[BC] Re: Catalogs, Gates, Collins

[Xmitters@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/4/07 5:03:20 PM Central Standard Time, 
broadcast-request at radiolists.net writes:

<< 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 >>

R:

My experience as a youngster was quite similar to yours. I wrote to Harris, 
Collins and Continental Electronics asking for brochures, catalogs, manuals, 
etc. for a semester long self-study project I was doing on broadcast 
transmitters when I was in high school. Both companies came through; three inch thick big 
envelope from each company. I had absolutely no authority to purchase or even 
recommend a transmitter at that time. (BTW, Collins sent me a catalog which I 
still have) However, both companies came through anyway.You can probably 
guess which brands I tend to have a warm spot in my heart for to this day.

R, I believe Gates had store fronts in several major cities. There is a page 
full of them  printed on the front end paper of catalog #96 (the hard-covered 
beige catalog) Wonder how many people walked into those stores intending to 
buy a refrigerator ?  :-D

The mentor you end up with has a lot to with how you are professionally 
developed. My mentor happened to own Gates stuff. My mentor did a lot of growling 
at his BC-1T. However he bought one out of the first dozen MW-1 transmitters 
when they came out. He did more growling :-)  However, he ended up really liking 
that MW-1 :-D The Rockford stations had Collins transmitters but that was too 
far for a young kid like me to drive, as per my parents :-( They owned the 
car, they possessed the keys ;-)

I hope the young kids of today are treated well when they approach the modern 
equipment vendors. That kid with messy hair and holes in his shirt today may 
very well be a DOE some time in the distant future :-) I'm glad for the 
privilege of a head start and that there were people available and willing to 
encourage me. I hope all of us do what we can to encourage young people. Does your 
receptionist just blow off calls from young kids that want to talk to the 
engineer, or do you take those calls?
(unfortunately, if your station is like mine, we never get kids calling here 
wanting to ask technical questions)


Jeff Glass
Northern Illinois University