitters
Collins 207B-1 Transmitter
The Collins 207B-1 was a radio transmitter manufactured in 1951 by Collins Radio Company.-Specifications:The 207B-1 was capable of 35 kilowatts of RF output in amplitude modulation mode, and 50 kilowatts in continuous wave mode...
during its time as a ship-borne radio relay station to transmit Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
programs behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
.
Legendary amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
transmitters, including the 32V-1, -2, and -3, KWS-1 and the rack mounted KW-1 can easily sell for several times their original cost. Like the no- expense-was-spared 300G, the KW–1 demonstrated Art Collins' ability to produce the finest in shortwave transmitters. Though comparatively few were built, it set the tone for his "S-Line" series which continued to serve as the standard by which all shortwave equipment was judged. Even today, the "S-Line" station is bought, sold, restored and coveted by radio fans with true appreciation for both radio and what Art Collins brought to it.
Receivers
Around 1947, the company introduced their first amateur radioAmateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
receiver, the 75A-1 (originally simply called the 75A). This set achieved excellent stability for the time due to high build quality and the use of a permeability tuned oscillator (PTO) in its second conversion stage. It was one of the few double conversion superheterodynes on the market and covered only the amateur bands.
With the experience gained in the design of the 75A-1, Collins released the 51J-1 receiver, a general coverage HF set covering .5 to 30 MHz. It would be produced in somewhat updated versions (51J-2, 51J-3, 51J-4) for about a decade. It found use in military and commercial settings but was too expensive for most enthusiasts. In the military it was known as the R-388 and was used in multiple receiver diversity RTTY
Radioteletype
Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...
installations.
The 75A amateur line was updated throughout the early 50s, finishing with the 75A-4, which was released in 1955. The Collins mechanical filter
Mechanical filter
A mechanical filter is a signal processing filter usually used in place of an electronic filter at radio frequencies. Its purpose is the same as that of a normal electronic filter: to pass a range of signal frequencies, but to block others. The filter acts on mechanical vibrations which are the...
was introduced to consumers in the 75A-3, and the 75A-4 was one of the first receivers marketed specifically as a single sideband receiver.
Concurrently, Collins developed the R-389, a longwave version with fewer than 1000 made. The R-391, another variant of the R-390, allowed choice of 8 different autotuned channels. The three radios shared common power supplies, audio and intermediate frequency modules.
About three years later, Collins delivered the R-390A
R-390A
The R-390A /URR is a general coverage HF radio communications receiver designed by Collins Radio Company for the US military.-History:The R-390A military shortwave radio receiver was the result of a project undertaken by the U. S. Army Signal Corps in 1954 to replace the existing R-390 receiver...
to the military. While nominally a cost-reduced R-390 (savings of about $250 each), its design compromises were minimal, and it added mechanical filters for improved selectivity. The gear-driven tuning and band change mechanisms were simplified and the parts count reduced. About 54,000 were produced and the set was a military workhorse until the 1970s. Like the R-390, it can outperform many modern radios, to the point that it was designated top secret
Top Secret
Top Secret generally refers to the highest acknowledged level of classified information.Top Secret may also refer to:- Film and television :* Top Secret , a British comedy directed by Mario Zampi...
until the late 1960s.
In 1958 Collins replaced the 75A series with the much smaller 75S series, part of the S/Line, discussed in the next section. These featured mechanical filters, very accurate frequency readout, and excellent stability. At the request of the US government, Collins designed the 51S-1 general coverage set, which was essentially (in intended use) a physically smaller replacement for the 51J series. It was not intended as a replacement for the higher performance R-390A, and unlike the R-390A, it was extensively marketed for commercial use.
Collins produced a few high performance solid state
Solid state (electronics)
Solid-state electronics are those circuits or devices built entirely from solid materials and in which the electrons, or other charge carriers, are confined entirely within the solid material...
receivers in the 1970s, such as the 651S-1. Like their tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
predecessors, these are coveted by collectors today.
Transceivers and systems
With the introduction of the S/Line in 1958, Collins moved from designing individual products that could be used together, to ones that were designed to integrate and operate together, in various combinations, as a system. They were the first equipment maker to take this approach. Collins was also the first to introduce a compact HFHigh frequency
High frequency radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz. Also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decameters . Frequencies immediately below HF are denoted Medium-frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Very high frequency...
transceiver
Transceiver
A transceiver is a device comprising both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry or a single housing. When no circuitry is common between transmit and receive functions, the device is a transmitter-receiver. The term originated in the early 1920s...
, the KWM-1, the year before. Together, these two innovations put Collins temporarily ahead of its competition and set the stage for other manufacturers and the next generation of amateur (and military) HF radio equipment.
The 75S-1 receiver and 32S-1 transmitter, comprising the heart of the S/Line, operated separately or together to transceive. The units included crystal bandpass filters
Band-pass filter
A band-pass filter is a device that passes frequencies within a certain range and rejects frequencies outside that range.Optical band-pass filters are of common usage....
and a new compact PTO design that provided stable, highly linear tuning across 200 kHz band segments. The S/Line tuning dial mechanism was unique when introduced. It used concentric dials and a gear mechanism that provided precise dial resolution, better than 1 kHz.
Transverter
A transverter is a radio frequency device that consists of an upconverter and a downconverter in one unit. Transverters are used in conjunction with transceivers to change the range of frequencies over which the transceiver can communicate....
, which provided coverage of the 6 meter (50 MHz) and 2 meter (144 MHz) amateur bands. The KWM-2 transceiver replaced the KWM-1 using many of the S/Line’s design features and matching its styling. Other accessories included speakers, microphones and control consoles.
Illustrating the uniqueness of their new, smaller units in the market, Collins advertisements in the 1950s and early 1960s emphasized the S/Line’s physical styling and size as often as they did its performance.
Collins continued to improve the S/Line, first introducing the S-2, then the S-3 units, the 75S-3 (and -3A, -3B and -3C) receiver, and the 32S-3 and -3A transmitters. The -3A and -3C units were identical to the -3 and -3B units, respectively, except they provided an extra set of heterodyne
Heterodyne
Heterodyning is a radio signal processing technique invented in 1901 by Canadian inventor-engineer Reginald Fessenden where high frequency signals are converted to lower frequencies by combining two frequencies. Heterodyning is useful for frequency shifting information of interest into a useful...
oscillator crystals enabling them to cover extra bands – useful for military, amateur and MARS
Military Affiliate Radio System
The Military Auxiliary Radio System is a United States Department of Defense sponsored program, established as a separately managed and operated program by the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force...
operation, where operation just outside the regular amateur bands was necessary.
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operators, the S/Line established its reputation as perhaps the most solidly engineered equipment available – and the most costly. As a result, S/Line equipment, and the A-Line and other predecessors, are restored, prized, and operated on the air by collectors today.
Collins continued to produce the S/Line well into the late 1970s and after its acquisition by Rockwell.
In 1978, with the move to solid state
Solid state (electronics)
Solid-state electronics are those circuits or devices built entirely from solid materials and in which the electrons, or other charge carriers, are confined entirely within the solid material...
design, the S/Line came to an end after a two decade production run. The KWM-380 transceiver was introduced the next year – a break with the past both in its use of transistors and digital technology, and its styling. It would be Collins’ final entry in the amateur radio market until it was discontinued in the mid-1980s.
Computers
In the 1960s Arthur Collins became very interested in the application of computers to communication tasks. The company designed and sold C-System computerized message switching equipment, built an intranet, and began implementing computer storage of design data for circuit boards and assemblies. He had a goal of automating all functions from parts ordering and inventory to factory scheduling to generation of maintenance provisioning.With products technically successful and far ahead of their time in many respects, Mr. Collins continued to invest in development at a rate that could not be supported by sales when a downturn occurred, and began to have financial problems.
Organizational structure
Rockwell Collins has three main divisions:- Commercial Systems (CS)
- Government Systems (GS)
- International and Service Solutions (I&SS)
The CS division services the commercial airline industry and business aircraft, providing navigation, communication, Synthetic vision
Synthetic vision
A Synthetic Vision System is a computer-mediated reality system for aerial vehicles, that uses 3D to provide pilots with clear and intuitive means of understanding their flying environment....
, other cockpit products such as autoland
Autoland
In aviation, autoland describes a system that fully automates the landing phase of an aircraft's flight, with the human crew merely supervising the process.-Description:...
autopilot
Autopilot
An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
s, and cabin products such as In Flight Entertainment (IFE). The GS division services primarily the US government and military, but also provides some products and services to foreign governments with close ties to the United States. Notable government related projects that Rockwell Collins has involvement with are Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS), Joint Tactical Radio System
Joint Tactical Radio System
The Joint Tactical Radio System is planned to be the next-generation voice-and-data radio used by the U.S. military in field operations after 2010...
(JTRS), Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT), Defense Advanced GPS Receiver
Defense Advanced GPS Receiver
The Defense Advanced GPS Receiver is a handheld GPS receiver used by the United States Department of Defense and select foreign military services...
(DAGR), and Future Combat Systems
Future Combat Systems
Future Combat Systems was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unprecedented fast and flexible battlefield network...
. The I&SS division is an amalgamation of (IB) International Business organization whose responsibility is sales, engineering and human resource of personnel outside of North America and Service Solutions who provides support services such as customer support,simulation and training and technical publications. I&SS provide a common service to both CS and GS divisions and its formation was announced on the Rockwell Collins press release web page on February 19, 2010.
Advanced Technology Center
The Advanced Technology Center is a large department inside of Rockwell Collins that focuses on research and development. It has several sub areas namely Embedded Information Systems, Advanced Radio Systems, as well as Communications and Navigation Systems.Other prominent divisions in the company include display systems, flight controls, aircraft simulation, and navigation systems.
Collector community
As with several other brands of vintage radioVintage amateur radio
Vintage amateur radio is a subset of the amateur radio hobby, considered a form of nostalgia much like antique car collecting, where enthusiasts collect, restore, preserve, build, and operate amateur radio equipment from bygone years, most notably those using vacuum tube technology.Popular modes of...
equipment, there is an active community of Collins radio enthusiasts, with clubs, web sites and on-line discussions
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
dedicated to restoring and operating the equipment. The Collins Collectors Association (CCA) and the Collins Radio Association (CRA) are two examples of such organizations.
Groups of Collins users also organize meetings, gatherings at hamfest
Hamfest
A Hamfest is a convention of amateur radio enthusiasts, often combining a trade show, flea market, and various other activities of interest to amateur radio operators . In the United Kingdom the term rally is more commonly used for amateur radio conventions...
s and regularly scheduled on-air discussions called “nets”
Amateur radio net
An amateur radio net, or simply ham net, is an gathering of amateur radio operators. Most nets convene on a regular schedule and specific frequency, and are organized for a particular purpose, such as relaying messages, discussing a common topic of interest, in severe weather , emergencies, or...
.
See also
- E.F. JohnsonE. F. Johnson CompanyEFJohnson Technologies is a two-way radio manufacturer founded by its namesake, Edgar. F. Johnson, in Waseca, Minnesota, USA in 1923.EFJohnson Technologies offers a wide range of equipment for law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS, and military...
- Future Air Navigation SystemFuture Air Navigation SystemThe Future Air Navigation System is an avionics system which providesdirect data link communication between the pilot and the Air Traffic Controller. The communications include air traffic control clearances, pilot requests and position reporting...
- HallicraftersHallicraftersThe Hallicrafters Company manufactured, marketed, and sold radio equipment beginning in 1932. The company was based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.-History:William J. Halligan founded his own radio manufacturing company in Chicago in late 1932...
- HammarlundHammarlundThe Hammarlund Manufacturing Company, founded by Oscar Hammarlund in New York City, New York, USA in 1910, initially designed and produced short wave radio equipment.-History:...
- National Radio CompanyNational Radio CompanyThe National Radio Company, headquartered in Malden, Massachusetts, USA was an American manufacturer of radio equipment from 1914 to 1991.-History:...
- R. L. Drake CompanyR. L. Drake CompanyThe R. L. Drake Company is a manufacturer of electronic communications equipment located in Franklin, Ohio. It is also known for its line of equipment for amateur radio and shortwave listening, built in the 1950s through the 1980s.-History:...
- Signal/OneSignal/OneSignal/One was a manufacturer of high performance SSB and CW HF radio communications transceivers initially based in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. - History :...
- Vintage amateur radioVintage amateur radioVintage amateur radio is a subset of the amateur radio hobby, considered a form of nostalgia much like antique car collecting, where enthusiasts collect, restore, preserve, build, and operate amateur radio equipment from bygone years, most notably those using vacuum tube technology.Popular modes of...