[Collins] Collins 718T

[Glen Zook]

The 718T was definitely produced.  It was to be the
basis of the KWM-3 which was not produced.

The Industrial Design Group, headed by Eric Tedley,
was attached to Process Division in the Richardson,
Texas, "new" corporate headquarters of Collins Radio. 
I worked in the Process Division right out of college.
 

Sometime in late April or ealy May, 1967, within the
first month that I was employed by Collins Radio, I
was meeting with one of the assistant division
directors in Building 401 at the Richardson facility. 
That particular person was an amateur radio operator
and he knew that I was also.  He knew that the ID
group had produced three possible designs for the
KWM-3 cabinet and that Art Collins was scheduled to
approve the final design that day so he took me over
to the department to see the designs.

Art came in while we were there and that was the first
time that I met Art Collins.  Art spent some time
looking at the various designs (one had a "wood grain"
finish) but couldn't decide just which one that he
liked best.  He "put off" making the decision and
eventually the KWM-3 project was dropped.  The KWM-3
was to be a slightly modified version of the 718T with
the lower frequency range dropped to 1.8 MHz from 2.0
MHz to allow use of the unit on the 160 meter band.

There were many 718T units produced by Collins Radio
over the years of production.  Considering the success
of the 718T the KWM-3 would probably have been
successful as well.  But, since Art Collins lost
interest in the project that will never be known.

Glen, K9STH


--- "Mike. Wb7qbf" <qbf at centurytel.net> wrote:

I think the 718T / KWM-3,was never made.