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Description
The 200A oscillator was Hewlett-Packard's first product. This model was possibly built while Hewlett and Packard were still at the garage on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, or it may have been built at the space they rented shortly thereafter in late 1940. There are two vacuum tubes inside, each with handwritten labels that appear to be testing notes. The larger vacuum tube reads, "Down on emission 33% 10/4/40 E. S." [could also be 10/9/40 C. S.]. The smaller tube label is difficult to read due to grease spots but also references emission and bears the same date. Two label plates affixed to front of oscillator read: "Audio Oscillator Model 100A, Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto Calif." and "Presented to Stanford Communication Lab." The oscillator is currently on display at the HP Garage in Palo Alto, California. The Model 200A audio oscillator was presented by Hewlett at the 1938 Institute of Radio Engineers meeting in Portland, Oregon. The oscillator was a product of Hewlett's electrical engineering thesis and offered better stability, greater frequency range, and less distortion than existing oscillators on the market; in addition, its simple design allowed it to be assembled from inexpensive parts. An engineer for Walt Disney Studios was impressed with the instrument and bought nine oscillators for the stereophonic sound presentation of Fantasia. This "big" order was enough to launch the company.
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