Collecting transistor radios

[avro]

I haven't been able to collect for a while due to lack of space, but a new extension planned for next year has opened up the possibility of new radios as long as they are small.

Any advice on 60's personal transistors. What is worth getting and where?

[Sammyboy]

They're probably more '70s but I love the colourful Panasonic Panapet/Toot A Loop/Rolling Tone radios. They're fairly hard to come by, especially in the UK but very colourful and useable little sets! It's a Panapet ball radio in my AV btw

Costwise tend to go for between £10 & £20 each, but often come from the US so budget for around £10 postage on top.

[Steve_P]

Most are cheap, but not all. Earlier sets tend to be more reliable as the later ones have the dreaded AC11x problem.

Also, although Hacker and Roberts sets are generally considered good, you have to take the modules apart and repair them yourself. Easy enough in theory.

One is never enough...

Cheers,

Steve P.

[Darren-UK]

In a nutshell, a collector collects whatever appeals to him/her personally - end of story. What appeals to some may not appeal to others. I do not, therefore, feel that advising anybody to obtain this, that and the other radio is the right thing to do.

However, I will raise a few points which may help you narrow the field down to types:

a) Do you wants sets with VHF/FM?

b) Do you want sets which use still-obtainable batteries?

c) Do you want to avoid the AF11x nuisance?

d) Do you want quality sets, 'average' sets such as Perdio or a mix of both?

e) Are you interested in sets with 'Pirate' stations on their scales?

There's five points to ponder. If you could narrow the field using those points, or others which members may raise, then perhaps we can make a few suggestions from which you can decide what appeals. Again though, at the end of the day a collector collects whatever takes his/her fancy.

[howard]

I have loads of 1960s transistor radios. Premium models from Roberts, Hacker, Bush, Murphy and Philips are all good but have needed AF117s replaced. Other sets with no AF117s from Ekco, GEC, Ever Ready, Pye, Perdio, Defiant and Dansette have proved more reliable. Japanese transistor sets are generally small and usually work but their plasticky cases are fragile. German, Austrian and Scandinavian transistor sets are generally very good but rare and expensive. Soviet transistor radios are cheap as chips, technically excellent and usually work but are often bland looking and not at all easy to repair.

Howard

[Techman]

Now this is a rare item that you won't find very often.

And this is probably point (f) to add to the above post by Darren....totally original / as bought from the shop brand new -

What you might call a 'cheap & nasty' Perdio two band transistor radio.

As you can see, this radio was bought new in July 1969. I know for a fact that it was only used in anger up until December 1969. It may have been turned on once or twice during 1970, then, as far as I know it was packed away in its box for the next forty years, perhaps being taken out & looked at once every ten years or so.

As far as I am aware, that Vidor battery was the last one bought for it in late 1969. I've just put a DVM across it & it gave a reading of 0.5 volts, dropping away to 0.2 volts within ten seconds or so - not bad for a Vidor battery after more than 40 years!

I've just tried a new PP3 battery in it, & other than a very noisy volume control pot (to be expected), it worked perfectly on both long & medium wave bands & was very lively, pulling in dozens of stations! Don't worry, I've put the original 1969 battery back in & packed it away back in its box.

The only thing that spoils this little radio is a small chip out of the plastic case that's only noticeable really when the back cover is removed - as can be seen in the picture....BTW, it's not for sale, sorry.

[avro]

I should have been more specific. By personal I meant "pocket radios" with just MW.

I have a good Roberts/Hacker collection already, but space is at a premium.

[Techman]

That's exactly the type of radio that I've got (above), but with the added advantage of long wave!

That radio spent much of its 6 months of use in 1969 in a pocket connected to an earphone (now lost/broken?).

That's why it's called the "Popsy" - cos you can 'pop' it in your pocket

[howard]

Originally Posted by avro

........I meant "pocket radios" with just MW.

I have only one radio that fits that spec, a 1959 Sanyo ...

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sanyo_6c_156_c_1.html

If you find one in good condition don't hesitate acquiring it, mine works perfectly.

If it's MW only pocket sets then look out for American pocket radios and Japanese sets built for the American market as there is no LW in North America.

Howard

[avro]

Not on broadcast pocket radios, but LW was used for shipping in North America.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by Techman

As far as I am aware, that Vidor battery was the last one bought for it in late 1969.

Attachment 41824

Not original, then

I remember PP3s costing 2/6

[Techman]

I'm guessing not original battery, but I could be wrong. I think it would have got through a couple or three PP3s in six months of use, but it may be the one supplied for the extra 2/6 on that bill of sale.

[predoodlebug]

The smallest pocket radio ever made was the Casio RD10. Size of a credit card and ONLY 2mm thick !! Yet it has manual tuning (not a scanner). The aerial is the earphone lead. FM mono only but was followed by the RD100 which was stereo.
Very rare though.

Richard.

[geofy]

Originally Posted by Techman

Don't worry, I've put the original 1969 battery back in & packed it away back in its box.

I've put the original 1969 battery back in & packed it away back in its box.

A battery should never be left in a radio that isn't going to be used, a flat battery will leak acid and corrode the radio, and why not use the radio instead of putting in a box

I have a few radios (including a Perdio) that have original AF117's that still work fine.

[G0MEM Michael]

Perdio Popsy 2, I've come across these radios myself a few times. Didn't someone else have one of these things?
http://www.thevalvepage.com/radios/p...opsy/popsy.htm 'Cheap Hong Kong tat.'... yes that sounds about right.

[geofy]

Originally Posted by G0MEM Michael

'Cheap Hong Kong tat.'... yes that sounds about right.

Can't agree with that, I have a Benkson bought in 69, made in Hong Kong, it has a leather case, good moulded plastic cabinet and it still works fine, has Hitachi transistors and the miniature components such as RF and IF in these pocket radios are of high quality to make such things possible.

[Damo666]

Yes, Hong Kong Manufactured some excellent stuff back then.
It's the stuff that's made now that can be a tad rubbish.
I have some transceivers from 81 that are still up and running using their original components.
I'd be surprised if anything modern day will still be working in 30 years time.
Just my $2

[G0MEM Michael]

There is not much manufacturing done in HK these days. High wages and property prices have seen to that. Actual manufacturing is mostly done in the mainland now.

There was some good radios produced in HK in the 60s, often using Japanese and occasionally British transistors. I think it was the 1970s when the quality and reliability started to slide, usually dry joints, unmarked(reject) transistors and other poor quality construction.

We do see the few 30 and 40 year old HK made radios which are still working, such as the Perdio. I think there must have been millions discarded though, probably because of faults and poor quality

[Heatercathodeshort]

I'm not really a radio guy as such, love them of course, more television orientated but I have held onto a number of tiny receivers I pulled off the tip years ago. One is a Sony, another an Aero using a tiny PP5 9v battery the size of a current AAA size and the third one is a Hong Kong 'Harmony' model that my mother won in a competition in the late 60's. She had to guess the number of tea bags in a huge glass ball at the local Co-Op and managed to get it almost spot on! We had a good laugh when she presented me with her prize. As mentioned, many were incredibly horrible, distorted beyond belief and it always seemed impossible to correct the faults! Of course there were very good ones and I suppose as always it depended what you paid. J.

[Hybrid tellies]

This is one of my favourite pocket radios. Its a Philips 90alo7l/65s found it at a Wootten Bassett do a few years ago in a box of other old stuff. Its colour caught my eye. It cost me a few quid and it works really well and in excellant condition. To me its the perfect small pocket radio working well on Long and Medium waves. Both Philips and Pye made quite a few of these small 2 waveband pocket radios from the late 1960's to the early 1980's so there should be quite a few around. I put the small satsuma alongside it to give you an idea of the size.