The Romance of "Courtenay"

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 9, 8 September 1933, Page 24

The Romance of "Courtenay"

A Triumph of Achievement

ROM a small room ten feet square to a modern three-floor factory covering a total area of 12,000 square feet-this represents the’ amazing development made in the past four-years by the Radio Corporation of New Zealand, Lid., manufacturers of ‘"Courtenay" radios. The name was happily chosen by a firm pioneering a new industry, for it was taken from that of Viscount Courtenay, one of the directors of the New Zealand Company, under whose auspices Wellington was settled in 1839. Early in 1929 one of the founders of "Courtenay" radio worked with an assistant night after night. planning and building small valve secs. They were pioneers of a new industry in New Zealand, and, appropriately enough, their small workshop was.-lo-cated in the oldest brick building in Wellington. It stands in Old Customhouse Street, and was erected immediately after the disastrous earthquake of 1855, which levelled every brick building in the settlement. The first "Courtenay" receiver consisted of a crystal set combined with a two-vyalve amplifier operating directly from the electric light socket. Crude though it may have been according to modern standards, yet it was the first low-priced a.c. set in the field, and as such it met with instant popularity. Business progressed so rapidly that early in 1980 it was found necessary to increase staff, while by September of that year "Courtenay" sets were in such demand that difficulty was experienced in fulfilling orders. In addition, many talkie plants for theatres throughout New Zealand were manufactured that year, while another outstanding, achievement was the installation at New Plymouth hospital of what is still one of the finest radio plants of its kind in New Zealand. At this juncture the manager decided to embark on a tour of England and America in order to acquaint himself more fully with the best markets for raw materials. He also made a thor; ough investigation of the latest methods of receiver manufacture, and brought back with him the most up-to-date machinery that money could buy. The arrival shortly after this of Mr. %. R. Stanley, an American radio engineer of wide experience, to take up an appointment as chief designing and producing engineer, was a most important event in the history of "Courtenay." Mr. Stanley was followed by expert die and tool makers, and from then on production increased by leaps and bounds. Five months later the "Courtenay" superheterodyne appeared, and was in such demand that the factory had to be kept working at peak output to cope with orders. In the spring of 1932 the staff had increased to over 30, and the output of large sets was over 200 per month. By Christmas of that year the output had increased to 500 monthly, and in the May following the staff numbered over 50. Accommodation had become greatly overtaxed, and so it was decided to move into the Stewart Hardware Building, Courtenay Place, where

ample space was available for both @ large factory and a showroom. A brief survey of the factory will no doubt be of interest to technicallyminded readers. Hvery component part. which can possibly be produced commercially in New Zealand either is, or shortly will be, produced on the premises. This necessitates a large number of departments, one for each type of work. The machine and tool-making shop is fully equipped with lathes, presses, and other machinery necessary for the making of dies for the many different types of stampings and pressings, and of equipment such as coil-winding machines. One huge machine, which is to be used shortly in the manufacture of loudspeakers and for other general heavy work, is capable of exerting a distributed pressure of over 120 tons, Smaller presses are used to punch out transformer laminations, valve sockets, and shields, ete. On the next floor is the sheet metal working department, where the chassis are punched, bent, and subsequently electric ‘spot-welded, thus eliminating the need for screws and rivets, In another room on the same floor we find the spray-painting and cadmium-plating departments. In the latter department the chassis and all metal stamp: ings are given a metallic coating both for the sake of appearance and as a protection against corrosion. The coil-winding department, where both power and radio frequency transformers are wound, is located on the third floor. .The intricate equipment required is all made in the machine shop. It is certainly fascinating to watch the uncanny way in which layer upon layer of wire and paper insulation is wound upon the rotating formers with an astonishing rapidity. Much research has been devoted in this department to the. development of special precision testing equipment, which enables radio frequency coils to be matched to an exceptionally high degree of accuracy. The products of the various departments all meet in the assembly room, where one sees chassis in all stages of development, gradually evolving into the finished receiver. From here the chassis pass to the testing department, which is one of the most interesting in the factory. The room itself is completely. shielded from outside interference, so that receivers to be tested are subjected only to the required signal frequency and intensity from the standard signal generators. By means of these instruments it is known exactly what input in microvolts is necessary to produce a certain standard output at any desired frequency. In other words, after the general mechanical and electrical tests and final alignment, the actual sensitivity of the set is measured and recorded at five different frequencies. This naturally is an over-all test of every component part of the set, including the valves, and it is with this same set of valves that the set is finally sent out to the dealers, Provision for displaying and demonstrating the finished factory product has not been forgotten, for a spacious, tastefully-furnished showroom, designed on the latest lines, is now open to the public.