Dear Mr Beck,

Your Chairman, Sir Gordon Radley, has said at a London Press Conference "A11 we ask is that Government Departments give British Electronic Equipment that is worthwhile a chance, and cease to yield to the fatal fascination which most American Electronic equipment has for them" (Herts Advertiser 7th May 65).

May I, privately, defend the Government and those of us in private Industry who, when appropriate, "buy American".

We have a job of work to do, and to do that job as well as possible need good, reliable tools at a good price. A good part

of the "fatal fascination" of American equipment is that it meets its performance claims, continues to do so, and is easy to drive".

We, in common with most other people, use Tektronix oscilloscopes where their performance is necessary, because they are unquestionably the best in the world, and are easy to drive.

A British substitute has not got to be "as good as" but better than or much cleaper than the American article. On oscilloscopes, we have a bias in favour of Tektronix as (like most large users) we have a good selection of Tek "Plug-ins" which will only fit Tek 'Scopes, and our service department is well fitted up with the necessary test jigs and spares.

Where British equipment is better or cheaper (or both) than American equipment, we buy it: your own TF868/TF2700 Bridges

are a good example. Solartron Transfer Function Analysers are another, and of course the ubiquitous Avometer.

I am sure that the road to success, both in this Country and abroad, does not lie in making "me too" copies of American equipment, but to use our talents in exploring new fields or in improving on existing instruments.

Yours sincerely,            

for HAWKER SIDDELEY DYNAMICS LTD

P.M. CLIFFORD           

Standards Laboratory