Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-30
OWLEDGE OF TUBE OPERATION BIG HELP TO RADIO FAN
RADIO PLANTS UNABLE
To COPE WITH DEMAND
Supply of Wireless Apparatus
viii Not Meet Need
Bcforc limo

| The popularity Of radio is rapidly
| pushing to the front the manufacture
OF wireless equipment until II Is on
,hc verge of one of the nations most
| important manufacturing businesses.
| Reports from the East are that the
unemployment problem among men
with technical training has been vir-
tualiy solved by the demand radio
| has made upon manufacturers for in
creased production.
An indication Of the vast business
being done by the manufacturers Of
supplies and equipment is seen in
| the report, just issued. OF the larg-
est radio corporation in the world.
! which controls the sales OF the two
| largest manufacturing concerns in
existence. The company soon will
reach the 10000 mark in the manu-
fhcture of vacuum tubes. the vital
| part OF All long-ranEc receiving sets.
Extent Of Radio Crnzc.
| The production schedule In May
calls for $4,000 tubes and In June
100000 will be produced. When com
pared with the 5000 monthly aver
age for the frs; eleven months of
1921. the extent Of the radio craze
! VIII be seen. The Official report of
inc company, in part, is as follows:
crystal detectors served the pur-
pose OF the larger number of anna
tours In the early days. The great
demand for vacuum tubes Is n dcvel-
| opment of the last few weeks, due
| entirely to the sudden popularity of
broadcastinE.
Although machines play part
IN the major process of manufacture.
tubes are still largely made BY hand.
| The hand work plays n far more i'm
! portant part In making vacuum tubes
| than in any other piece of electrical
| apparatus with which the public Is
familiar.
10000 Per Month.
Manufacture of the delicate vac
! uum tubes as dctcctors. transm!ttcrs
and ampliiicrs has been subject to
the usual difficulties in bringing
about quantity production. During
the first eleven months OF 1921. the
| factories produced for this corpora
| ton 5000 tubes per month This
rate of production. small as IL seems
now. was gradually producing Il sur
! plus.
Then. suddenly. in one or two ter
! rit"ri"s hroad"a sting jumped into
| popular favor overnight. ON Dccem-
| her 80 the production schedule was
Increased TO $4,000 tubes per month.
| In January OF this year the corpor-
alton pushed the schedule to $4,000
! per month-a figure largely In excess
| OF the demand at that time.
! April Calls for $4,000.
| The present concerted demand.
| due to the further expansion of
| broadcasting. came early in Fehrm-
| AIRY. On February 3 the factories
! we're asked TO do everything in their
power to reach $1,000 ,ubcs-to try
to reach it--during that month They
came close to the production goal.
and the following month. March. they
not only reached $4,000. but bettercd
II by several thousand. April calls
for 10000 and May for l75.000.'
Provided the public continues to
tax the resources Of the manufacture
inE plants. large increase in the
technical force Of the plants is prom :
ised by the manufacturing plants. 1t
is said that this is possibly due to
the ease of building up personnel
of trained workers ut this stage of
, the development