[BC] FM History

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

From: "Scott Bailey" <wmroradio at bellsouth.net>

>I went to this link you gave me:  
>http://www.nps.gov/nhl/DOE_dedesignations/Armstrong.htm
>
>I got to the homepage, but the some of the links don't work.  Also, no offense, but please explain to my in "layman's" terms what you are refering to.  Some of the information you posted I didn't understand because I'm 
>still learning about the early days of FM.  I'm trying to figure out in my mind, what when wrong. Why was Armstrong done dirty?  The technology was around in the mid to late 30's but I guessing RCA wanted to be the "big dogs" and push Armstrong out of the picture.

Persons who are no longer alive told me much of what I write here. There was no Internet at the time, and many writings of even college professors like WPI's Don Howe were not preserved. Both professor emeritus Don Howe and engineer Earl Hewingson were involved in early FM radio. Earl Hewingson, later the chief engineer of WTYM, who personally built its transmitter, was one of my mentors who was always talking about the "good old days," and the "big bad wolf," RCA. This was well before I had my own bad encounter with RCA. http://www.abominablefirebug.com/Job/RCA.pdf

Professor Howe was involved in the linearization of one of Armstrong's first transmitters and also mentored me when I built WDEW's AM transmitter. 

Armstrong made what is now called "disruptive technology." Presently, if some company produces disruptive technology, others rapidly jump into the foray and try to beat it in the marketplace. There are some winners and some losers. Ultimately, the public are winners when the successes are determined in the marketplace.

In Armstrong's day, there were three main players, with RCA (read Radio Corporation of !!!***AMERICA***!!!) being the tops. Second, was General Electric and far distant was Philco. They all used vacuum tube patents licensed by Hazeltine corporation (Emerson Electric), including AGC (also called AVC automatic volume control), essential for AM radio as we know it.

These three main players were all in bed together, which involved price-fixing and other uncompetitive practices. These three main players also had multiple government contracts, the inside track with the FCC, and multiple radio station outlets. This allowed them complete control of the newest technology, RADIO! Even though they were all making a decent living with this new technology, RCA was never satisfied. RCA sued Philco for using its vacuum tubes purchased on the open market! Philco needed to find a new source for its vacuum tubes. Philco had Sylvania create its vacuum tubes for its radios, using techniques Philco had developed for RCA. Of course RCA did not sit still for this and sued some more. RCA wanted EVERYTHING. Eventually RCA even sued General Electric, but GE had many lawyers and could defend itself well.

Into this foray came naive Edwin Armstrong. He wanted to make FM radios using techniques he had developed. He was a technologist. He did this for fun! Knowing that RCA had lots of money, he contacted his "friend," David Sarnoff about his three basic patents. Sarnoff, knowing that this might be disruptive technology that could seriously influence RCA's business, agreed to fund the building of a radio station so that RCA could have its foot in the door. It turned out that the new technology worked much better than Sarnoff expected, and Armstrong set up his own company to make radios as well as licensed others. Seeing that this could have a serious impact upon RCA's business, Sarnoff did everything within his power to destroy Armstrong's growing company.

"It was just business," he did not want to hurt anyone; Sarnoff was heard to explain after he heard of Armstrong's death.

The technology, i.e., the math probably goes back well before radio itself. There are only two ways to convey information on a "wave." The most obvious is varying the amplitude, and less obvious is varying the phase. FM is "continuous phase." Of course, with modern digital transmission techniques, combinations of both are used.

Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/