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History of the manufacturer  

Collins; Toronto

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Name: Collins; Toronto    (CDN)  
Abbreviation: collins-ca
Products: Model types
Summary:

Collins; Toronto.
Entwicklung und Fertigung von Geräten der Funk - Kommunikation im Auftrag der U.S. Amerikanischen und der Kanadischen Regierungen.
Bekannteste Geräte waren die Bausteine der HF-80 Serie, die seit der Entwicklung 1975 bis 1990 gebaut wurden.

English Summary:
Development and production of radio communication equipment, mostly ordered by the U.S. and the Canadian Government.
Among others has the well-known modular HF-80 series been built till 1990.

Founded: 1953
Closed: 1990
Production: 1955 - 1990
History:
Deutsch:
Hauptsitz der Firma Collins (heute: Rockwell-Collins) ist in Cedar Rapids /Iowa (USA).
Die kanadische Niederlassung der Firma wurde 1953 als Büro in Ottawa gegründet zur technischen Unterstützung eines kanadischen Herstellers von Collins Geräten und als Kontaktstelle zur Kanadischen Regierung.
1954 wurde der Firmensitz nach Toronto verlegt. Einige Monate lang wurde aus einem Hotelzimmer das neue Werk geplant. Im Februar 1955 wurde ein Gebäude gemietet, in dem im Juli darauf bereits die Fertigung begann. Die wichtigsten Produktlinien aus dieser frühen Collins-Canada Zeit waren UHF Funkgeräte für die Kanadische Regierung sowie das DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line Projekt.
Mit der Vergrößerung des ursprünglichen und der Anmietung eines weiteren Gebäudes erreichte die Gesamtfläche im Jahr 1956 knapp 5000 m².
Im Fabrikgebäude in Toronto war auch ein Forschungs- und Entwicklungs-Labor beheimatet sowie der zentrale Vertrieb für Kanada und die Reparaturabteilung.
Zur Blütezeit während der HF-80 Fertigung (bis 1990) waren ca. 600...800 Mitarbeiter im Werk beschäftigt.
English:
The Canadian branch was founded in 1953 as an office established in Ottawa to provide technical assistance to a Canadian manufacturer of Collins-designed equipment, to maintain liaison with the Canadian government and to promote sales of Collins products.

In 1954, the headquarters moved to Toronto and operated from a hotel room for several months to lay the groundwork for production facilities. Collins of Canada leased a building in February, 1955, and production got underway at the new plant the following July.

Key product lines in the early history of Collins of Canada were UHF radios for the Canadian government and the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line project.

With expansion of the original building and the leasing of a second building, total floor space reached 50,000 square feet by 1956.

The Toronto plant also housed a research and development lab, Collins-Canada sales headquarters and a field service repair depot.

Some products being built in the Plant during the 1978-1990 time frame are:

- HF-80 equipment (– 1990)
- AN/FRT-96 10 kW Transmitter
- HF-2050 HF Receiver
- Collins Maritime HF equipment (early 1970's)
- Collins S/Line Amateur Radio Equipment (1970's)
- Collins ADF equipment/antennas for aircraft
- AN/TSC-60 V(7) shelters (Military Communication System)

Previously, in the 1960’s, some 250kW Shortwave Broadcast Transmitters (Type 821A) have been built. The Canadians, Australians, and the US Governments bought those large and expensive units. In order to test them, the Toronto plant had a large power substation with the High Voltage Power Lines running across the back of the property.

The plant employed 600-800 people (estimated) during the years of HF-80 production.
It ended when Rockwell Collins Canada closed in 1990 and sold the property.
The plant was located on Bermunsey St. in Toronto, Ontario. The closing of the plant was very sudden and quite a shock to most employees. Today the whole property is subdivided and full of modern town-houses.

Information obtained and collected from the "Collins 50-year History Book" and from retired employees of the company by DK5CB. More comprehensive details can be found in "The Collins Collectors Association's newsletter, The Signal", that ran a two-part series in 1999 (SIGNAL 14 and SIGNAL 15)

This manufacturer was suggested by Franz Harder.


Some models:
Country Year Name 1st Tube Notes
CDN  56 Transmitter 21E-M    
CDN  61 UHF Aircraft Radio 618W-2B AN/ARC-552   UHF AM Sende-Empfänger für den Frequenzbereich 225-399,9 MHz mit 3500 Kanälen im 50 kHz Ra... 

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