[Heathkit] Re: Commercial FM On Receivers

[W8DBF, Duane Fischer]

Glen, 	
	
Excellent material, thank you sir. 	
	
Question: When did commercial production of the new FM band from 88-108 MCS
begin?	
	
Question: Do we know about how many American citizens owned FM radios in
1950-1952 and how many commercial FM stations there were?	
	
Question: What year did FM stereo first appear on the consumer market? How many
FM stereo stations were there?	
	
As I recall, almost all FM was commercial free in the late fifties and early
sixties. I also remember there being only a few FM stereo stations, maybe 20%? 	
	
When did the FM stereo actually catch on? Late sixties from 1966 on?	
	
When did FM start running commercials?	
	
Wasn't there a change in the FCC regulations and the transmitter power was
increased to a maximum of 50,000 watts?	
	
Thank you!				
	
Duane W8DBF	

	

	

	
   

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From: Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: Duane Fischer, W8DBF <dfischer at usol.com>; heathkit at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Commercial FM On Receivers
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2005 12:03 AM

According to Morgan McMahon's book entitled A Flick of
the Switch in 1940 the FCC established the first FM
band which was 42 MHz to 50 MHz.  Also according to
Morgan's book by Pearl Harbor (end of 1941) there were
over 400,000 FM receivers in use and there were at
least 25 commercial stations in operation (as well as
a number of stations at universities, etc.).  400,000
sounds like a lot of receivers.  However, Morgan
McMahon is one of the recognized "experts" in the
antique / vintage radio community and he is usually
correct.

Also according the McMahon book the present 88 MHz to
108 MHz FM broadcast band was established in 1944 by
the FCC and by 1950 the last of the 42 MHz to 50 MHz
stations were gone.

I have seen a number of sets built during the early
1940s that had the 42 MHz to 50 MHz band on them.  In
1941 General Electric came out with a converter that
covered the 42 MHz to 50 MHz range that actually just
used the audio circutry from the "normal" AM broadcast
receiver.  Also, GE made the L-740 receiver in 1941
that had both AM and FM.  During World War II GE made
a number of AM / FM sets that incorporated the 42 MHz
to 50 MHz band.

Starting in 1940 all the way through the end of World
War II Philco made quite a number of different AM / FM
models all of which covered the 42 MHz to 50 MHz band.
 Stromberg-Carlson and Zenith also made quite a number
of AM / FM sets from 1940 through the end of World War
II that had the 42 MHz to 50 MHz band.

Glen, K9STH

--- "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com> wrote:

When was the consumer FM band first established and
what were the frequency band edges? 
 
When were receivers built to receive it?	


Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth
http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco


	
		
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