[NJARC] What's historic about Boonton Electronics?

[Ray Chase]

Alex:
The Boonton area of NJ is famous for the multitude of early electronics 
companies that sprang up there in the early 1920's and 30's.  The explosion 
of radio technology was the impetuous for this activity.  Early radio 
required new insulating materials for coil forms etc. that had low losses at 
radio frequencies.  Boonton had a factory called Leonardo Hard Rubber, later 
Boonton Molding that had a license to produce Bakelite an early low loss 
insulator.  The first radio/electronic company in the area was Radio 
frequency Labs that later split off Aircraft Radio Corp., a noted innovator 
in aircraft communications and famous for their ARC-5 series radios in WWII. 
Others split off or principles left to create their own companies such as: 
Ferris Instruments, Measurements Inc., Boonton Electronics, Boonton Radio, 
Ballantine, Inc and maybe a few others that I cannot recall at the moment 
and I did not research my files for this note.  Most are now defunct 
although Radio Frequency Labs is still around although owned by an English 
Co. I believe.  Goggling the names above as well as the town history site 
will yield a host of information.  Boonton Electronics is still around I 
believe, several of our members spent a good part of their career there, 
check their website.  Although the need for radio technology and radio 
communications was the early driving force for Boonton companies, most 
settled down to being leaders in electronic testing instrumentation.  The 
Boonton area is unique in having such a wealth of electronics innovation 
that evolved so rapidly at the onset of the radio age.  As a final comment, 
the Boonton area does not get the respect that it deserves, few people have 
any realization of the radio/electronics history that was created in that 
area.  At InfoAge we hope to be cheerleaders for the rich radio/electronics 
history in New Jersey including the Boonton area.
Cheers, Ray
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alex Magoun" <amagoun at davidsarnoff.org>
To: "NJARC" <njarc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 6:30 PM
Subject: [NJARC] What's historic about Boonton Electronics?


> Just remember
> Reply = Poster
> Reply All = Everyone
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Just thought I'd ask since I'm having lunch with the son and grandson of 
> the
> founder on Wednesday.  They're bringing a few things out of "cold 
> storage."
> Electronic instruments are way out of my league and the first full-wave
> rectification power sensors don't exactly float my boat.  But if some of 
> the
> assemblage can clue in me and the rest of the crowd as to what's cool 
> about
> that, I won't feel like such a rube when the jewels come out.
>
>
>
> Alex
>
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