[Milsurplus] history of optical digital radio display?

[Nick England]

Earliest receiver digital display?
AN/FRR-60 (TMC DDR-5) dual diversity receiver -  June 1959 contract
https://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/frr60-ne/60-ne-111.JPG

The interesting thing was that the Nixie tube digits were just controlled
by the same switch that set the frequency synthesizer digits. So the Nixies
don't actually measure the frequency but indicated what you set the
frequency to - just like an analog dial does..

Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com


On Fri, Feb 2, 2024 at 11:22 AM Al Klase <ark at ar88.net> wrote:

> Brian,
>
> I'd be really careful with the word "digital."  AFAIK, the E-52 is a
> projection of an analog dial to achieve better tuning resolution.
> This goes back at least as far as the Ward's Airline Movie-Dial Radios
> <https://www.classicradiogallery.com/radiopages/airline62403.html> ca.
> 1936.  (I'd post a picture, but this reflector is a DAMN MESS!)
>
> Even the Collins R-390, ca, 1951, is just a Veeder-Root style turns
> counter on an analog PTO.
>
> I'm not sure we see a real digital display until ca. 1966 in the
> Watkins-Johnson 357.
>
> My two cents,
> AL
>
>
>
> On 2/2/2024 9:21 AM, Brian Harrison wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
> I am starting to work up an antique wireless association presentation on the advent of the optical digital display - who invented, what military and civilian radios of various countries used, etc etc… At this point regarding military radios I'm assuming the WW2 Germans were first wth their E-52 family of receivers with the Russians and US picking up on the idea possibly assisted by "inheriting" German radio engineers - and maybe in the case of the Russians, entire manufacturing plants.
>
> I’d appreciate any info or ideas…!
>
> Tnx and all the best,
> brian
> KN4R good on QRZ
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> --
> Al Klase - N3FRQ
> Jersey City, NJ
> http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
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