laboratories, at that time, at syntheses by high-pressure techniques, with the then
imperfect apparatus, and with little success.’
4. The figure is from Palmaer’s speech. ‘Benzine’—not to be confused with
benzene—is a colorless, flammable liquid, normally obtained from petroleum
distillation. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons (chiefly pentane, hexane and
heptane), much like gasoline and naphtha. Benzine was used as a solvent in
the manufacture of products such as drugs, dyes, and paints, and because the
vapors of benzine, when mixed with air, are highly explosive, it was used as a
motor fuel.
5. On 01 January 1927 the British Broadcasting Company was dissolved
and the British Broadcasting ‘Corporation’ (BBC) was constituted
under a Royal Charter.
6. Clayton and Algar, The GEC Research Laboratories, 1919–1984, IEE History
of Technology, Series 10, Peter Peregrinus Ltd., in association with the
Science Museum London. (1989), p. 47.
7. However, a satisfactory commercial article had firstly been produced in
America by the General Electric Company.
8. Clayton and Algar, op. cit. (note 6), p. 119.
9. ‘Combined Metal and Glass Structure and Method of Forming Same’, W.
G. Houskeeper, US Patent Office Serial No., 210,396. Patented 04 February
1919. Robert refers to Houskeeper in his 1936 paper, but he mis-spells his
name as Housekeeper. A very common mistake.
10. In addition to Robert’s paper, some of what appears here is based on an
article by M. M. Goddard B.E(ng) in the Sidney Morning Herald on
Wednesday 22 February 1933 under the title, ‘Transmitting valves, removing
surplus heat’.
11. For any poor unfortunate who wishes to know; the name derives from the
fact that the main modulating valves in the high-frequency stages were
connected in such a way that the voltage on the anodes of these valves varied
in accordance with the low-frequency input to the grids thus varying the
high-tension supply to the anodes of the high frequency valves, with which
they are ‘in series’. Now go back to bed.
12. An Improved method for modulating high frequency transmitters. UK Patent
Office, no. 393,397, accepted 08 June 1933.
13. ‘Radar’—a British invention, not so much in concept but rather in terms of a
practical realisation—was originally called RDF (Radio Direction Finding),
but the American term RAdio Direction And Ranging soon took preference.
During the 1930s a government scientist, Robert Watson Watt, was developing an experiment to monitor the height of the ionosphere, reflections
from which are used to ‘bounce’ radio signals around the world. The
experiment was important because at the time, Britain was searching for a
reliable method of radio transmission across her Empire. Watson Watts’ idea
was to transmit a very short but powerful RF burst and measure the time it
16 The GEC Laboratories 1930–1939
399
imperfect apparatus, and with little success.’
4. The figure is from Palmaer’s speech. ‘Benzine’—not to be confused with
benzene—is a colorless, flammable liquid, normally obtained from petroleum
distillation. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons (chiefly pentane, hexane and
heptane), much like gasoline and naphtha. Benzine was used as a solvent in
the manufacture of products such as drugs, dyes, and paints, and because the
vapors of benzine, when mixed with air, are highly explosive, it was used as a
motor fuel.
5. On 01 January 1927 the British Broadcasting Company was dissolved
and the British Broadcasting ‘Corporation’ (BBC) was constituted
under a Royal Charter.
6. Clayton and Algar, The GEC Research Laboratories, 1919–1984, IEE History
of Technology, Series 10, Peter Peregrinus Ltd., in association with the
Science Museum London. (1989), p. 47.
7. However, a satisfactory commercial article had firstly been produced in
America by the General Electric Company.
8. Clayton and Algar, op. cit. (note 6), p. 119.
9. ‘Combined Metal and Glass Structure and Method of Forming Same’, W.
G. Houskeeper, US Patent Office Serial No., 210,396. Patented 04 February
1919. Robert refers to Houskeeper in his 1936 paper, but he mis-spells his
name as Housekeeper. A very common mistake.
10. In addition to Robert’s paper, some of what appears here is based on an
article by M. M. Goddard B.E(ng) in the Sidney Morning Herald on
Wednesday 22 February 1933 under the title, ‘Transmitting valves, removing
surplus heat’.
11. For any poor unfortunate who wishes to know; the name derives from the
fact that the main modulating valves in the high-frequency stages were
connected in such a way that the voltage on the anodes of these valves varied
in accordance with the low-frequency input to the grids thus varying the
high-tension supply to the anodes of the high frequency valves, with which
they are ‘in series’. Now go back to bed.
12. An Improved method for modulating high frequency transmitters. UK Patent
Office, no. 393,397, accepted 08 June 1933.
13. ‘Radar’—a British invention, not so much in concept but rather in terms of a
practical realisation—was originally called RDF (Radio Direction Finding),
but the American term RAdio Direction And Ranging soon took preference.
During the 1930s a government scientist, Robert Watson Watt, was developing an experiment to monitor the height of the ionosphere, reflections
from which are used to ‘bounce’ radio signals around the world. The
experiment was important because at the time, Britain was searching for a
reliable method of radio transmission across her Empire. Watson Watts’ idea
was to transmit a very short but powerful RF burst and measure the time it
16 The GEC Laboratories 1930–1939
399