Remembering my 1st transistor radio when I was young. I was amazed that I could walk out in a picked soy bean field as far as I wanted and did not have to drag a extension cord with me. Like magic!
The Raytheon tubes boxes say "Newton, Mass." on their bottoms. When I was young, I had a friend, who lived there. And his mother worked for Raytheon, makin' components for the Patriot missiles.
What I'd give for an all transistor high fi sounding radio. My dad had a Panasonic RF 2200 super-heterodyne all transistor from 1978. The sound was warm, clear and punchy.
In 1978 I got a $40 AM/FM radio with dual cassettes so I could make copies. I think it was made by GE. Nothing sexy about it, but it was damn reliable. That thing was cool, wish I still had it.
I bet the vacuum tube radios got hot and needed frequent tube replacements. My dad was VERY enthusiastic about his transistor radio in the early sixties. Back then, people still called them “transistor radios”, which implied the radio was new, high-tech, and small. I think the mid-sixties were when people started equating “small” with “modern”.
These radios are so cute! They probably didn't bother to change the battery power and used the same batteries as in a tube unit, aka the mighty 💪"D" cells. We have room to spare, let's use it 🙂 No wonder the radio could last a year.
And now we have "AAA" they are NOT significantly smaller that "AA" but last for way less... I have a remote that COULD use "AA", but use "AAA". Ugh. Not a fan of "AAA" if you cant tell. LOL. "D" cells are the MONSTERS of the 1.5 volt cell world, "C"s are "OK" and "AA"s are fine for small shit. But "AAA" make me unreasonably angry, LOL.
I'm sure you've heard it before but if people didn't spend the money on the early technology with its premium price it would take a lot longer for the price to come down for the mass market.
My mother had the EXACT Westinghouse tube radio shown (Specifically the model 372P4, Red and silver.) I KNOW this as she gave it to me in 1970 as my first radio! (I was 8!) Being from Pittsburgh, Buying Westinghouse was up there with buying Heinz! And YES, I had the AC adapter, I could NEVER "feed" her with batteries as a kid. You can be SURE! LOL. My god, I'm getting old!
@@jamesslick4790 Sorry for your loss. My dad died 4 years before my current age, but my mom lived to 93. Still, there's a growing sense of urgency over doing enjoyable things.
@@jamesslick4790 My former (rowdy and boisterous) father in law told the story of his aging as follows: "Everyone said I wouldn't make it to 50 when I was 40. Here I am at 60. I screwed them all out of 10 years!"
Except for the red and black, why all the bland color schemes? Did they think it would look more like a child’s toy if it were more brightly colored? Was Raytheon the same maker as Ray-O-Vac?
Well, we talk about color in a video on this channel. I think it's called "Color Phobia In America" or some such title. Brightly colored things for kids is irrational (but common), if you think about it. They "need" things to be brightly colored in the same way they "need" everything to be loud. They don't. What purpose is it if not desensitization? I certainly agree that there were a lot of bland color schemes back then. Just like today. Look over any parking lot. We think of the '50s as all pink and turquoise but it wasn't. Most of it was as dull as today. The majority of radios in my collection from the '50s and '60s are in bland and/or colorfree colors, mostly black or white. So it follows that even though we like to imagine otherwise, that's what people (mostly) bought.
@@collectornet Have you ever watched the RETRO RADIO channel on UA-cam? They show a lot of brightly and weirdly colored clock radios. There is no commentary like your channel, it’s usually just 60 second visual overviews of the old radios, but the colors and even more, the NAMES of the colors are fantastic.
Thanks for that. I could not find a "retro radio" channel that meets your description, but I think I get your point. Collectors tend to favor the colorful and exotic from a bygone era. Just look at any car show of old, classic vehicles. The group of them--as a group--is a far more colorful assemblage than you'd find in an actual 1950s parking lot outside the A&P. This is why movie art directors have such a hard time sourcing authentic vehicles for old street scenes--so many of the old vehicles have been repainted and dolled-up and are no longer what they once were. We all love looking at those great style outliers (cars, radios, or whatnot) and collecting them when we can find them. If you've seen my video on color, you know I am very critical of the corporate timidity that gave us the bland color schemes you decry. I do this from a design standpoint. I also see things from a history standpoint--and from that perspective I remind myself that the colorful and exotic was never the rule, but the exception.
Remembering my 1st transistor radio when I was young. I was amazed that I could walk out in a picked soy bean field as far as I wanted and did not have to drag a extension cord with me. Like magic!
Great channel, love old transistor radios, I've probably got around 100, mostly European, mainly 60s and 70s with a few from the early 80s.
Cool radio, great story. Always enjoyable to watch.
A GREAT SHORT VERY ENJOYABLE HISTORY...SPACEAGE TECHNOLOGY...IN A WOOD & LEATHER...BOX...YEAP!!!!...LOVE THAT PART...THANK U FOR SHARING👍👍👍🙂🙂🙂
The Raytheon tubes boxes say "Newton, Mass." on their bottoms. When I was young, I had a friend, who lived there. And his mother worked for Raytheon, makin' components for the Patriot missiles.
Raytheon. The company that gave us the Amana Radarange microwave oven.
And that's a whole cool story itself! Percy Spencer is an inspiration to those who was able to find inspiration in...WTF?!? Mark of a TRUE genius!
Neat radios I like the earlier minimalist designs. That early all transistor in the box has got to be quite the find!
What I'd give for an all transistor high fi sounding radio. My dad had a Panasonic RF 2200 super-heterodyne all transistor from 1978. The sound was warm, clear and punchy.
In 1978 I got a $40 AM/FM radio with dual cassettes so I could make copies. I think it was made by GE. Nothing sexy about it, but it was damn reliable. That thing was cool, wish I still had it.
I bet the vacuum tube radios got hot and needed frequent tube replacements. My dad was VERY enthusiastic about his transistor radio in the early sixties. Back then, people still called them “transistor radios”, which implied the radio was new, high-tech, and small. I think the mid-sixties were when people started equating “small” with “modern”.
"Jensen" speaker in a POCKET radio, NOT BAD!!!
$79 back then is about $800 equivalent today. Pretty high tech compared to anything with tubes.
These radios are so cute!
They probably didn't bother to change the battery power and used the same batteries as in a tube unit, aka the mighty 💪"D" cells. We have room to spare, let's use it 🙂
No wonder the radio could last a year.
And now we have "AAA" they are NOT significantly smaller that "AA" but last for way less... I have a remote that COULD use "AA", but use "AAA". Ugh. Not a fan of "AAA" if you cant tell. LOL. "D" cells are the MONSTERS of the 1.5 volt cell world, "C"s are "OK" and "AA"s are fine for small shit. But "AAA" make me unreasonably angry, LOL.
PS it's a "nerd" world where I can go off on cell sizes. I love it!
What about AAAA batteries.
Raytheon is in my home town, Wang Laboratories was also there. We used to make things that made people's lives better, now we just make death.
That's what Liberals and Democrats do.
Cool review! You are right, that radio is trashed!
I'm sure you've heard it before but if people didn't spend the money on the early technology with its premium price it would take a lot longer for the price to come down for the mass market.
My mother had the EXACT Westinghouse tube radio shown (Specifically the model 372P4, Red and silver.) I KNOW this as she gave it to me in 1970 as my first radio! (I was 8!) Being from Pittsburgh, Buying Westinghouse was up there with buying Heinz! And YES, I had the AC adapter, I could NEVER "feed" her with batteries as a kid. You can be SURE! LOL. My god, I'm getting old!
Wait 15 years to be where I am now.
@@joewoodchuck3824 I'm not sure if I'll make it to 77, But good on ya for being around for making it. Sadly my mum only made it to 50.
@@jamesslick4790 Sorry for your loss. My dad died 4 years before my current age, but my mom lived to 93. Still, there's a growing sense of urgency over doing enjoyable things.
@@joewoodchuck3824 Yes, Yes there is! 👍👍
@@jamesslick4790 My former (rowdy and boisterous) father in law told the story of his aging as follows: "Everyone said I wouldn't make it to 50 when I was 40. Here I am at 60. I screwed them all out of 10 years!"
you are showing the 7tp not 8tp . This is the 7 transistor version , much less sensitive. I have the same but in red-black
That explains the empty spot between the IF cans.
TT.
Except for the red and black, why all the bland color schemes? Did they think it would look more like a child’s toy if it were more brightly colored? Was Raytheon the same maker as Ray-O-Vac?
no
@@totallysmooth1203Sir, yes, sir!
Well, we talk about color in a video on this channel. I think it's called "Color Phobia In America" or some such title. Brightly colored things for kids is irrational (but common), if you think about it. They "need" things to be brightly colored in the same way they "need" everything to be loud. They don't. What purpose is it if not desensitization? I certainly agree that there were a lot of bland color schemes back then. Just like today. Look over any parking lot. We think of the '50s as all pink and turquoise but it wasn't. Most of it was as dull as today. The majority of radios in my collection from the '50s and '60s are in bland and/or colorfree colors, mostly black or white. So it follows that even though we like to imagine otherwise, that's what people (mostly) bought.
@@collectornet Have you ever watched the RETRO RADIO channel on UA-cam? They show a lot of brightly and weirdly colored clock radios. There is no commentary like your channel, it’s usually just 60 second visual overviews of the old radios, but the colors and even more, the NAMES of the colors are fantastic.
Thanks for that. I could not find a "retro radio" channel that meets your description, but I think I get your point. Collectors tend to favor the colorful and exotic from a bygone era. Just look at any car show of old, classic vehicles. The group of them--as a group--is a far more colorful assemblage than you'd find in an actual 1950s parking lot outside the A&P. This is why movie art directors have such a hard time sourcing authentic vehicles for old street scenes--so many of the old vehicles have been repainted and dolled-up and are no longer what they once were. We all love looking at those great style outliers (cars, radios, or whatnot) and collecting them when we can find them. If you've seen my video on color, you know I am very critical of the corporate timidity that gave us the bland color schemes you decry. I do this from a design standpoint. I also see things from a history standpoint--and from that perspective I remind myself that the colorful and exotic was never the rule, but the exception.