Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Hybrid tellies · 21st Dec 2014, 5:05 pm

I was reading somewhere about the green credentials of 1960's transistor radios which use less power than there modern equivalents.
I have been running my circa 1972 ITT/KB Tiny Super for 3-4 hours a day on a set of batteries which I last replaced about 5 months ago and are to be replaced because the radio is starting to sound slightly distorted with the batteries measuring only 5.25v on load from the 6 x AA batteries.
I did the sums and it works out that I am getting 450 hours battery life which is very impressive by any standard. The radio is run at normal room filling volume on various stations including the weak FM signals which it copes so well with.
I think this puts to shame many of todays analogue or digital radios including the analogue radios which use a normal tuning dial rather than an LCD display.
I was just wondering if anyone else has checked the green credentials of their more vintage transistor radios that they run on a regular basis?

Reelman · 21st Dec 2014, 5:50 pm

Well hopefully more modern sets give better than the 2 hours that my Sony 2001 from 1980 gives though.
Peter

21st Dec 2014, 7:29 pm

My Tecsun PL-606 lasts for ages (still on the cheapy pair that came with it years ago) on a pair of AA cells and I have a DAB 'headphones only' set, this goes for 40 hours on ONE AA. Can't be rocket science to make an economical radio.

Mike. Watterson · 21st Dec 2014, 8:48 pm

My Sony ICF2001D has a MASSIVE battery life.

In general on headphones any Class B 1964 to 2014 is about 1/20th consumption of a typical DAB set and on speaker about 1/6th consumption.

DAB is the problem, not radio design. Also most modern sets the speaker is too small. Most DAB sets have no AM (xenophobic!) and rubbish FM compared to Tesco's cheap Kitchen Radio (€14 here).
Many mono radios today use small speaker driven by a headphone amp (thus max awkward 4.5V supply rather than better 6V = 4 x cells) in bridge.

Ergonomics is poor today too, a digital display (with only 1 or two line text if DAB), only easily usable with presets. Often no physical volume (so you can't know what car radio is set at till on).
The cheap sets often better ergonomics than expensive models.

music-centre · 21st Dec 2014, 9:52 pm

The older Transistor sets do seem to last longer on a set of batteries and keep going to a useable standard until their batteries are very nearly flat in my experience. I have a couple of 1960s Roberts RIC 1 sets in which the batteries last a very long time and when they do get low just a bit less volume and a bit more distortion but you can use them until the batteries are very low.
Admittedly they use the large PP9 which are more expensive now but still give very good value I think.
Steve.

Radio Wrangler · 21st Dec 2014, 11:25 pm

If you're concerned about the consumption of resources, then rechargeable batteries are much better than disposable ones, and using a radio off the mains is even better.

The difference in power taken by traditional transistor radios versus the latest 'digital' models has already been mentioned, well the difference in cost of disposable batteries and mains power is dramatically bigger.

David

emeritus · 22nd Dec 2014, 12:50 am

I still have my Bush TR104 . After it came top in a "Which" test, the name plate had "Long Player" added to it. One reason was probably that it used a much bigger battery than the PP3 generally used by the competition, but even so, it did have a low quiescent current. Mine is no longer working, probably due to the dreaded "tin whisker" syndrome. One of my "round tuit" restoration projects.

I power the 4.5V- and 6V-powered transistor radios that I use as bedside radios using 3 and 4 "D" cell battery holders fitted with short leads and power plugs to fit the radios' external power jacks. I used to have a "free" source of D cells from our family's cycle lamps before they switched to LED lamps. I did use to use a further 4 cell unit for the 4.5V radio to extract the last ounce of power from nearly exhausted batteries.

paulsherwin · 22nd Dec 2014, 1:17 am

The mods don't think this thread is going anywhere and it has already attracted grumpy posts about DAB, so we're going to close it before it goes downhill.

21st Dec 2014, 5:05 pm	#1
Hybrid tellies Nonode Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area. Posts: 2,965	Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios I was reading somewhere about the green credentials of 1960's transistor radios which use less power than there modern equivalents. I have been running my circa 1972 ITT/KB Tiny Super for 3-4 hours a day on a set of batteries which I last replaced about 5 months ago and are to be replaced because the radio is starting to sound slightly distorted with the batteries measuring only 5.25v on load from the 6 x AA batteries. I did the sums and it works out that I am getting 450 hours battery life which is very impressive by any standard. The radio is run at normal room filling volume on various stations including the weak FM signals which it copes so well with. I think this puts to shame many of todays analogue or digital radios including the analogue radios which use a normal tuning dial rather than an LCD display. I was just wondering if anyone else has checked the green credentials of their more vintage transistor radios that they run on a regular basis? __________________ Simon BVWS member

21st Dec 2014, 5:50 pm	#2
Reelman Octode Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,723	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios Well hopefully more modern sets give better than the 2 hours that my Sony 2001 from 1980 gives though. Peter

21st Dec 2014, 7:29 pm	#3
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios My Tecsun PL-606 lasts for ages (still on the cheapy pair that came with it years ago) on a pair of AA cells and I have a DAB 'headphones only' set, this goes for 40 hours on ONE AA. Can't be rocket science to make an economical radio.

21st Dec 2014, 8:48 pm	#4
Mike. Watterson Heptode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Limerick, Ireland. Posts: 901	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios My Sony ICF2001D has a MASSIVE battery life. In general on headphones any Class B 1964 to 2014 is about 1/20th consumption of a typical DAB set and on speaker about 1/6th consumption. DAB is the problem, not radio design. Also most modern sets the speaker is too small. Most DAB sets have no AM (xenophobic!) and rubbish FM compared to Tesco's cheap Kitchen Radio (€14 here). Many mono radios today use small speaker driven by a headphone amp (thus max awkward 4.5V supply rather than better 6V = 4 x cells) in bridge. Ergonomics is poor today too, a digital display (with only 1 or two line text if DAB), only easily usable with presets. Often no physical volume (so you can't know what car radio is set at till on). The cheap sets often better ergonomics than expensive models.

21st Dec 2014, 9:52 pm	#5
music-centre Heptode Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 687	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios The older Transistor sets do seem to last longer on a set of batteries and keep going to a useable standard until their batteries are very nearly flat in my experience. I have a couple of 1960s Roberts RIC 1 sets in which the batteries last a very long time and when they do get low just a bit less volume and a bit more distortion but you can use them until the batteries are very low. Admittedly they use the large PP9 which are more expensive now but still give very good value I think. Steve.

21st Dec 2014, 11:25 pm	#6
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,868	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios If you're concerned about the consumption of resources, then rechargeable batteries are much better than disposable ones, and using a radio off the mains is even better. The difference in power taken by traditional transistor radios versus the latest 'digital' models has already been mentioned, well the difference in cost of disposable batteries and mains power is dramatically bigger. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

22nd Dec 2014, 12:50 am	#7
emeritus Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 5,339	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios I still have my Bush TR104 . After it came top in a "Which" test, the name plate had "Long Player" added to it. One reason was probably that it used a much bigger battery than the PP3 generally used by the competition, but even so, it did have a low quiescent current. Mine is no longer working, probably due to the dreaded "tin whisker" syndrome. One of my "round tuit" restoration projects. I power the 4.5V- and 6V-powered transistor radios that I use as bedside radios using 3 and 4 "D" cell battery holders fitted with short leads and power plugs to fit the radios' external power jacks. I used to have a "free" source of D cells from our family's cycle lamps before they switched to LED lamps. I did use to use a further 4 cell unit for the 4.5V radio to extract the last ounce of power from nearly exhausted batteries.

22nd Dec 2014, 1:17 am	#8
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,943	Re: Eco friendly 1960's/1970'S transitor radios The mods don't think this thread is going anywhere and it has already attracted grumpy posts about DAB, so we're going to close it before it goes downhill.