Volume 2 May 1954 Number 9 ATOMIC BATTERY TUESDAY, MAY 11 "For more than 40 years, science has searched for a practical way of convert- ing radiation from the atom's nucleus to electricity. Though our research is far from completed, successful operation of RCA's Atomic Battery in our labora- tories represents a major breakthrough toward that goal." With these words General Sarnoff announced the success of an atomic bat- tery in which the Beta particles from 50 millicuries of radioactive Strontium- 90 are used to bombard a semiconductor p-n junction, releasing 200,000 electrons for each electron received—enough to operate a transister. Paul Rappaport of RCA Labora- Paul Rappaport will discuss the tories, Princeton, N. J., who will theory, experimental results, and their speak on the Atomic Battery. application to practical design. The Atomic Battery—Paul Rappaport DATE: TUESDAY, MAY 11 at 8:00 P.M. LOCATION: Stewart Avenue School Field Trip To Rocky Point and Riverhead DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 28 at 10:00 A.M. RESERVATION REQUIRED—SEND CARD NOW PROFESSIONAL GROUP ON AERONAUTICAL AND NAVIGATIONAL ELECTRONICS THURSDAY, JUNE 10 at 7:30 P.M. General Electric Auditorium 51st Street and Lexington Avenue A SIMPLIFIED OMNIRANGE SYSTEM FOR TERMINAL NAVIGATION (IVOR) Mr. D. O. McCoy, Collins Radio Company Election of officers REGIONAL ACTIVITY g. Regional Convention. The New York national convention makes this less PROPOSAL desirable than elsewhere in the United Dr. John R. Ragazzini, I.R.E. Director States. However, an out-of-town con- of this Region, has proposed plans for vention in the summer may have de- the advancement of certain activities on sirable features. a regional basis rather than on a sec- The Executive Committee of the Long tional basis. The following are some of Island Section has agreed to support the the subjects that were considered. Regional plan for the advancement of a. Student Activities. Organization of a Professional Groups and Students Activi- student day. Financing of student ties. These were selected as most urgent prizes and trips. and the Regional Director will appoint b. Professional chapter integration. Some a chairman for each of the subcommit- chapters are not numerically strong tees who will formulate plans for the enough to warrant single section sup- coming year. port. c. Lecture Series. Some subjects having N. Y. SECTION less mass appeal may be self-support- NOMINATIONS ing if carried out on an area or re- The New York Section has announced gion basis. the panel of nominations for officers for d. All day symposia. These arc quite ex- the 1954-1955 year. Like the Long Is- pensive and may be handled better land Section, this panel was proposed on an area basis. by a nominating committee and oppor- e. Combined Newsletter. A single news- tunity will be provided for nominations tetter carrying all area programs may from the floor at the meeting before make possible mailing of all section the election. notices via one medium. The nominating committee consisted f. Financial equalization. At least du- of Mr. J. H. Mulligan and Mr. L. E. ring the initial period of section Hunt. Their nominations are as follows: formation, the regional committee can Chairman: A. B. Giordano act as a custodian of -surplus funds Vice Chairman: A. C. Beck for support of weaker sections in the Secretary: H. S. Renne region. Treasurer: J. S. Smith I. R. E. FIELD TRIP SATURDAY, MAY 22 10:00 A.M.-4 P.M. RCA TRANSMITTING AND MONITORING STATIONS AT ROCKY POINT AND RIVERHEAD The Long Island Section of the IRE REGISTRATION LIMITED has been invited to visit the historic RCA installations at Rocky Point and TO FIRST 200 Riverhead. Those who attended the previous trip Even though we are divided into two remember the famous Alexanderson groups, it will be necessary to limit alternator used in the early days of attendance to about 200. For this rea- radio and still in commission for occa- son, a post card is enclosed for your ad- sional use during magnetic storms. vance registration. Be sure to mail it Other high powered transmitters are in immediately if you plan to attend—The servce for communication with all parts of the world. first 200 reservations will be accepted. The RCA monitoring station at River- head, serving the radio industry with BULLETIN LATER precision measurements, will be visited during the other half of the trip. WITH DETAILS If you are fortunate enough to be TOUR TO BE SPLIT among the first 200, you will receive a INTO TWO GROUPS bulletin telling you which group you are Two groups will be formed. While in and where to report in the morning. one is visiting the Riverhead station, A road map will be included for in- the other will be seeing Rocky Point. structions on getting there. At noon the two groups will meet for Reservation will be made for those lunch in Riverhead. After lunch the desiring to eat at the Henry Perkins visits will be resumed with the groups Hotel in Riverhead. Check card if you exchanging places. will attend. TIME TABLE 10:00 AM Start of First Visit 12:00 PM Lunch 2:00 PM Start of Second Visit 4:00 PM Visit Complete — Start Home OUR SPEAKER ON MAY 11 PAUL RAPPAPORT He has produced a thimble-sized bat- started out to be a chemist, studying at tery which might run a transistor for Temple University for three years. The 20 years and has barely scratched the Navy interrupted this and put him to surface in the number of applications work on electronics, radar and counter now possible. measures as an electronic technician. The Navy liked him so well that for General Sarnoff has said this deve- nine months after he was mustered out, lopment may prove to be as significant he served as instrumental physicist at as Edison's conversion of electricity to the Naval Air Experimental Station in light. Philadelphia. Mr. Rappaport has published papers In the fall of 1946 he went back to on a number of subjects ranging from school and by 1949 he had received his one titled, "New Methods of Processing M.S. in physics at Carnegie Institute of Silver Magnesium Secondary Electron Technology and was working on the Emitters" to one presented before the synchro-cyclotron. Detroit section of the American Phy- In 1949 he joined RCA Laboratories sical Society titled, "Minority Carrier to work on secondary electron emitting Lifetime as a Sensitive Indicator of surfaces. This soon led to work on the Radiation Damage." use of radioactive materials in electron- Paul is a Hi-Fi bug! From pre-amp ics. An early investigation into a fore- to speaker enclosure—he built them and runner of the atomic battery was de- installed them. Now he tapes live FM voted to the dielectric charger. How- symphonic broadcasts on a Concertone ever the use of semiconductors in con- tape recorder and can play you a fine junction with radioactive materials led concert any time. What else? He plays to the present approach with its specta- chess and table tennis and even has cular results. some time left over for gardening. Gawler-Knoop Co. SALES ENGINEERS Specialists in Electronics Instrumentation REPRESENTING Ballantine Laboratories Machlett Laboratories, Inc. SENSITIVE ELECTRONIC VOLTMETERS POWER TUBES, RECTIFIERS Berkeley Scientific, Francis L. Moseley Div. of Beckman Inst. X Y RECORDERS ELECTRONIC COUNTERS, TIME INTERVAL METERS. COMPUTERS Price Electric Corp. Cloueh-Brengle Company RELAYS AUDIO OSCILLATORS, fi. F. SIGNAL GENERATORS Technoley Instrument Corp. Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc. Z* ANGLE METERS, PHASE METERS CATHODE RAY TUBES. OSCILLOGRAPHS. Teletronics Laboratory, Inc. CAMERAS PULSE GENERATORS. DIODE & TRANSISTOR Dressen-Barnes Corporation TEST SETS REGULATED POWER SUPPLIES Rollin Company Electro-Products Laboratories, Inc. Waveline, Inc. DYNAMIC PRESSURE & DISPLACEMENT GAUGES STANDARD SIGNAL GENERATORS. SLOTTED Industrial Instruments, Inc. LINES BRIDGES. DECADE BOXES, MEGOHM METERS MICROWAVE INSTRUMENTS & PARTS (N. Y.) 178 EAGLE ROCK AVE (N. J.) Dlgby 4-8417 Roselond. N. J. CAldwell 6-4545 JOINT MEETING NEW YORK SECTION I.R.E. COMMUNICATIONS GROUP AIEE May 5 at 7:30 P.M. HIGH FIDELITY Engineering Societies Building Herman Hosmer Scott of Herman Hosmer Scott Inc. Announcing 6-R's NEW Unit Pulser |ADMITIANCi MITKt Pulse Durations: 0.2 to 60,000^1 COA11AL ILIMIHT1 Repitition Rates: 0 to 100 kc MltOlllOH Mlllt I Rise Time: .QSyui HIOUIWT MIASUIMG A'fAIMUl IIIOUUK! HANOAIDI Inexpensive... Small,.. Compact... Economical lUMDANCi 11 ICO I A Laboratory-Quality pulse generator in the Unit Instrument U«HT MintI price range. Write for complete data. MICOHWMIIItl MOMKATNIH MI It II HOIO* COHTXXI MUU OClCIOtI Hill 1 A<ClftOIMI rilCll'OM <A»AOTOtl PUISI CIWIAtOtl Type 1217-A Unit Pulser.... $195 (It MCAMl shown with plug-in type 1203 A Unit Power Supply $40 lit IIAHOAICI tOUHO 1 VtMAIWH Mintl TV 1 IIOADIA1I MOHftOtl U H I MIAIUIWO lOUVMlHt VMT MtTIUMIHTl Branch Engineering Office in NEW YORK V4I1ACI 90 Went Street New York 6, New York V-t VOtTMITttt WAV! AJUlTIIIt Williom R. Thuriton George G. Roil WAVf IB fill P. G. MEETING REGION 2 On March 24, the Professional Group COMMITTEE MEETING Committee meeting was held at the New York City IRE Headquarters, with Mr. A Regional Committee meeting for W. R. G. Baker presiding. Region 2, of the I.R.E. which includes the eastern part of New York State and Among the subjects discussed at this the northern part of New Jersey, was meeting were the distribution of the held March 23, during the National Professional Group Transactions to the I.R.E. Convention. Present were repre- faculty advisors of the colleges accre- sentatives of the New York, Schenec- dited by the IRE, and the publication of abstracts of the Transactions papers tady, and Long Island Sections, and of in the Proceedings of the IRE.