Two historical short videos on transistors. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

David G4EBT · 23rd May 2022, 6:29 pm

Two historic videos which might be of interest.

First video ‘Assembling Transistor Radios 1955’

To quote the intro:

‘The folks at Texas Instruments, with the help of Indianapolis, Indiana manufacturer I.D.E.A launch the world’s first commercial transistorized product in October 1954. It’s the Regency TR-1 pocket radio, uses four transistors, and costs an astronomical $49.95, (that’s if dad can find one). The batteries were not included. The average after-tax American household income is less than $1,700 per-year, $33.00 per-week. Here’s a wonderful old Promo video from Regency:

It can be found down the page at this rather interesting historical website - 'Childhood Radio':

https://childhoodradio.com/radio-his...nsistors-rule/

A second video ‘The Transistor’ is a 1953 documentary made by AT&T, anticipating its coming impact of transistors on technology.

Quote:

'Made between the 1947 invention of the transistor at Bell Labs and the 1956 awarding of the Nobel Prize for Physics to its creators, this documentary is less about the discovery itself than its anticipated impact on technology and society. The intent of the film was clearly to give the public of that era their first understanding of what a transistor was and why it mattered so much. Made for a general audience, the film provides a clear and concise presentation on technological developments that began with the vacuum tube, showing different types of transistors and explaining the significance in their ultimate replacement of tubes'.

End quote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xUQWo4vN0

Hope those are of interest.

agardiner · 23rd May 2022, 7:06 pm

Thanks for posting these.

Adrian.

commie1 · 23rd May 2022, 9:55 pm

Hi David,

Yep, thanks for posting, I'm always aware of how smart mankind actually is, but the way I think of it where valves vs bjt's are concerned, mother nature fooled mankind into believing that to get electrical power gain one needed to use a valve! Fooled for at least 50 years until the debut of the bjt.

23rd May 2022, 6:29 pm	#1
David G4EBT Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 5,761	Two historical short videos on transistors. Two historic videos which might be of interest. First video ‘Assembling Transistor Radios 1955’ To quote the intro: ‘The folks at Texas Instruments, with the help of Indianapolis, Indiana manufacturer I.D.E.A launch the world’s first commercial transistorized product in October 1954. It’s the Regency TR-1 pocket radio, uses four transistors, and costs an astronomical $49.95, (that’s if dad can find one). The batteries were not included. The average after-tax American household income is less than $1,700 per-year, $33.00 per-week. Here’s a wonderful old Promo video from Regency: It can be found down the page at this rather interesting historical website - 'Childhood Radio': https://childhoodradio.com/radio-his...nsistors-rule/ A second video ‘The Transistor’ is a 1953 documentary made by AT&T, anticipating its coming impact of transistors on technology. Quote: 'Made between the 1947 invention of the transistor at Bell Labs and the 1956 awarding of the Nobel Prize for Physics to its creators, this documentary is less about the discovery itself than its anticipated impact on technology and society. The intent of the film was clearly to give the public of that era their first understanding of what a transistor was and why it mattered so much. Made for a general audience, the film provides a clear and concise presentation on technological developments that began with the vacuum tube, showing different types of transistors and explaining the significance in their ultimate replacement of tubes'. End quote. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xUQWo4vN0 Hope those are of interest. __________________ David. BVWS Member. G-QRP Club member 1339.

23rd May 2022, 7:06 pm	#2
agardiner Octode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Thetford, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 1,741	Re: Two historical short videos on transistors. Thanks for posting these. Adrian.

23rd May 2022, 9:55 pm	#3
commie1 Triode Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Buckley, Clwyd, Wales, UK. Posts: 32	Re: Two historical short videos on transistors. Hi David, Yep, thanks for posting, I'm always aware of how smart mankind actually is, but the way I think of it where valves vs bjt's are concerned, mother nature fooled mankind into believing that to get electrical power gain one needed to use a valve! Fooled for at least 50 years until the debut of the bjt.