At 05:10 PM 1/17/2004 -0500, W4NJF wrote:
>Is this the same guy that develped or designed the CE 10A,10Band 20A ssb
>phasing SSB exciters back in the '50's?
>If so,what a loss.......
This is what more I now know about W4EGK, Joe Batchelor SK and the Central
Electronics rigs his was involved in. What a pioneer and a giant of a man.
de KD4GT
-=-=-=
The Central Electronics Company
One of the first manufacturers of single sideband suppressed carrier
modulation amateur radio transmitters was Central Electronics of Chicago,
Il. Wes Schum, W9DYV, started the company in the basement of his home.
Production began with the multiphase 10 A exciter in 1953. One year later
Wes brought out the 20 A, featuring band switching instead of plug in
coils. All models (10 A, 10 B, 20 A) were low power exciters only. Then
in early 1958 Central Electronics introduced the 100 V broadband, no tune
transmitter. This 100 watt transmitter was capable of both upper and lower
sideband modulation, double sideband, AM, CW, PM, and frequency shift
keying as well! Similar in appearance to the Collins KWS-1, the 100 V was
a huge success. But Central Electronics did not have a companion receiver
to the 100 V.
This seemed like a strange time for Mr. Schum to sell the company,
but sell he did! Perhaps it was an offer he couldn't refuse. You see Wes
sold Central Electronics to the Zenith Corporation, and the deal included a
vice presidency position of Zenith for Mr. Schum! Not widely known was the
fact that Central Electronics was working on a matching receiver design at
this time, and the small company could not afford to bring the receiver
(100 R) into production with their limited resources. The designer of the
100 V, Joseph Batchelor, W4EGK, was also responsible for the receiver
design, and with the resources of giant Zenith, continued development work
on the receiver. In early 1961 they also introduced an improved
transmitter, the 200 V. With development cost of the receiver in excess of
250,000 dollars at this point, Zenith decided to scuttle Central
Electronics in late 1961. Everything went to the dumpsters, except one 100
R receiver prototype, now owned by Joel Thurtell, K8PSV. As innovative in
design as the 100 V transmitter, the 100 R receivers performance matched or
exceeded that of the fabled Collins R-390 military receiver, and was priced
at a fraction of the cost. ........
http://www.raynel.com/~w0sok/aug98.htm#reiss
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Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 19:35:53 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: cacutts@mindspring.com
Subject: W4EGK Joe Batchelor SK
All,
It is my sad duty to report that Joe Batchelor passed away Sunday January
4, 2004.
Joe Batchelor was the lead engineer at Central Electronics, who's noted for
the design and development of the broadband couplers used in the 600L HF
amplifiers and the later 100V/200V broadband HF transmitters. In addition
to his work at Central Electronics, Joe Batchelor is also listed in Who=92s
Who for his work in the development of a radio system designed to locate
downed pilots at sea for the Air Force back in the mid-forties.
Joe=92s funeral was today in Monroe GA. News of his passing did not reach
me until this morning, which left me little time to attend, let alone send
out this email. Thus, the late notice. Nick Tusa and I were there to
represent the Amateur Radio community and forward our condolences to
Joe=92s wife of over sixty years, W4EZS, Jackie.
Allen Cutts
N4OZI
http://www.ibiblio.org/modena/BOATANCHORStheporch/boatanchors.theporch.weekl
y.html
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100V PROTOTYPE
TCS is happy to report that the 100V prototype has been acquired from Mr.
Joe Batchelor, Central's chief design engineer. Much of Joe's genius is
found within the 100/200V; the broadband coupler, the self-compensating
vfo, the bifilar balanced modulator and the audio limiter were all
Batchelor-influenced designs.
It is obvious that the 100V prototype was a "work in progress" and while it
appears similar to the final product, there are many differences. So too,
the 100R prototype, now being properly preserved by Joe Thurtell, was a
"work in progress" and not a final design. Unfortunately, there is no
production 100R to draw direct comparisons.
TCS plans to restore the 100V prototype to as-designed operational and
cosmetic performance. An article on this piece of history will then follow.
Ultimately, the rig will be donated, in Joe's and Wes's behalf, to the
Antique Wireless Association.
http://www.tusaconsulting.com/ce.htm
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