Anyone Know History of This Popular Radio?
 

The radio pictured below is a very common type seen in the Seventies and Eighties. It was the type you could by in the drugstore for five dollars and was a very simple six transistor set. I have recently purchased three of these on Ebay in new old stock condition in original boxes. They are quite often found in this condition. As vintage transistor radios go, these make great daily use sets as they are cheap, plentiful and no where near as valuable as most other models.

I've always liked the style of these sets and despite their low cost, the build quality and performance are not too bad. The cases are almost never cracked, even on the rough examples. They seem to be quite durable for daily use. Their simplicity makes them rather trouble-free. I was wondering if anyone knows any history on these sets. Specifically, who actually made them?, how long where they produced? I have seen them under many brands such as Computron, Nobility, Federal, Stewart to name a few and they all seem to be made in Hong Kong. I last saw them in stores in the early Eighties but some Ebay sellers claim to be offering some from as far back as the Sixties.

Do any of you have these sets and what do you think of them? Do you consider them real collectibles or just junk?

Panasonic even had them. If you open up many of the cheap transistor radios of the '60s, '70s you'll see this same chassis. It was the Model T of pocket radio chassis at the time. I think I have a couple in a junk pile.

These were obviously produced for custom branding as the brand name always appears on the brushed aluminum trim plate and not on the case itself. They must have stacked them up in the factory without the badges and when an order came in for a certain quantity under a particular brand they would custom order the badge and just stick it on the required number of sets.

The Panasonic set looks similar but has a chrome trim piece on the side.

You are right about this chassis being the Model T of pocket radios. I've seen this chassis in sets with different case styles. The military looking pocket radios from the Seventies used it.

The original to this was the Panasonic R-1077 from 1966 as shown in the link below, with many later variations from the company. The tuning wheel was on the right, and had an approximately 2:1 ratio for the moving dial with stationary pointer on the left.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/att...2&d=1171583601
Tom

I had a little radio like that years ago, branded "Precor" IIRC. Don't remember where I bought it, though; probably at a discount store, as I didn't pay that much for it. Did not realize, however, that it was a rebadged Panasonic.

Why would this be the "Model T" of portable radios? :scratch2: The circuit was probably the same as any other pocket portable of its time (unless it had fewer than six transistors). Not high-fidelity or a DX machine by any means but I'm sure these must have been a favorite of kids and teenagers, judging by their popularity when they were new.

IIRC, Jeff, Panasonic's exterior case had quite a few factory variations over the next 5-6 years after it was introduced, and then other companies simply appropriated the basic design for themselves. Taller, longer, shorter, etc., but all obviously derived from the original black and brushed chrome panels and their locations. The Panasonics were all made in Japan, other makers usually Hong Kong.
Tom