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History of the manufacturer  

Collins Radio Company; Cedar Rapids (IA)

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Name: Collins Radio Company; Cedar Rapids (IA)    (USA)  
Abbreviation: collins
Products: Model types Brand
Summary:

Collins Radio Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded by Arthur Andrew Collins, W0CXX (1909 - 1987). In 1973 North American Rockwell took over (Rockwell-Collins).

Collins Radio Company, gegründet 1933 von Arthur Collins, machte sich zunächst als Hersteller von Amateurfunk- und später kommerziellen Sendern und Empfängern einen Namen.
In den Fünfzigerjahren brachte Collins mit den 75A, 51J - Empfängern und den etwas kleinformatigeren Geräten der "S-Line", 75S und 51S, technisch und mechanisch hervorragende Geräte heraus, welche bzgl. techn. Leistungen wie auch Design Meilensteine waren.
1973 wurde die Firma von Rockwell übernommen und wendete sich als Rockwell - Collins Inc. militärischer Übermittlung und der Avionik zu.

The company sold transmitting tubes with the Collins brand for a number of years.

Founded: 1931
Production: 1931 -
History:
Arthur Collins WØCXX started business together with one employee in the basement of it's home, in 1933 Collins Radio Company moved to 2920 First Ave., Cedar Rapids. The young company became known for supplying the 1934 Byrd Antarctic Expedition II with telecommunications equipment.
In the following years, Collins expanded in the Amateur equipment market, started producing transmitters used in aviation and commercial services.
In 1940 Collins Radio had 150 employees and moved to the so-called "Main Plant" in 855 - 35th Street, Cedar Rapids. Production was changed for wartime requirements, mainly the AN/ART airborne transmitter and the TCS vehicular transmitter - receiver.
After the war, Collins Radio Comp. constructed two new production sites in Burbanks (1946) and Dallas (1950), in 1953 the added the C Avenue Complex.
The 75A ham band receiver presented in 1946 with it's crystal controlled first oscillator and permeability tuned second oscillator was considered as an all-time classic amateur receiver.
After 1949 the 51J series of general coverage receivers evolved in the marvel of the R390A shortwave receiver, a milestone with it's mechanical digital frequency display and the famous mechanical IF filters.
The smaller "S-Line" ham band (75S) and general coverage (51S) receivers, transceivers and linear amplifiers followed at the end of the fifties.
Collins Radio Company was acquired by Rockwell International in 1971, Arthus Collins resigned shortly after the merger in 1972 and founded A. Collins Consulting, Inc.
In the 1980s, Rockwell - Collins Inc. focused on the military and commercial / avionics communications sector.

A number of models has been manufactured in the Canadian plant in Toronto, though the name plate indicates Cedar Rapids (IA) as origin.

See also 'Collins Toronto' for more company details.


Some models:
Country Year Name 1st Tube Notes
USA  59–75 51S-1 6DC6  Continuous frequency range from 2 to 30 MHz. Additional coverage from 0.2 to 2 MHz fo... 
USA  58–61 75S-1 6DC6  Collins 75S-1 Receiver: covers 80 - 10 m amateur bands in 14 ranges (3,4-3,6 / 3,6-3,8 / 3... 
USA  57/58 Transceiver KWM-1 6AH6  Collins KWM-1 Transceiver: covers ten 100 kHz segments in the range of 14 - 30 MHz resp. 1... 
USA  55–58 Transmitter KWS-1   Collins KWS-1 transmitter: covers 80 / 40 / 20 / 15 / 11 / 2x 10 m ham bands; SSB/AM/CW, 1... 
USA  55–59 75A-4 6BA6  Collins 75A-4 Amateur - Band Receiver: Double conversion, AM,CW, SSB, NB-FM optional, eigh... 
USA  57–63 51J-4 (R-388A) 6AK5  Coverage 0.5 to 30.5 MHz in 30 ranges, AM/CW/MCW; Mechanical IF filters 1 / 3 / 6 kHz, se... 
USA  52–56 51J-3 (R-388) 6AK5  General-coverage receiver covering 0.5 to 30.5 MHz in 30 bands, AM/CW/MCW. No bandwidth s... 
USA  52–54 75A-3 6CB6  Collins 75A-3 Amateur - Band Receiver: Double conversion, AM/CW, NB-FM optional, seven ama... 
USA  46–50 75A-1 6AK5  Collins 75A-1 Amateur Band Communications Receiver: Double conversion, AM/CW, six amateur ... 
USA  50–52 75A-2 6AK5  Collins 75A-2 Amateur Band Communications Receiver: Double conversion, AM/CW, seven amateu... 
USA  61–79 Transceiver KWM-2A 6AU6  Collins KWM-2A transceiver: CW/SSB, double-conversion, coverage of fourteen 200 kHz segmen... 
USA  59–61 Transceiver KWM-2 6AZ8  Collins KWM-2 transceiver: CW/SSB, double-conversion, coverage of fourteen 200 kHz segment... 

[rmxhdet-en]

Further details for this manufacturer by the members (rmfiorg):

Leider entwertet.tbn_collinsaktie.jpg
Arthur A. Collins, 1909 - 1987tbn_art_collins.jpg
Screwing in 1965 (Photo from the The Los Angeles Public Library)tbn_usa_collins1965screwing.jpg
Coil winding in 1965 (Photo from the The Los Angeles Public Library)tbn_usa_collins1965coilwinding.jpg
Address in 1946tbn_usa_collins_1946_address.jpg
Collins logo from 1974 QSTtbn_collins_1974_logo.jpg
Collins logo from 1935 QSTtbn_collins_1935_logo.jpg
Collins logo from February 1934 QSTtbn_collins_1934_logo.jpg
tbn_usa_collinsradio_logo.jpg
tbn_usa_collinsradiocompany_logo.jpg
Magazine:USA_"Radio y Televisión" Mayo-Junio 1976, Vol.13 Nº1 pág. 3tbn_usa_colllins_advice.jpg

  

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