TG&Y AM table radio
 

I'm not much into the newer radios; but, I decided to get this one because it's a TG&Y-branded set and I don't see that brand very much. I also remember going into the local TG&Y with my Mother, until it closed in the mid '90's.

This radio was made in Hong Kong and the outside looks like some Realtone models that I've seen. It's a 6-transistor set that uses a power transformer and the power switch is in the low voltage side of the transformer (the transformer is live as long as the radio is plugged in). For something that probably cost $9.99 when new, it performs fairly well.

When I was working on a lot of TV's in the '90's, I saw several TG&Y sets and most of them were made by either Sampo or NEC.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...psx4bj0lrd.jpg

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...psyznnppj4.jpg

Looks like a portable battery/AC radio circuit board. I've seen lots of these, the manufacturers must have had tons of boards meant for portables to use up.

I have an AM-FM antique cathedral "replica" radio that uses the same type of circuit board, powered by a transformer mounted to the base of the cabinet. There must have been I don't know how many tens of thousands of these boards made; most of them found their way into small radios like the one being discussed here, some were put into replica antique radio cabinets (as in my set), and so on. A friend of mine has a similar replica antique 4-mode stereo (phono, AM-FM radio, cassette and CD player), and I'll bet the radio uses the same circuit board as the TG&Y set, only the former is AM/FM.

The TG&Y set's circuit board has the usual AM radio circuit layout using IF transformers and the like, but future versions of this and the replica "antique" music systems may have the cheap "one-chip" radio. I have a "Windsor" AM-FM clock radio that I'm almost certain has a one-chip AM-FM radio, as the selectivity and selectivity are terrible (stations are crowded together on the FM radio dial) and the AM section barely works in my area, although the FM gets many (but not all) local Cleveland stations. I am over 30 miles distant from the AM and FM radio stations serving Cleveland; gutless-wonder sets like this are just barely useful in anything except suburban and urban reception areas and next to useless in small towns miles away from big-city stations. I consider myself lucky to be getting any reception at all from the Cleveland stations. A powerful FM station about eight miles from here all but drowns out a Cleveland station 1 MHz away (!), but again, blame that on the radio's very poor selectivity. Oh well, I paid under $10 for this thing at a discount store, and for that little money you just don't expect quality.

Hokutone speaker, quality stuff. They made speakers for a bunch of importers like Calrad, GC Electronics (Calectro) and Olson.

I guess TG&Y went away some years ago - I was a frequent shopper at TG&Y back in 1984/85 in Millington Tennessee. It was either there or travel into Memphis to go shopping...

Cheers,

I remember right B4 they went away they were almost GIVING AWAY El Cheapo 5" TV/AM/FM sets for $10...Or was it $5 ?

I see the set uses Fairchild transistors. I picked up an el-cheapo Am only portable with ten of those transistors. I looks like they used them for diodes, as well.
I see, they switched the center tap of the power transformer. At least, it uses full wave rectification. :scratch2:

The "77P13" on the speaker led me to believe that it's from 1977; but, someone on one of the facebook groups told me that it's more like from 1967 and the USA-made Fairchild transistors were the biggest clue.

Radio Shack had a stack of them before the analogue TV ceased. They were priced at $9.99. I thought, I'd buy one for S&G's. The salesperson mentioned their was a price change that day. $4.99. It's even a Sylvania branded one.

Actually, right after they were introduced, the TO-105 and TO-106 Fairchild transistors were produced in Hong Kong.

http://www.semi.org/en/About/P036368

Radio Shack sold an AM table radio (and a companion AM/FM model) In this exact same cabinet (though the artwork on the dial was slightly different).

I'm willing to bet the electronics inside were exactly the same.

Yep - the same. 3 IF transformers, two audio transformers. 4th is Local Oscillator Coil.....