[TMC] TMC History

Sat Aug 4 18:56:18 EDT 2012

That would be my fault..  the TMC history project is definitely
coming along, but I still have some data to collect and additional
interviews to do.  Please be patient.. I'll get there! But thanks for
taking me to task, Richard.. I really need a push at this point.

Here's the short version, stream of consciousness:

The company was founded by Ray de Pasquale in 1946.
Ray had been the Director of Manufacturing for Press Wireless
during the war (and Sal Barone, founder of Northern Radio, was
his 2nd in command), but departed PreWi after the war to start
his own business.  Ray had been an electronics equipment rep
in the 30's, and had a very good knowledge of the business that
would serve him well during the first few decades of TMC's history.

The first 5 years of the company are a bit of
a mystery, but I believe Ray was developing a relationship with
the Navy that would last 3 decades, and probably contracting
to build certain equipment items, the first of which may have been
the SFO TTY regenerator.

In the early 50's, Ray hired Joe Toman, and manufacturing started
in earnest in Mamaroneck.  TMC's first products were mainly RF
transformers and antenna couplers.  These were evidently high-margin
items, allowing the company to be built on cash--Ray never borrowed
money until the company went public in 1959.  In '52, Ray was joined
by several other PreWi alums, who became the core of his engineering
team.

Indeed there was a Hammarlund connection..  Julius Anger, who designed
the SP-600 turret worked at TMC, as did Les Norde.  Les worked on the
design of the AO-100, the frequency-generating heart of the VOX and PMO, still in production
at TMC in the 80's, believe it or not!  Les later went on to design the HQ-170/180
I believe..

Tony Bernardi was the chief engineer in the early-mid 50's and led the
various teams that built the transmitters we all know and love.  The PAL-350
was always intended as a "portable" transmitter and it and its later version
the PAL-500 were mostly developed in Canada.  The PAL-1K was developed
both as a stand-alone transmitter (in many, many versions) and as the driver
for the GPT-10K/40K/100K.  The GPT-750, on the other hand, was a standalone,
modular transmitter, designed to replace the BC-610/T-368.  It produced a solid
KW on SSB and 750W of carrier on AM, and it could be configured for nearly 
any class of transmitter service.  Tony Faiola told me that the things were selling
like hotcakes in the late 50's, and they could barely make them fast enough.  If
you have one in your collection, treasure it--it's a great piece of history as well as
a workhorse.

Excellent sales led to the company going public in 1959, and to a new manufacturing
plant being built right next to the NY thruway in Clarkstown NY in 1961.  This plant
was mainly for construction of the GPT-10K/40K/200K, and Neil de Pasquale told me
that at its peak, the plant could turn out a transmitter every 45 minutes.  There are
still GPT-10K's in service in various places around the world, a testament to their
quality and durability.  The Clarkstown plant is still there, though it's had many other
owners since TMC sold it in the 70's.

In the 60's the company participated in a number of interesting projects, including
"Jenny" the flying TV/radio broadcast station that saw service in Vietnam, "Judy"
the portable communications complex the Navy installed at Nea Macri, Greece, and
HF communications systems for the NASA Apollo program.

The 60's and 70's also saw the introduction of remotely operated, synthesized
radios for the Navy to support world-wide rtty communications, many based on 
the DDR-5 and its many variants.  Remote control transmitters were sold as well.
The remote controlled rigs were "digitally" operated using wired teletype links,
under the rubric "Technimatic".

The company's entry into the transistor era was not as smooth as one could wish
and during the wind-down of the Vietnam war, the company's main market, Navy
HF communications, began to vanish.   Neil de Pasquale took over managing the
company in 1986, but the hand he had to play was pretty weak by that time.

Strapped for cash, and with its main market gone, the company struggled for some
years, eventually declaring bankruptcy in 1994, the year of Ray de Pasquale's death.
Frank Budetti, who started with the company in the 50's, became a principal engineer
during the 60's-70's and eventually a corporate officer, was with Ray until his death.

The company still remains.. Neil operates a consulting and parts acquisition business
under the company's name, and still has an office at 700 Fenimore Road, the home
of the company since 1953 (most of the building is taken up these days by a thriving
custom kitchen store).

There is a great deal more interesting info about the company that this short essay
doesn't include--stay tuned!

So... there!  There actually is a history in progress... :)

73, John K4OZY

On Aug 4, 2012, at 5:15 PM, Richard Knoppow wrote:

>     I have been fascinated with TMC equipment ever since 
> since a GPR-90 when they first came out.  It may not be the 
> world's best receiver but is one of the sexiest looking.
>     While there is a promise of some history at the TMC org 
> web site none is yet posted other than some yearly reports. 
> I wonder if anyone here could give me a brief history of the 
> company.  In particular I have been wondering if any of the 
> founders or designers were alumnai of Hallicrafters, 
> Hammarlund, or perhaps Press Wireless.
> 
> 
> --
> Richard Knoppow
> Los Angeles
> WB6KBL
> dickburk at ix.netcom.com 
> 
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