Little 70s Transistor Radio - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Wage Slave · 15th Oct 2011, 5:41 am

No great shakes this one but I thought I would garner comments as there is so much knowledge on here. I picked up this little transistor radio for a few quid in a market in the Holloway Road, North London sometime in the late nineties.

No maker's name but I assume from the design early to mid seventies and made in Hong Kong for the UK market. 5 silicon (I think) transistors and 3V.

It is actually fairly sensitive and lively - although the words tinny sound don't do it justice. Anyway, it lives in the earthquake emergency bag we all keep at the foot of the stairs. It might, one day, actually see service again but I hope not.

michamoo · 15th Oct 2011, 12:56 pm

To me the styling shouts mid 80s to me. If I had seen it I would have to have bought it too. I like it.

Wage Slave · 15th Oct 2011, 1:12 pm

Hmmm. Maybe you are right. Those caps look a bit too modern for the 70s or ....?

paulsherwin · 15th Oct 2011, 1:20 pm

Cheap AM radios like this were sold throughout the 80s and early 90s. They were popular in London because the lack of LW coverage wasn't important there. They must have been one of the last radios made without FM coverage and using discrete transistors.

Wage Slave · 15th Oct 2011, 3:13 pm

Right, 80s then. Thanks.

'LIVEWIRE?' · 15th Oct 2011, 5:59 pm

The styling may be 80s, but the design appears to be 60s - discrete transistors with
A.F. Driver and O/P Transformers!

Hybrid tellies · 15th Oct 2011, 7:29 pm

I know some of the smaller radios were still built with discrete components in the 1980's and presumably into the 1990's. Some of these were from well known stables such as Hitachi so I would imagine that those cheaper small radios from less well known brandes would have continued to use discrete components well into the 1990's.

Phil G4SPZ · 15th Oct 2011, 10:34 pm

Apart from the transistor packaging, this PCB and components in this radio is very similar to my first trannie, purchased in about 1965. I would date yours to the late 60s to early 70s. The plastic case and battery compartment have stood up very well to the passage of time.

paulsherwin · 16th Oct 2011, 1:15 am

No, it's much later than that. Hong Kong / Taiwan manufacturers used a driver/output transformer design until production switched to mainland China in the 90s. Presumably they could source the transformers at dirt cheap prices, so didn't bother moving to transformerless amps.

Wage Slave · 16th Oct 2011, 3:15 am

The main reason I thought it was more likely early seventies is that powder blue case colour. That blue was popular in the mid sixties to early seventies. You see it quite often in contemporary tableware and quite commonly in bathroom suites. If it were eighties I would expect it to be black with perhaps red and/or chrome trim. It would need a bit more flash to look really eighties.

The main lettering could be either period - That sort of graphic font was popular in both. The tuning dial looks a bit more eighties to me somehow though.

What about the electrolytic capacitors? Aren't they a bit modern for the late sixties/early seventies?

Station X · 16th Oct 2011, 8:20 am

I looked up the design number on the Intellectual Property Office website:-

Quote:

REGISTER ENTRY FOR DESIGN NUMBER 1036762

Date of Application. 17th September 1986

Date as of which design registered 17th September 1986

Certificate of registration issued 27th February 1987

Design Expired 17th September 1991

Product in respect of which design registered:
'a radio '

Design has not been classified

Name(s) and Address(es) of Proprietor(s):
ADP NUMBER: 00007344001

Win-Technic Electronics Factory Ltd
Unit C
11th Floor
Tai Chi Factory Building
27 Kok Cheung Street
Taikoktsui
Kowloon
HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMN REGION OF PEOPLES REP CHINA

Wage Slave · 16th Oct 2011, 9:21 am

Well that settles that then. Many thanks. It's good to have solid information on the set. I tried googling the number without success at one point.

Stuart R · 16th Oct 2011, 9:33 am

Hello!

Here are my thoughts, but maybe completely wrong.

My Mum was an Avon Lady in the 80's, selling cosmetics and gifts door to door. This looks just the sort of thing they would put in their gift catalogue. Maybe the pastel shades, upward facing headphone jack and belt clip made it look like a Walkman and would therefore encourage some orders. Can imagine a degree of disappointment on Christmas morning when you find that Granny's present won't play your carefully recorded compilation cassettes(!)

Cannot find any interweb evidence to back this up. I have a bottle-shaped Avon "Skin so soft" radio which is clearly marked Avon on the battery case and is a USA design.

This could have appeared in any gift catalogue or on any market stall in the 90s, but surely these would not be UK registered designs? The text "Tuning" is in a font that looks very similar to a "Fortune" branded 3 band radio I bought from our local indoor market in the 90s -which is still working.

Regards,

Stuart.

15th Oct 2011, 5:41 am	#1
Wage Slave Hexode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tsu, Japan. Posts: 452	Little 70s Transistor Radio No great shakes this one but I thought I would garner comments as there is so much knowledge on here. I picked up this little transistor radio for a few quid in a market in the Holloway Road, North London sometime in the late nineties. No maker's name but I assume from the design early to mid seventies and made in Hong Kong for the UK market. 5 silicon (I think) transistors and 3V. It is actually fairly sensitive and lively - although the words tinny sound don't do it justice. Anyway, it lives in the earthquake emergency bag we all keep at the foot of the stairs. It might, one day, actually see service again but I hope not. Attached Thumbnails

15th Oct 2011, 12:56 pm	#2
michamoo Hexode Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK. Posts: 469	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio To me the styling shouts mid 80s to me. If I had seen it I would have to have bought it too. I like it. __________________ If smoking is so bad for you, how come it cures kippers?

15th Oct 2011, 1:12 pm	#3
Wage Slave Hexode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tsu, Japan. Posts: 452	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio Hmmm. Maybe you are right. Those caps look a bit too modern for the 70s or ....?

15th Oct 2011, 1:20 pm	#4
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,969	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio Cheap AM radios like this were sold throughout the 80s and early 90s. They were popular in London because the lack of LW coverage wasn't important there. They must have been one of the last radios made without FM coverage and using discrete transistors.

15th Oct 2011, 3:13 pm	#5
Wage Slave Hexode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tsu, Japan. Posts: 452	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio Right, 80s then. Thanks.

15th Oct 2011, 5:59 pm	#6
'LIVEWIRE?' Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton) Posts: 7,306	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio The styling may be 80s, but the design appears to be 60s - discrete transistors with A.F. Driver and O/P Transformers!

15th Oct 2011, 7:29 pm	#7
Hybrid tellies Nonode Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area. Posts: 2,967	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio I know some of the smaller radios were still built with discrete components in the 1980's and presumably into the 1990's. Some of these were from well known stables such as Hitachi so I would imagine that those cheaper small radios from less well known brandes would have continued to use discrete components well into the 1990's. __________________ Simon BVWS member

15th Oct 2011, 10:34 pm	#8
Phil G4SPZ Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 4,748	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio Apart from the transistor packaging, this PCB and components in this radio is very similar to my first trannie, purchased in about 1965. I would date yours to the late 60s to early 70s. The plastic case and battery compartment have stood up very well to the passage of time. __________________ Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts

16th Oct 2011, 1:15 am	#9
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,969	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio No, it's much later than that. Hong Kong / Taiwan manufacturers used a driver/output transformer design until production switched to mainland China in the 90s. Presumably they could source the transformers at dirt cheap prices, so didn't bother moving to transformerless amps.

16th Oct 2011, 3:15 am	#10
Wage Slave Hexode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tsu, Japan. Posts: 452	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio The main reason I thought it was more likely early seventies is that powder blue case colour. That blue was popular in the mid sixties to early seventies. You see it quite often in contemporary tableware and quite commonly in bathroom suites. If it were eighties I would expect it to be black with perhaps red and/or chrome trim. It would need a bit more flash to look really eighties. The main lettering could be either period - That sort of graphic font was popular in both. The tuning dial looks a bit more eighties to me somehow though. What about the electrolytic capacitors? Aren't they a bit modern for the late sixties/early seventies?

16th Oct 2011, 9:21 am	#12
Wage Slave Hexode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tsu, Japan. Posts: 452	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio Well that settles that then. Many thanks. It's good to have solid information on the set. I tried googling the number without success at one point.

16th Oct 2011, 9:33 am	#13
Stuart R Heptode Join Date: May 2011 Location: Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 693	Re: Little 70s Transistor Radio Hello! Here are my thoughts, but maybe completely wrong. My Mum was an Avon Lady in the 80's, selling cosmetics and gifts door to door. This looks just the sort of thing they would put in their gift catalogue. Maybe the pastel shades, upward facing headphone jack and belt clip made it look like a Walkman and would therefore encourage some orders. Can imagine a degree of disappointment on Christmas morning when you find that Granny's present won't play your carefully recorded compilation cassettes(!) Cannot find any interweb evidence to back this up. I have a bottle-shaped Avon "Skin so soft" radio which is clearly marked Avon on the battery case and is a USA design. This could have appeared in any gift catalogue or on any market stall in the 90s, but surely these would not be UK registered designs? The text "Tuning" is in a font that looks very similar to a "Fortune" branded 3 band radio I bought from our local indoor market in the 90s -which is still working. Regards, Stuart.