Trends in radio and television receiver components in Germany

Deals with current trends in Germany in the development of components for radio and television receivers. There is little new, as similar trends are taking place in most other countries. Components such as resistors capacitors, etc., must be supplied to rigid specifications, with close tolerances under operating conditions. The constant appearance of new and improved transistors and tunnel and zener diodes has demanded better components, as, If one component only is unreliable, the functioning of the whole set is affected. The author deals first with the "active" components, valves, semiconductors and rectifiers. An interesting photograph of power rectifiers for a television set shows the marked reduction in size from the selenium rectifier to a modern miniature silicon type. The standardization of components Is Important in portable receivers and those for motor car use, where all-transistor operation is essential. In Germany, portable TV receivers use an II" or 12" tube, while the use of a 25" tube is increasing for large sets. The "passive* components such as resistors and capacitors are also discussed in detail, with illustrations. Miniaturization trends assist in modern production methods of mounting on boards, together with the use of printed circuits. The author concludes that future progress will lie in the use of miniature parts, and probably thin-film and thick-film devices with integrated semi-conductor circuits.