[BC] Harris Corp. Seeks Cuts in Transmitter Business

[Jeff Allen]

I've taken a Gates 5 and Gates 1 apart (PA boards to tuning coils) and back
together again, didn't need a contortionist.  I've always liked the
Harris/Gates gear.

J Allen



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Meuser" <Robertm at broadcast.net>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2007 10:55 AM
Subject: Re: [BC] Harris Corp. Seeks Cuts in Transmitter Business


> No argument. I am merely repeating what I was taught as a kid by some
> very accomplished engineers. I will, however, stand by my comments
> regarding Gates 1 2.5 and 5.  As long as they work, great. When they
> quit, I hope you have a contortionist on staff to do the repairs.
> Regarding catalogs as a kid I got every Collins, Gates, Continental and
> RCA catalogs publish up until they longer existed.  Maybe it was your
> regional guy. At one time Gates (or was it Harris) had a street level
> store front in NYC.
>
> R
>
>
> Douglas B. Pritchett wrote:
>
> > You don't have anything else to do on a Sunday morning but start a
fight?
> >
> > Robert Meuser wrote:
> >
> >> Maybe I am spoiled, but I never had to work on original Gates gear. I
> >> was taught that it was inferior and real broadcasters used Collins or
> >> if high power they used Continental or they used RCA.
> >
> >
> > You expect a civil response to that? Real broadcasters use what they
> > can afford and what's available. The Gates equipment was solid,
> > reliable, affordable, but not pretty. And from past experience, trying
> > to get someone from Collins to even ship you a catalog was a PIA. I'll
> > explain at the end.
> >
> >> That being said, my real world observations pretty much agreed with
> >> what I was taught.  When the Gates One came out, my impression was it
> >> was named that way because it was a cheap transmitter that adhered to
> >> the old Quincy Tin Works standard that Harris after many years had
> >> purged from their newer gear.
> >
> >
> > Our station (what you would not call real broadcasters) uses a Gates
> > One and it's been reliable and trouble-free.
> >
> >> I have had to work on those and they certainly are not up to current
> >> Harris standards.
> >
> >
> > Don't take this the wrong way Robert, but with that kind of attitude,
> > I would not want you working on my gear.
> >
> >> Then there are a number of other brands that could not meet the
> >> Quincy Tin Works standard on a good day.
> >
> >
> > Robert, dude, you've got to work on this attitude of yours.
> >
> >> Then there is Nautel that learned well from Continental in their
> >> glory days.
> >
> >
> > Good companies, both. But, when we needed a transmitter on a tight
> > time line, Nautel was very gracious, but could not make our deadline.
> > BE could, but wanted to ding us for the rush. Harris had one ready and
> > we drove to Quincy, drove home, and it worked right outta da box.
> >
> > About Collins. In the early 70's as a student, I was tasked with
> > putting together the action plan for upgrading our carrier current AM
> > and Class D FM facilities. With a CP in hand for 3kw for the FM, I
> > called Collins and was told to write for a catalog. I did, on
> > station/University letterhead. I received a terse reply from the
> > Collins rep stating ( and I've kept the letter ) "since I don't see
> > your name in the Broadcasting Yearbook as a principal of the station,
> > and since I don't have any record of your so-called construction
> > permit, we can not send you a catalog. Douglas, you are probably a
> > student looking for an easy way to complete your homework assignment.
> > As you continue with your education, you will learn that companies can
> > not waste money sending expensive equipment to every broadcasting
> > student at you college. Best wishes.............."
> > Harris sent a catalog, as did every other manufacturer. Needless to
> > say, the university spent their $255,000 budget elsewhere.  I never
> > specified Collins anywhere I went. And yes, I had the chance many times.
> >
> > Robert, you are entitled to your opinion about Gates being garbage.
> > I'll stick with my opinion that Collins we're elitist snobs, and I'm
> > not for a moment saying you are.
> > Happy Sunday.
> >
>
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