This is the Collins Radio Section of
The Broadcast Archive

Maintained by:
Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
Last Update 3/24/08

Parts and technical support available at Continental Electronics.

The Collins Radio Company* was founded in 1932 by Arthur A. Collins* at Cedar Rapids, IA.  It was famous for producing high quality transmitters for amateurs, the military and the  broadcast industry. Under the Collins label also came some of the most popular consoles and cart machines used by radio stations.

Dave Hultsman recalls that "Collins first sold FM transmitters from 1947-1958, but found little demand. They then sold ITA transmitters with a Collins logo for a few years, before building the 830 series in the early 1960s. The ITA tetrode transmitters were very unstable in the PA stage. Neutralization was a major problem. That is probably why Bernie [Wise] went to Juan Chibrando's grounded grid triode design at CCA."

Collins reduced the neutralization problem by grounding the screen in the 830 and 831 series.

In 1964, Collins moved the Broadcast Division from Cedar Rapids to Dallas, TX. Among the first products was the 820 series of AM transmitters, designed to meet new FCC regulations regarding the need to contain harmonics and spurious emissions inside the transmitter.

In the late-1960s, the 831 series was produced, the first model being a 2 kW, 831-D, to take advantage of adding vertical polarization

In 1977, Collins Radio Co. was bought by Rockwell and moved to Dallas, TX, as Rockwell-Collins. On October 1, 1980, Rockwell spun the Collins Broadcast line off to Continental Electronics. (See also the CONTINENTAL ELECTRONICS page).

2002 - A new book on the life of Arthur Collins is now available.

* - This is a link to a site that focuses on the amateur/military products from Collins. However, the server seems occasionally to be balky and slow. 

AM Transmitters

(See Dave Hultsman's explanation for the numbering system, below!)

FM Transmitters

Click on picture for a larger image
	738A 738B  10 Watt  Designed for Educational stations
	830 - 250 W
	830D - 1 kW - 1961
	830D-1 - 2 kW - 1962 Serial #1 - KHAK, Cedar Rapids,. IA
	830E - 5 kW
	830F-1 - 10 kW
	830-H/N - 20 kW (dual 10 kW)
	831D - 2 kW - mid 1970s
	831D-1 - WIHN - Bloomington, IL
	831D-2 - 2.5 kW
	831E - 5 kW S/N 101 at WTUN-FM, Selma, AL
	831F- 10 kW
	831G - 1969
	831G-1 - 20 kW
	831G-2 - 20 KW+  - 1977 KPLU, Tacoma Tech tips - Gray Frierson Haertig

Exciters

Dave Hultsman writes:

Any Continental transmitter with "R" means it came from Rockwell-Collins

        Collins                        Continental

        310-Z2                  510-R       FM Exciter
        831-D2                  814-R1      2.5 kW FM
        831-F2                  816R-1      10-11 kW.
        831-G2                  816R-2      20-21.5 kW.
        831-G3                  816R-3      25 kW.

        831-H2                  817R-2      40 kW.
        831-H2C             	817R-3      50 kW.

        828-D1                  314R-1      1  KW. AM
        828-E1                  315R-1      5  KW. AM
        

All of the single tube transmitters sold with power levels from 33 kW. to 48 kW. were Model 817-A Transmitters 
of which as I recall there were 13 manufactured.  All have since been returned and disassembled.

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