Kappa Networks in Carteret during college years

While going to college I got a job at Kappa Networks at the corner of Roosevelt Ave and Carteret Ave in Carteret.  I got the job through my neighbor who worked there.  They hired me because I was studying to be an engineer and they wanted someone like me.  Kappa Networks main product was something called a “delay line” which was used by television networks.  The idea is that when using multiple TV camera’s to film a live program you needed to make sure the cable lengths to all the cameras were the same because the camera view of the action was delayed based on the length of the cables.  The options was to use rolls of cable to equalize the delay or use a “delay line” device that performed like a fixed length of cable.  The delay line was a row of small coils of wire that were positioned to have the proper electrical properties to match cable.

My job was as the tester for these delay lines.  Once the assembly was complete and the coils inserted into the case, I put them on an oscilloscope to measure delay and insure that the electric characteristics matched the desired result.  I could make adjustment to the coils if necessary.  Once they looked ok, a fast acting foam was used to fill the case and insure that the coils didn’t move.  I then had to retest to make sure nothing changed. If it didn’t pass the test, I would have to open the case, determine where the problem was and chip away the foam to fix the performance.  It then was refoamed and the tested repeated.

I worked whenever I had time during the week and most Saturday mornings.  I really enjoyed it and made friends with the women who assembled the delay lines as well as other employees.  One summer, Rose got a job there also as an assembler. When I was about to graduate they wanted me to work there but there was no way they could pay what I was worth.