TELECOMMUNICATION AND VACUUM TECHNOLOGY IN HUNGARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00280R000200130030-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 11, 2011
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: November 15, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

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 TELECOA't4IIJNICATION AND VACUUM TECHNOLOGY IN HUNGARY
A Ma ar Tudomany Tiz Eve
1945-1955 Ten Years of
Science in Hungary 1945-1959,
1955, Budapest, Pages 319-322
Geza Bognar, Tivadar Millner
and Erno Winter
A significant telephone and circuitry industry developed in Hungary
in the period between the two world wars, but most of the equipment was
manufactured on the basis of foreign documentation and there was little
possibility for individual development. After Liberation the small
number of telephone engineers was tied down with the work of the recon-
struction of the destroyed telephone centers and the planning of the
large-scale expansion of the telephone network.
Following the completion of these tasks Erno Acs developed an important
new telephone switching apparatus which. incorporates electronic elements,
and is quite different from previous types of similar apparatuses.
The new features of this switching apparatus are its previously un-
paralleled 1,000-incoming-line capacity, optical control of the apparatus,
and the weld-less execution of the apparatus' switch banks (multiplication).
The Beloiannisz Communications Technology Plant now is preparing a 600-line
prototype of this new system which is to be marketed commercially. The
advantages. of the new switching apparatus are that it has a higher factor
of continuous operation and it costs considerably less to manufacture than
older types. Furthermore, the 1,000-line apparatus ensures much greater
exploitation of the trunk lines connecting the main telephone centers,
which is another great economic advantage.
The domestic transmission industry was founded on the basis of foreign
documentation. Very few researchers were active in the field of the
science of transmission technology prior to Liberation. Ivan Tomits
ranks first among the latter, who did some very valuable instructional
work and turned out some very important research work, as well.
There was a relatively strong development in the field of trans-
mission technology in the years following Liberation. The regular
instruction of transmission technology in universities was begun and
many original Hungarian and many translated, primarily Soviet, technical
books were published in this field. With the development of new export-
quality equipment the transmission technology industry became an important
factor in Hungary's export trade.
The most important development in this field was the production of a
12-channel telephone transmission system which was developed through
collective research work at the Beloiannisz Plant. The new equipment
enables 12 telephone conversations to be carried simultaneously by a
single 4-wire circuit of the transmission cable. The importance of this
development is indicated by the fact that the use of a single 12-channel
system over a 200-kilometer circuit results in the saving of approxi-
mately 30 tons of copper cable.
The Hungarian telecommunications industry began work on microwave
transmission after the Liberation. Microwaves are especially suitable
for the simultaneous transmission of many conversational channels and
television programs. Not long after Liberation research and development
work was begun on an impulse-modulation multiple-channel microwave system
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at the Postal Experimental Station, and later at the Telecommunications
Research Institute (Geza Bognar and his associates (Ed.)). Utilizing
the results of this research the Beloiannisz Telecommunications Plant
later produced a,prototype of a ;4-channel system. Because this type of
equipment needs no transmission cable or aeria], transmission line it
results in a considerable saving in nonferrous metals and the production
costs of this type of communication circuit is much lower than that of
previous types. With the use of intermediary relay stations this system
is suitable for long distance transmission.
The first task in the field of radio following Liberation was the
reconstruction of the broadcasting network, which had suffered exten-
sive damage during World War II. Because the previous foreign con-
nections had been severed the radio industry had to solve the problems
of its further development through its own resources. The developmental
work at the Beloiannisz Telecommunications Plant produced 3 outstanding
achievements:
A high-output,.forced-air-cooled 25 kw medium frequency radio trans-
mitter was developed, which is the first such instrument manufactured
in Hungary. The driving stage of the modulator of this transmitter is
connected to the cathode, which results in a considerable increase in
transmission efficiency and a decrease in distortion.
A 135 kw medium frequency transmitter was developed, in which
domestic research has incorporated a high-tension, gas-filled, remote-
controlled rotating condenser for the tuning of the final stage, and
the high-output tubes are fed by alternating current in a manner that
the noise level meets the international requirements.
The prototype of a 120 kw short wave transmitter which was developed
entirely by domestic research is nearing completion. This instrument may
be continuously remote controlled throughout the entire short wave
range. This transmitter has a cathode-connected modulator-driving stage.
The circulating water is cooled by a new method of heat exchange
utilizing an axial ventillator instead of the usually radial ventil-
ator. This new design also resulted'in a considerable decrease in the
dimensions of the equipment. This equipment was produced primarily
to*satisfy the needs of export trade. Another new feature of this
transmitter is that the feed line may be switched over from the trans-
mitting station by remote control and by a feed-back system.
As a result of research at the Telecommunications Research Institute
certain new theoretical relationships were established which consider-
ably modify certain concepts concerning the absorption of radiation
previously accepted in classical physics and eliminate existing contra-
dictions in the literature. On the basis of the new principles the
directional. receiving antennas may be directly calculated from the wave
equation. Edvin Istvanffy stated these results in his work entitled
A vetel mechanizmusa iran tott antennaknal Eihe Mechanism of Reception
in Directional Antennas ,
The uninterrupted functioning of telecommunication equipment depends
primarily on the quality of the materials and parts used in its con-
struction. Prior to Liberation high quality parts were imported from
abroad. The major development of the domestic manufacture of high quality
parts began in the early 1950's-
The iron dust used in the production of pulverized iron cores pre-
viously had to be imported, but increasing difficulties were encountered
in the importing of this material. Peter Denes, at the Telecommunications
 Research Institute, developed a type of electrolytic pulverized iron
from which better pulverized iron cores could be manufactured, than
from the types of electrolytic pulverized iron mentioned in the foreign
literature, On the basis of this research the Telecommunications Materials
Plant was built, which applied the developed technology to mass production
methods. Thus, in the future the import of most of the pulverized iron
mr.y be eliminated, and the pulverized iron cores of filter coils may be
produced from domestic pulverized iron.
In addition to magnetic substances, very pure germanium metals have
been. successfully produced from domestic materials.
The average international level has been equalled in the production
of silicon crystals and crystal diodes. Domestic research also has
begun in the field of ferrite substances. Ferrite equal to the inter-
national quality standards has been successfully produced from chemi-
cally pure basic substances.
The importance of tungsten research in vacuum technology is well known.
Since the time when Just and Haneman produced the first tungsten-filament
incandescent bulb in Hungary, tungsten research has beeta central problem
of the vacuum technology industry. Beginning in 1923 extensive research
has been conducted on the investigation and development of the useful
properties of metallic tungsten. This work led to numerous important
developments of international importance. Tungsten research, which was
interrupted by wartime conditions, was begun anew after Liberation.
The research was conducted along 2 major lines. Tungsten wire
consisting of large crystals are being used to achieve a high hot and
cold hardness of the incandescent bodies. The attainment of this type
of crystalline structure required small amounts of alloying substances,
which increased the difficulty of working the metallic tungsten. One of
the main lines of research was the attainment of a favorable crystalline
structure with much less alloying substances than previously used. The
other line of research involved the perfection of the reduction of tungsten
(production of pure tungsten from a tungsten salt). Both lines of research
resulted in significant achievements (primarily the work of Tivadar
Millner and Jeno Neugebauer (Ed.)). Modification ofihe manufacturing
technique resulted in a considerable increase in the workability of
metallic tungsten, the new manufacturing method proved to be much more
economical, and the uniformity and quality of the very fine tungsten wire
used primarily in the manufacture of radio tubes, improved beyond all
expectations.
The above research enabled Hungary to take the lead in the world
market in the production of incandescent bulbs which are exposed to extra-
ordinary vibration.
The domestic processing of Chinese Wolframite ore, and the development
of factory methods for the production of very high quality metallic
molybdenum also are worthy of mention.
Hungarian technical science was engaged in research on the development
of electronic tubes even before Liberation, and the electronic tubes
produced by the barium metallic vapor reduction method helped place
Hungarian industry in a leading international role in this field.
Following Liberation research was focused on the further develop-
ment and improvement of the properties of oxide cathodes. The research
work was extended to both the metallic core and emission layer of the
oxide cathodes. In the course of this research it was estimated that,
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contrary to the opinion long held in foreign literature, the presence of
silicon in the metallic core of the oxide cathode is not beneficial, but
is harmful.
It was known that the oxide layer of the cathode was rapidly consumed
at high temperatures or at high current density. In the course of this
research an oxide layer was developed which could endure high temperatures
without changing (Erno Winter and his associates (Ed.)). This method has
substantial advantages over the earlier oxide cathodes.
The practical application of the new emission substance was primarily
in battery tubes, which enabled a decrease of approximately 50% in the
heat output of these tubes over comparable foreign tubes. This has
great practical significance, because sets equipped with the Hungarian
battery tubes can be operated with considerably less battery power, or at
the same battery power the life of the battery is increased approximately
3-fold. This is of great importance from the point of view of the set.
Because of the new emission layer the life of the Hungarian tubes is
longer than that of foreign tubes with 50% greater heat output. The
under-heating ability of these tubes also is superior. The new emission
material also is important to export trade, and the Hungarian electronic
tube industry exports large numbers of battery tubes.
The new oxide cathode also may be used advantageously in photo-
electric tubes. The life of these tubes is 2 to 3 times longer than that
of photoelectric tubes utilizing other types of oxide cathodes.
Gyorgy Szigeti and his associates have conducted extensive and
basic research on the physical properties of semiconductors. The results
of.their research on the lighting substances of photoelectric cells have
received acclaim abroad.
Successful research also has been performed in the field of cathode
ray tubes, which formed the basis for the domestic production of tele-
vision and cathode ray oscillograph tubes on a par with the world market
products. The research on luminescent shadow substances and on the
properties of glass also played an important role in the latter develop-
ment.