Transistor Radios

[Lincsong]

Does anyone here have or collect any of the original transistor radios from the early 1950's?[huh]

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've got a very early "All Transistor" Zenith Transoceanic -- a great big huge heavy thing, weighs about as much as the tube-type Trans-O I used to have. (I get the feeling they put ballast in the case or something to make it feel more substantial!)

It's an outstanding radio, though -- very powerful, especially on the shortwave bands, and with a big booming sound. I've lost the AC adaptor, and it has a weird proprietary jack that I've never found a match for, so I have to run it off batteries (9 D-cells!).

The first radio I ever owned -- a present given to me when I had my tonsils out in 1967 -- was a little blue Motorola pocket transistor. I kept it for years before losing it in a move, and I've been trying ever since to find one exactly like it...

 

[Sefton]

I've got a little red Magnavox that has a leather case and carrying strap. Works great too. I've seen some really beautiful ones out there. I have to repeat to myself now: I don't need to start another collection...I can't afford to collect transistor radios...

 

[Harp]

TransAM

Use to carry a transistor radio. Smuggled a radio into basic
training at Ft Polk, LA, which was verboten. I could take my pocket
radio out at night, raise the antenna, and pick up music from states
bordering Louisiana, and occasionally catching Chicago's flamethrower,
WCFL and its sister station, WLS.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I found an odd ball very small, early transistor Zenith that uses a pair of tiny strange batteries that I have to track down. (hopefully someone still makes them)

I don't even want to get into the portable tube Emerson I found that uses obsolete batteries. (Drat!)

 

[Lincsong]

I forgot I started this thread.:eusa_doh: Anyway, I don't have any. But I've seen some of the first Sony's that came out.

 

[John in Covina]

Radio! Zenith

Seems funny, that having a radio was a big deal as a kid. We had some pocket sized radios and some larger shoe box sized portibles thru the years.

I was always amazed by the night time AM radio bounce and how you could get in some faraway stations. but we usually listen to the local AM rock station and heard:

Murray the K and his Swinging Swarray

"National Shoes Rings the Bell"

"Don the snake Prundome, Jungle Jim Lieberman!
Raceway park, Englishtown, New Jersey!"

On long rides home from visiting relatives or friends we'd listen on the car radio to Jean Sheppard (A Christmas Story writer) spin tales of Flick and Schwartz!

 

[Quigley Brown]

It could almost pass as a retro styled iPod...

 

[jamespowers]

It could almost pass as a retro styled iPod...

You definitely have a point there. I never thought of it that way.
I must have a dozen of the things around. I'll see if I can get pictures.

Regards,

J

 

[Lincsong]

It could almost pass as a retro styled iPod...

Well, you just gave Apple a new marketing idea.