Re: {Collins} S-Line styling Question for Collins Historians

["Paul Christensen" <w9ac@xxxxxxxx>]

> The book does not mention a single person in this group responsible for 
> the updated stying of the S line so it was most likely a "team effort."

Same with Ben Stearns' book, "Arthur Collins, Radio Wizard."  Senti is 
described as the primary designer of the KWM-1, but no single person is 
mentioned as "the" designer of the S/Line.

Collins showed accelerated technological growth in the decade between 1948 
and 1958.  Arguably, the Collins amateur radio product line ended in 1958. 
True, the S/Line evolved during the next decade but according to Stearns, 
even Collins himself recognized that his company was "coasting along" in 
amateur radio development.  Unfortunately, this admission occurred roughly 
at the time Collins' financial structure began imploding in 1970.  A 
"perfect storm" of events had occurred, resulting in Collins' loss of 
control, and subsequently, abandonment of the amateur product line until 
1979 when Rockwell produced the HF/KWM-380.

I was born at roughly the time the S/Line was produced so I can only imagine 
the impact it must have had on the ham community at the time of its release. 
I have not yet "lived the moment" with an S/Line.  Over the years, I've 
decided to save the experience until ready.  I'm getting quite close and 
hopefully, I'll soon have an S/Line of my own.

Paul, W9AC




The
> new rigs orginally had plain gray face plates but Art wanted something 
> more luxourious and rich looking.  He brought in his Leica (some know it 
> as a Hasselblad) camera and had the model shop etch the leather grain 
> pattern of the camera onto a thin aluminum sheet for the faceplates of the 
> engineering models of the rigs.  What a brilliant idea. To me, along with 
> the rounded compact enclosures, this really sets off the S line gear.  The 
> compactness of S lines when introduced in 1958 can also be attributed to 
> the compact enclosure of the KWM-1.   In short, the whole process was just 
> a matter of evolution.   Jay's book is a joy to read and has many, many 
> excellent pictures with some really good close-ups of various Collins 
> equipment.  I think the book is now out of print but if you can latch onto 
> one, by all means do so.
>
> 73 to all
>
> Don  K8KSM  AC08-12219
> Columbus Ohio
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chris Codella, W2PA" <w2pa@xxxxxxxx>
> To: <collins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2011 12:37
> Subject: Re: {Collins} S-Line Question for Collins Historians
>
>
> > I have to agree with you, Bob.  Aside from the S/Line's technical merits, 
> > it's always been one of my favorite designs, visually.  I don't know who 
> > was responsible either, but it set the tone for many rigs that followed 
> > the trend to a smaller sizes.
> >
> > In fact, it's interesting to take a look at the Collins ads from the 
> > early 1960s because some of them emphasized the S/Line's visual 
> > aesthetics (check them out on WA3KEY's site here: 
> > http://www.wa3key.com/crads.html). My favorite is the one originally 
> > published in February 1962 QST showing a smiling, approving XYL, 
> > apparently thrilled that days of the big, heavy, black boxes were over 
> > (http://www.wa3key.com/qst/qst6202.jpg). The S/Line is "stylish and 
> > blends with the decor of any room," says the ad.  I'm dubious, however, 
> > about how many XYLs actually allowed the ham shack to be set up in the 
> > family room (unless, of course, they too were hams).
> >
> > 73,
> > Chris, W2PA
> >
> > On 6/23/2011 7:41 PM, W3YY wrote:
> > > Who can we thank for the physical design of the S-Line?  Since it's
> > > introduction, I've found it to be the most attractive and inviting piece 
> > > of
> > > amateur radio equipment I've ever seen.
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> _______________________________________________
> SHARE THE FUN: JOIN THE COLLINS COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION TODAY !
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> NETS: Tues & Thur: 3.805 MHz-2000 Central + Fri: 3.895 MHz-2000 Pacific
>  SUNDAYS: 14.263 MHz-2000 UTC  +  AM Net: 29.050 MHz-1200 Central
>  1st Wednesday AM Net 3.880 MHz-2000 local (ET, CT, MT, PT)
>
> The Collins Reflector reserves the right to refuse access to anyone.
>
> LIST HELP?  ADMIN EMAIL:  collins-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> This ONLY goes to the list admins and does not post to the group!