Pye was founded by W.G. Pye in 1896 in Cambridge as a manufacturer of scientific instruments. During the First World War, Pye manufactured military equipment, including telescopes and surveying equipment. In 1925, the company branched out into radio; Charles Orr Stanley was hired to lead this branch of the company. Stanley bought the radio part of the company in 1928 from W.G. Pye, while W.G. Pye & Co continued as a separate company until it was bought out by Pye in 1946 (see separate W.G. Pye & Co entry). In 1929, Stanley registered the company as Pye Radio Ltd. Over the next three decades, he formed several subsidiary manufacturing companies, which together came to form the Pye Group. In 1937, the name was changed to Pye Ltd to reflect this widening of activity.
The Pye Group was an international company, which made and marketed scientific instruments, communications equipment, radio and television transmitters and receivers, medical equipment, electronic components, electrical equipment and domestic appliances. By 1960, there were 60 UK companies operating under Pye and 20 overseas companies including in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It played a major role in the development of the electronic and communications industries in Britain, manufacturing and developing several important products.
Pye played a key role in the development of television from as early as the mid-1920s. In 1930 it began to manufacture television receivers, as well as CRTs and valves. It pioneered television receivers such as the 9-inch receiver in 1936. Once the television service was stopped during World War Two, Pye focused once again on military equipment. It developed Radar, a system for protecting against mine-laying equipment, the Proximity Fuse and differing forms of wireless communication. After the resumption of the service in 1946, Pye maintained its dedication to television, continuing to manufacture receivers and parts. This included demonstrating colour television in 1949, transformer-less television sets, Black Screen Television (sets that did not require darkness to view), Automatic Picture Control (to help prevent reception interference) and the first 27-inch screen, shown at the Radio Show in 1955. The Pye Printed Circuit was incorporated into television receivers in 1956. In 1960, Pye TVT was established as a separate company for the manufacture of television studio equipment including transmitters and cameras. Pye’s communications division, Pye Telecommunications Ltd, made large developments in radio and wireless technologies.
Following the merger of the Pye and EKCO groups in 1960 the combined company was known as British Electronics Industries Ltd. This was changed to Pye of Cambridge Ltd in 1963. Despite these successes, Pye was under increasing financial pressure in the 1960s and was eventually bought out by Philips in 1966. C.O. Stanley resigned as head of the company and went into retirement. In 1967 the Philips Group gained a majority shareholding in Pye and formed Pye Holdings Ltd to administer the Pye Group of companies.
Gradually, over the next 7 years, most of the Pye Group companies were absorbed into the operating companies of Philips Electronics UK. In 1996, when Philips Electronics UK sold the large radio communications division (formerly Pye Telecommunications) to form Simoco International Ltd, this became the parent company of all the ex-Pye and Philips radio communications companies worldwide. Philips continued to selectively use the Pye name as a secondary brand in various countries for many years and to this day Pye branded consumer products are sold by the Philips Group, particularly in Australia and South East Asia.
Scope and ContentA paper discussing the scientific instrumentation used in unmanned satellites including operation environment, design requirements and problems associated, particularly power supplies.
Pye was founded by W.G. Pye in 1896 in Cambridge as a manufacturer of scientific instruments. During the First World War, Pye manufactured military equipment, including telescopes and surveying equipment. In 1925, the company branched out into radio; Charles Orr Stanley was hired to lead this branch of the company. Stanley bought the radio part of the company in 1928 from W.G. Pye, while W.G. Pye & Co continued as a separate company until it was bought out by Pye in 1946 (see separate W.G. Pye & Co entry). In 1929, Stanley registered the company as Pye Radio Ltd. Over the next three decades, he formed several subsidiary manufacturing companies, which together came to form the Pye Group. In 1937, the name was changed to Pye Ltd to reflect this widening of activity.
The Pye Group was an international company, which made and marketed scientific instruments, communications equipment, radio and television transmitters and receivers, medical equipment, electronic components, electrical equipment and domestic appliances. By 1960, there were 60 UK companies operating under Pye and 20 overseas companies including in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It played a major role in the development of the electronic and communications industries in Britain, manufacturing and developing several important products.
Pye played a key role in the development of television from as early as the mid-1920s. In 1930 it began to manufacture television receivers, as well as CRTs and valves. It pioneered television receivers such as the 9-inch receiver in 1936. Once the television service was stopped during World War Two, Pye focused once again on military equipment. It developed Radar, a system for protecting against mine-laying equipment, the Proximity Fuse and differing forms of wireless communication. After the resumption of the service in 1946, Pye maintained its dedication to television, continuing to manufacture receivers and parts. This included demonstrating colour television in 1949, transformer-less television sets, Black Screen Television (sets that did not require darkness to view), Automatic Picture Control (to help prevent reception interference) and the first 27-inch screen, shown at the Radio Show in 1955. The Pye Printed Circuit was incorporated into television receivers in 1956. In 1960, Pye TVT was established as a separate company for the manufacture of television studio equipment including transmitters and cameras. Pye’s communications division, Pye Telecommunications Ltd, made large developments in radio and wireless technologies.
Following the merger of the Pye and EKCO groups in 1960 the combined company was known as British Electronics Industries Ltd. This was changed to Pye of Cambridge Ltd in 1963. Despite these successes, Pye was under increasing financial pressure in the 1960s and was eventually bought out by Philips in 1966. C.O. Stanley resigned as head of the company and went into retirement. In 1967 the Philips Group gained a majority shareholding in Pye and formed Pye Holdings Ltd to administer the Pye Group of companies.
Gradually, over the next 7 years, most of the Pye Group companies were absorbed into the operating companies of Philips Electronics UK. In 1996, when Philips Electronics UK sold the large radio communications division (formerly Pye Telecommunications) to form Simoco International Ltd, this became the parent company of all the ex-Pye and Philips radio communications companies worldwide. Philips continued to selectively use the Pye name as a secondary brand in various countries for many years and to this day Pye branded consumer products are sold by the Philips Group, particularly in Australia and South East Asia.
The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) was founded in 1933 by a group of space flight enthuasiasts to promote and educate on the exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity.
In the years before World War II a technical core of BIS members made the first plans for a rocket capable of landing three men on the Moon and returning them to Earth. After World War II members of the Society developed ideas for the exploration of outer space including developing liquid rockets for launch into space, the construction of Space Stations, the human exploration of the Moon, the development of probes to investigate other planets in our Solar System and the use of space telescopes to observe distant stars and galaxies.
In 1951 the BIS organized the world’s first International Congress on “The Artificial Satellite”, and became one of the founder members of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). Earth Remote Sensing was initially advocated and studied at an international level at its NATO Conference in the 1950s, with space biology following soon afterwards.
Planetary studies began with papers examining the propulsion requirements to reach Mars and Venus, as well as projected instruments for scientific probes. Advocacy of studies on comets and meteors helped further the Giotto mission to Halley’s Comet and later the ESA Rosetta mission.
Studies and long term thinking on human spaceflight and launch vehicle development have always been a core area of activity amongst Society members, with the visionary early work on the BIS Lunar Lander, the Orbital Launcher and various other space launchers and space stations.
With the demise of the Apollo Program in 1972, the British Interplanetary Society continued to encourage exploration of ideas on the possibilities of a return to the Moon and its eventual colonization.
More recently a group within the Society has initiated a series of studies on the scientific and technical objectives of conducting a human exploration of the Martian North Polar Cap (Project Boreas), and another group within the Society has initiated a follow on study to the Daedalus Interstellar Starprobe, called Project Icarus.
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