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Collins Radio Company Cedar Rapids, IA Dallas, TX (Broadcast Division) Rockwell-Collins |
Maintained by:
Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
Last Update 9/1/21
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Collins Radio Company Cedar Rapids, IA Dallas, TX (Broadcast Division) Rockwell-Collins |
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 as of 1/1/81. (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!)
| Click on picture for a larger image | |
| 300 - 250/100 W () Also C, C-1 |
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300D 100 W (1935) |
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300E/F 100 W (1935) |
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300FA - 250/100 W (193x) |
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300G - 250/100 W |
| 300J - 250/100 W | |
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550A - 250/500 W () |
| 20C - 1 kW (1935) | |
| 20H - 1 kW ( | |
| 20H - 1 kW () | |
| 20J - 1 kW () | |
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20T - 1 kW () |
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20V - 1 kW () This workhorse kept many stations rolling for years and years. A ham favorite. |
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20V2 - 1 kW |
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20V3 - 1 kW |
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21A - 5 kW |
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21B - 5 kW |
| 21D - 5 kW D, DA, DX |
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21E - 5 kW - 1953 KNST - Tucson, AZ Here's a 21E, converted to Ham use! |
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21M - 10 kW (195x) |
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820D-1 - 1 kW |
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820D-2 "The Rock" - 1 kW |
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820E-1 - 5 kW 820F-1 - 10 kW |
| 828C-1 - 1 kW | |
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828E-1 "Power Rock" - 5 kW A PDM transmitter that did, indeed, rock! |
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828H-1 - A proposed 50 kW product. It was never built |
FM Transmitters
| Click on picture for a larger image | |
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738A 738B 10 Watt Designed for Educational stations |
| 830 - 250 W | |
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830B-1A 1 kW - 1961 |
| 830D - 1 kW - 1961 | |
| 830D-1 - 2 kW - 1962 Serial #1 - KHAK, Cedar Rapids,. IA |
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| 830D-2 - 1967- used the 310-Z1 | |
| 830E - 5 kW | |
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830E-1A 5 kW - 1961 |
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830F-1 - 10 kW |
| 830-H/N - 20 kW (dual 10 kW) | |
| 830H-1A - 20 kW (dual 10 kW) | |
| 831C2 -1. 5 kW - mid 1970s | |
| 831D - 2 kW - mid 1970s | |
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831D-1 - WIHN - Bloomington, IL |
| 831D-2 - 2.5 kW | |
| 831E - 5 kW S/N 101 at WTUN-FM, Selma, AL |
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| 831F- 10 kW | |
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831F2- 10 kW (Courtesy Jerry Kautz) |
| 831G - 1969 | |
| 831G-1 - 20 kW | |
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831G-2 - 20 KW+ - 1977 KPLU, Tacoma Tech tips - Gray Frierson Haertig |
Exciters
| A-830 | |
| 310Z-1 | |
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310Z-2 (also Continental 510Z-R) - 1973 |
| 310-Z3 (built special for Swedish government 250 units) |
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.