I have the utmost respect for Jeri Ellsworth. She once turned a Commodore 64 into an electric guitar, using its original sound chip, AND played it while roller-skating.
I had a similar radio as a kid. I always marveled at how the assembly people could stuff all the parts unerringly into that unmarked phenolic board, with traces so fragile you had to be very very careful with your soldering iron or risk lifting a bunch of them off the board.
Wow, very nice. Made just 5 months after I was born (late July '62). It, like me, is in pretty good shape! I will have to find one like it. Thanks for sharing it with us!
It's amazing to think that the first simple primitive point contact transistor was made in 1948 and in 1962 you have a mass produced AM FM radio. Noticed all PNP and likely Germanium.
Speaking of smell, my brother cleaned up an old tube amplifier my dad had from the 1960's. It had a brown grill that covered 5 sides over the actual board that housed all the tubes. That thing gathered so much dust, you could barely see the orange filaments glowing through. But that thing had a smell alright. I think it was dust, lint, and probably a few dead skin cells all lay on to of those tubes.
Feel better! Your radio made me think that we can trace the layout of its PCB back to the crazy layouts of old tube (valve) circuits: flip over the chassis and you see a tangle of passives, boj, tape, and giant blobs of solder. Your radio's board is just a flattened version of what came in the prior generation.
I hope you can do a video about how this radio worked in a little more detail... I like clever electronic tricks. It was cool to see a 1962 transistor radio... wow really cramped.
This one is looks cool. The first stage is mixer oscilator for FM, second is switched from mixer oscilator for AM, and then they split for AM and FM then emerge at common audio section. AM houses bunch of IF amps and diode detector, FM an IF and slope detector. Audio section realy shows the age of this radio a clas AB or even clas B transformer amp. And to make things older isnstead of using diode to set bias of two final transistors it uses a divider and ptc.
Beautiful - brings back memories of my youth :) I remember that the various manufacturers had a "transistor war" in those days - the more transistors the better!
When I was 9 or 10 (mid-60s) my parents bought me a small transistor radio shaped like a rocket. I loved it and would love to hear if any of them still exist.
Reusing of active elements was common in valve and early transistor era. I expected you to say it had an reflex amplifier as that is most common way to reuse a transistor.
Thanks for mentioning the name. It helped me to find out what it is and learn about it. It's nice to learn about these things. Seems really clever to me to resuse parts of the circuit.
@@filipbataz6684 No, its in fact simple, you just switch off positive feedback. And it was used similar way in tube era too. You had AM mixer with ECH81 that was also used as first IF for FM, with ECC85 as FM oscillator and mixer.
One thing I remember about the mid sixty’s transistor radio sales, the radios were being sold based on the number of transistors they had. 6,9,12… Presume-ably, more = better. Certainly more = higher price. Thing was many of the transistors had no function. They were just added to boost the count.
Interestingly, I've got a small radio in 1984 as a gift that had the exact same circuit, including the two transformers at the AF out stage, but with silicon transistors.
My grandpa said when transistor radios were first coming out, all the different brands were having battles bragging about how many transistors were in the radio. Supposedly they would take bad transistors, twist the leads together and solder it into one hole doing nothing just so they could say it had more than the other model. Anyone else remember this?
It uses a 2SA70 and 2SA71 germanium transistor in the circuit.. These are similar to the UK Mullard AF117 series which developed internal tin whisker short circuits. Had a 2SA70 in an early Sony TV do the same thing!
In 1962, I'm not even sure how much there was on FM. Lots of simulcasts of AM stations I know that much. I wonder if those took advantage of the high fidelity.
One wire running over a switch.... 120 people come to work on a monday morning, and under boxes of parts, 6 types of transistors, 41 different resistors, 23 different caps, screws, 13 sorts of transformers, and more stuff, tens of bundles of pre-cut and pre-soldered wires are delivered to the benches, about 7 colours and 12 different length. Suddenly one worker shouts around if any one has found a bunch of 13 cm wire, it was not delivered at his or her workplace... "No", "No", "Not here", "Not her either...". What shall we do for today, send 120 workers back home, or take that bundle of 12 cm that lies in the corner for months ?
Probably there was a plastic holder for 6 AAA batteries that had snaps on it for the 9V connector. At some pt it was ruined by battery leakage and tossed.
Jeri definitely had some units that still had their 6x AA holders in them, so I am pretty certain that mine is missing its battery holder. I have also seen pictures of units with 4x AA battery holders, as well as 6V schematics.
Please bring it to NASA equipment: these old AM radios are so good at intuitively snooping fields and frequencies and dare I say making sound art of them….
I'd listen to AM/FM radio a lot more but the amount of ads from US stations is 100% repellent. If I do listen it tends to be DX stations. I think I'll snap up a 9 transistor from eBay too for the vintage props.
![ROSÉ(로제) - APT. (Band VER.) (With. 이영지) [더 시즌즈-이영지의 레인보우] | KBS 241129 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IW8qaemx74g/mqdefault.jpg)
I have the utmost respect for Jeri Ellsworth. She once turned a Commodore 64 into an electric guitar, using its original sound chip, AND played it while roller-skating.
Bass, to be precise - but yeah, she's THE one. Not to mention making her own integrated circuits, akin to Sam Zeloof... hats off to her for that!
Wasn't that the chick that got fired from Valve? Rings a bell.
@@FrozenHaxor yes, she did work there - and later on she founded Tilt Five.
I had a similar radio as a kid. I always marveled at how the assembly people could stuff all the parts unerringly into that unmarked phenolic board, with traces so fragile you had to be very very careful with your soldering iron or risk lifting a bunch of them off the board.
Or dissolving said traces with the solder after the third rework or so, very thin copper layer
@ 2:03 - this was originally done by Texas Instruments and IDEA in 1954 with their Regency TR-1 transistor radio.
Wow, very nice. Made just 5 months after I was born (late July '62). It, like me, is in pretty good shape! I will have to find one like it. Thanks for sharing it with us!
It's amazing to think that the first simple primitive point contact transistor was made in 1948 and in 1962 you have a mass produced AM FM radio. Noticed all PNP and likely Germanium.
Search for "Much Ado About (Almost) Nothing"
You're welcome.
“Stay tuned”, nice timing :)
I can still smell it....
Speaking of smell, my brother cleaned up an old tube amplifier my dad had from the 1960's. It had a brown grill that covered 5 sides over the actual board that housed all the tubes. That thing gathered so much dust, you could barely see the orange filaments glowing through. But that thing had a smell alright. I think it was dust, lint, and probably a few dead skin cells all lay on to of those tubes.
Feel better! Your radio made me think that we can trace the layout of its PCB back to the crazy layouts of old tube (valve) circuits: flip over the chassis and you see a tangle of passives, boj, tape, and giant blobs of solder. Your radio's board is just a flattened version of what came in the prior generation.
Wow a blast from the past, hi-tech AM and FM. My 8th grade graduation present in 1961 was a Motorola 6-transistor AM only radio.
Shango066 has one of the most entertaining RUclips channels where he resurrects all sorts of radios like this as well as the old CRT types of TVs.
I hope you can do a video about how this radio worked in a little more detail... I like clever electronic tricks. It was cool to see a 1962 transistor radio... wow really cramped.
This one is looks cool.
The first stage is mixer oscilator for FM, second is switched from mixer oscilator for AM, and then they split for AM and FM then emerge at common audio section.
AM houses bunch of IF amps and diode detector, FM an IF and slope detector.
Audio section realy shows the age of this radio a clas AB or even clas B transformer amp. And to make things older isnstead of using diode to set bias of two final transistors it uses a divider and ptc.
I didn't notice that tr4 and tr5 are IF for both AM and FM, just have different filter for each.
Interesting that the label shows it taking 6 1.5V batteries. It probably won't run that long on the 9V block, which might be a modification.
Yes I remember a similar one we had, the clip would actually connect to a battery holder for 6 AAs.
@@sonic2000gr You can still buy these holders for (4 or) 6 AA, with the 9V clip.
It is running on six 1.5 volts. They're just hidden inside the 9V can.
@@Muonium1 yes, but *tiny* ones.
@@Muonium1 Strictly speaking... yes.
Beautiful! I love transistor radios, too. And I was also created in December, 1962.
Beautiful - brings back memories of my youth :) I remember that the various manufacturers had a "transistor war" in those days - the more transistors the better!
This video needs a collab with 'shango066'.
was thinking exactly the same!
tottaly right!
he is legend
His goal is resurrection, not restoration.
@@erikdenhouter I know that. However, Marc has been able to get older tech running again, so that qualifies.
When I was 9 or 10 (mid-60s) my parents bought me a small transistor radio shaped like a rocket. I loved it and would love to hear if any of them still exist.
Reusing of active elements was common in valve and early transistor era. I expected you to say it had an reflex amplifier as that is most common way to reuse a transistor.
Thanks for mentioning the name. It helped me to find out what it is and learn about it.
It's nice to learn about these things. Seems really clever to me to resuse parts of the circuit.
This one arguably cooler. As it is more dificutlt to convert mixer oscilator to straight amplifier.
I didn't notice this in tr4 and tr5 they are both IF amps for FM and AM just have diferent filters for each.
@@filipbataz6684 No, its in fact simple, you just switch off positive feedback. And it was used similar way in tube era too. You had AM mixer with ECH81 that was also used as first IF for FM, with ECC85 as FM oscillator and mixer.
One thing I remember about the mid sixty’s transistor radio sales, the radios were being sold based on the number of transistors they had. 6,9,12…
Presume-ably, more = better. Certainly more = higher price.
Thing was many of the transistors had no function. They were just added to boost the count.
Lovely looking. I see they changed what batteries it took.
Interestingly, I've got a small radio in 1984 as a gift that had the exact same circuit, including the two transformers at the AF out stage, but with silicon transistors.
My grandpa said when transistor radios were first coming out, all the different brands were having battles bragging about how many transistors were in the radio. Supposedly they would take bad transistors, twist the leads together and solder it into one hole doing nothing just so they could say it had more than the other model. Anyone else remember this?
Originality used six 1.5 volt batteries (interior sticker)?
A simple fm battery radio like this is such a nice thing to have! Easy to place anywhere and flick on when doing some chores or projects 📻
Hey now..... That's Shango066 territory you are stepping on! 😉
It uses a 2SA70 and 2SA71 germanium transistor in the circuit.. These are similar to the UK Mullard AF117 series which developed internal tin whisker short circuits. Had a 2SA70 in an early Sony TV do the same thing!
Czechoslovak Tesla in 60s made its copy of OC170 and they dont have this problem - case is different.
I expected you would fake an Japanese radio station but no usagi was included.
I love your videos.
I was expecting shango066 instead.
aw, DJ usagi would have been awesome!
we love vintage electronics. except those caps. 😁
very cool.. Jeri is too
Jeri (not Keri)! I haven't watched a video from her for a loooooooong time. Nice radio.
In 1962, I'm not even sure how much there was on FM. Lots of simulcasts of AM stations I know that much. I wonder if those took advantage of the high fidelity.
2:26 I remember when…
All electronics had a schematic printed inside. It says 1.5V batts?
Was that schematic useful?
get well soon marc :)
Nice German "Schalt-Plan" (circuit diagram) including the "Meister Ton" (master tone?)
I think Meisterton was the brand name for a copy of this on the German market.
@@benjaminhanke79 ja/yes
Oh yes! - I love that period - at least 4 of those wires are gonna break as you remove the pcb 🤣
One wire running over a switch.... 120 people come to work on a monday morning, and under boxes of parts, 6 types of transistors, 41 different resistors, 23 different caps, screws, 13 sorts of transformers, and more stuff, tens of bundles of pre-cut and pre-soldered wires are delivered to the benches, about 7 colours and 12 different length. Suddenly one worker shouts around if any one has found a bunch of 13 cm wire, it was not delivered at his or her workplace... "No", "No", "Not here", "Not her either...". What shall we do for today, send 120 workers back home, or take that bundle of 12 cm that lies in the corner for months ?
B.t.w., notice that every lead of every cap or resistor has a sleeve on...
Probably there was a plastic holder for 6 AAA batteries that had snaps on it for the 9V connector. At some pt it was ruined by battery leakage and tossed.
Jeri definitely had some units that still had their 6x AA holders in them, so I am pretty certain that mine is missing its battery holder. I have also seen pictures of units with 4x AA battery holders, as well as 6V schematics.
Marc, what is that red spherical gadget in front of Jeri at 0:15?
Very nice
I believe you geniuses did your best, but it needs Shango66's touch to peak it to the max ;)
A quick rototwerkulation works wonders😊
RF and vintage consumer electronics :)
The year and month I was born!
That is what is term short but sweet.
Please bring it to NASA equipment: these old AM radios are so good at intuitively snooping fields and frequencies and dare I say making sound art of them….
I was born that year
Me too. That radio can apply for Social Security retirement benefits in a few more months.
"...And a Japanese transistor radio." ~ (Alan Sherman's version of The 12 Days of Christmas) 😆
Wow a donwgrade project for once. Comming down to earth and giving a real world recap a try. Careful it is addictive😅
I'd listen to AM/FM radio a lot more but the amount of ads from US stations is 100% repellent. If I do listen it tends to be DX stations. I think I'll snap up a 9 transistor from eBay too for the vintage props.
nah... this has the flair of shango066
Chiếc radio ngày xưa linh kiện cồng kềnh không như bây giờ họ tích hợp vi mạch nên nhỏ gọn
You can't buy good radios anymore. The one I had as a child lasted a lifetime on a single AA battery. Now they're dead by lunchtime.
That may be a 6 volt unit not nine volts.
BUUUT ...
9 volts probably won't hurt it though, no worries.
First? By the way, hope you get better soon. 😊😊
Jeri, marry me!
"Published 21 seconds ago"
10 minutes late but whatever...