my new GE transistor radio

[ferninando]

here is a pic of the back of the GE 8 transistor radio I bought.
Does that square thing in the center look like the ;;vane'' speaker?

[Ed in Tx]

Here's a side view of one of those, in a larger early '60s vintage GE portable radio I have. Actually sounds pretty good, being in a larger cabinet.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by ferninando

here is a pic of the back of the GE 8 transistor radio I bought.
Does that square thing in the center look like the ;;vane'' speaker?

That's it, alright. I didn't think, the radio was that old but in perfect condition. The Texas Instrument transistors have a code date from 1965.
Two penlite cells is a lot better than using a nine volt battery.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

...
Two penlite cells is a lot better than using a nine volt battery.

Kinda forgotten the term "penlight cell". Mine uses a big #266 9V battery. Not a cheap battery even in 1961 when I got this radio for my 10th birthday. I think the radio cost 8 books of Plaid Stamps. (A&P grocery stores used to give out Plaid Stamps.) I have an old 266 that I hollowed out to put a conventional 9V battery inside.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Kinda forgotten the term "penlight cell". Mine uses a big #266 9V battery. Not a cheap battery even in 1961 when I got this radio for my 10th birthday. I think the radio cost 8 books of Plaid Stamps. (A&P grocery stores used to give out Plaid Stamps.) I have an old 266 that I hollowed out to put a conventional 9V battery inside.

I should've used the term, "are a lot better".
The last of the #266 batteries used two 216/006P batteries in parallel.
I don't remember any batteries being really "cheap", with the exception of flashlite batteries. Even the better quality import batteries, Maxcell etc, were pricey.

[ferninando]

OK then. thanks to you both.
will see how it sounds.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by ferninando

here is a pic of the back of the GE 8 transistor radio I bought.
Does that square thing in the center look like the ;;vane'' speaker?

For sure that is one!

Last night, for grins I did a side by side comparision of the sound from a tiny GE P1711C and a similar sized Sony TR-63 (which has a PM speaker), and, indeed the Sony had more lower end and sounded better, but the difference was not huge. Both radios had that tinny early pocket transistor radio sound but the Sony really sounded better on musical programs, while the GE was somewhat more clear on sports programs.

Dieseljeep... how do you read the date code of the TI transistors? I have several radios that could be dated by this method.

Attached is a photo of one of my GE sets... the "pushrod" from the vane is soldered to an eyelet in the center of the speaker. one coil can be seen above the driver transformer and there is another coil on the other side.

jr

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

For sure that is one!

Last night, for grins I did a side by side comparision of the sound from a tiny GE P1711C and a similar sized Sony TR-63 (which has a PM speaker), and, indeed the Sony had more lower end and sounded better, but the difference was not huge. Both radios had that tinny early pocket transistor radio sound but the Sony really sounded better on musical programs, while the GE was somewhat more clear on sports programs.

Dieseljeep... how do you read the date code of the TI transistors? I have several radios that could be dated by this method.

Attached is a photo of one of my GE sets... the "pushrod" from the vane is soldered to an eyelet in the center of the speaker. one coil can be seen above the driver transformer and there is another coil on the other side.

jr

The TI transistors have a 514 or a 510 stamped under the GE part numbers. Also, the style of the transistor case, which is 60's issue. They seem to be Germanium types. Not always true on some of the import parts. They coded their components differently.

[ferninando]

maybe better getting late 60s/-70s radioes
to be sure of getting a real speaker.
gotta keep looking .

[Celt]

Yer so vane....ewe prolly think this song is about ewe....

[old_coot88]

I have some gnus for yew.

[wa2ise]

The coil in this speaker is similar to that of a push-pull transistor output transformer primary. Lets the radio pass DC thru the speaker without a DC bias, as its voice coil is centertapped, the centertap going to the power supply.

[Electronic M]

I have an older GE with that type of speaker. It works surprisingly well for a quirky design.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I have an older GE with that type of speaker. It works surprisingly well for a quirky design.

It's just history repeating itself! Look at the real old cone speakers of the 20's. They were made before the Dynamics and used the same design.
The 2,3 and 4 tube depression sets of the early-to-mid 30's, that had a 38 or a 12A7 output tube, used them as well. Farm radios used them a lot.