This is the GatesAir Radio Section of
The Broadcast Archive

Maintained by:
Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
Last Update 9/2/24

	Gates Radio Co   Quincy, IL       www.broadcast.harris.com
	Harris Broadcast   Quincy, IL / Mason, OH    www.broadcast.harris.com
	GatesAir Mason, OH, Quincy, IL gatesair.com

Gates Radio was founded in 1922 by Parker Gates' father, Henry C. Gates. Turning it into a pioneering company, Parker Gates invented many different pieces of equipment for the broadcast industry. 

In 1957, Gates Radio was purchased by Harris Intertype Corporation, although the Gates Radio logo was used until 1975.  

The transmitter model numbering convention changed sometime after 1948 to use "BC" for AM transmitters and "FM" for FM models. This was likely the result of the increased interest in FM after WWII.  (The "GY" model appellation was for "Gates Year" ... the 25th anniversary of the company in 1947.)

The industry changed a bit in the late 1950s, as many Class IV stations raced to implement a power increase to 1 kW daytime. A number of manufacturers developed low cost transmitters and other equipment specifically to cash in on the "upgrade" fever. As price points were "sensitive," each company tried to provide the "best value," and gear started to be made more cheaply. The term at Gates was "Value Analysis," led by George Dively. During the time when "value" manufacturing hit its peak, in 1957, Gates Radio Company was purchased by Harris Intertype Corporation (now Harris Corporation). 

Sadly, Gates Radio began to acquire the moniker "Quincy Tin Works" as it sought ways to cut costs of manufacture. Some commentators remark about the "time line" between early Gates equipment that was "solid, well built, reliable" and "cheap, sort of OK, difficult to maintain" products. This was not said to be in harmony with Gate's reputation. 

Phil Alexander notes: "The "Quincy Tin Works" moniker came about through George Diveley's edict to build products at a lower cost once Harris-Intertype bought Gates Radio. Although Parker Gates stayed for 10 more years as President, the major policy directives came from Cleveland. Both cosmetic and cost surgery started with the cabinets. Square corners are so much cheaper than anything more esthetic. Harris insisted on a VA ("Value Analysis") program which was a major buzzword when they bought Gates in the late '50's. Ed Gagnon was their PR honcho at the time and he headed up the program. The directives came from Cleveland, not from Parker Gates. This gave birth to the BC-1T (tin can) succeeded a few years later by the 1G."

In 1975, Harris dropped the "Gates Division" and relabeled the products as "Harris." 

In 2013 Harris Broadcast was purchased by Gores, a venture capital company. On March 17, 2014, the company was split to Imagine Communications and GatesAir.

AM Transmitters

S-101 (100 W)

S-102 (250 W)

The A Series (1944 – 1945)

The B/C Series (1945 – 1946)

The D Series (1946 - 1947)

The E Series (1946 - 1958) (aka: the Hi Watter series)

The GY (Gates Year) Series (1949 - ) 

The F Series (1949 - 1955) 

The J Series (1955 - 1956)

The K Series (196x - )

The L Series (196x - )

The T Series (1957  - 1962)

	BC-500T - 500 W
	BC-1T - 1 kW - 1957 This transmitter came with a standard dummy load included. The former WSID transmitter, now on the ham  bands.

The P Series (1957 - 1966 )   P = Les Petery

The G Series (1962 - ) (Essentially T’s with a new cabinet)

The Vanguard Series (1966 - 1968)

The VP Series (1965)

	VP-50 - 1965
	VP-100

From Ben Dawson:  The VP-100 was the first PDM transmitter made by Harris - the VP-50 was high level plate modulated but vapor phase cooled. The MW50 was PDM modulated. But the VP-100 was both vapor phase cooled and PDM modulated.
 

The H Series (1966 - 1978)

The MW Series (1973 - 1992)

The SX Series (1983 -1990)

The Gates Series (1990- 2000)

The DX Series (1987- 2001)  

The 3DX Series (2001-

The DAX Series

FM Transmitters

The BF Series

The FM Series

B Series B = John Butcher, the designer.

C Series 

G Series

The G and H series were essentially the same transmitters, being differentiated by the exciters. The G series had a tube exciter (M-6095). The H series was solid state, with the TE-1 exciter, the H3 series had the TE-3 exciter. (Phil Alexander)

H Series

HT Series 

	HT Series 3.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 30, 35 WGEM-FM, Quincy, IL
	HT 7FM Courtesy: Dave Land

K Series

Z Series  

Flexiva Series  

Exciters

	M-5534
	M-6095
	Phasitron
	TE-1 (1971?)
	TE-3 - Designed by Jack Sellmeyer
	TE-10 One of only two built.  Courtesy of Dave Hershberger.
	MS-15
	MX-15 among the improvements, the AFC card was redesigned to prevent the "Axel Foley Effect" ... which unlocked the AFC.
	The Digit

Thanks to Mike Bafaro for some of the scans of the pictures.

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