Does anyone else collect SS AC table radios from the '60's/'70's?

[radiotvnut]

It's funny how things change concerning our collecting interest. Back when I started collecting radios, at the age of 12, in 1989; I wouldn't give a '60's/'70's solid state table radio a second look. The ones that people gave me usually ended up being junked or given to someone else. Back then, those types of radios were everywhere.

Over the last few years, I've started taking a liking to these sets (especially ones from the '60's and early '70's). Now, I find that even the solid state table radios from this time period are not showing up much and when they do show up, they are either beat to heck or they are overpriced.

This morning, I was at the fleam market and picked up a Philco-Ford AM/FM table set from '66 that was made in Taiwan for $5. It only needed it's controls cleaned and it's actually not a bad sounding radio. Here's a video I made of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loU9E8-4iU0

So, does anyone else collect this era of radios?

[maxhifi]

You started with antique radios around the same time I did. I have one RCA made in Japan clock radio from the 60s or 70s. The clock movement itself is from the US, and is a transformerless chassis. I use it in the garage. To be honest, I think collecting old radios was more fun when there was music on AM, it seems like there's less to listen to all the time, and FM is holding on only because of the car market.

[Electronic M]

I don't really collect transistor sets, but some have found their way into my hands.....mostly portables though.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by maxhifi

You started with antique radios around the same time I did. I have one RCA made in Japan clock radio from the 60s or 70s. The clock movement itself is from the US, and is a transformerless chassis. I use it in the garage. To be honest, I think collecting old radios was more fun when there was music on AM, it seems like there's less to listen to all the time, and FM is holding on only because of the car market.

Yeah, AM in my area consist of windbag talk and religious stations. We had a good music AM station up until 2005. This station had real live on the spot DJ's who played a wide variety of music. Then, the man who owned the station passed away and his son took over. It wasn't long before he started seeing dollar signs and, one day, he suddenly announced that the station was changing to a black gospel format the next morning and then he fired all the old DJ's. From what I was told, that move caused many thousands of angry listeners to call the station; but, it did no good. I talked to the original owner before he died and he was one of the rare radio station owners who was not hung on on making the most money. He had already made his money and he told me that he felt like the older music needed to be heard. Now, I suspect that they are making no more money as a black gospel station than they made when it was a real music station.

FM mostly consist of the usual automated 50 song playlist crap. The classic rock station gets their programming from a satellite feed and there are no DJ's. They brag about their "no repeat work day"; but, you'll hear the exact same songs the next day. The "classic country" station is the same way and most of the songs are from the '80's and '90's with some '60's and '70's with two or three songs from the '50's thrown in from time to time. The top 40 station is unlistenable. I remember, 20 years ago, when they had a show called "lunchtime at the oldies" where they played music from the '50's, '60's, and '70's. Now, it's called the "lunchtime buffet" and they won't play anything earlier than 1990. We had an FM oldies station; but, they have since changed formats no less than 3 times since dropping the oldies format. I can understand why they had to change the format because they were one of those stations that had a 50 song playlist and you were guaranteed to hear "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Brown Eyed Girl", and "California Dreamin" at least 5 times a day.

We do have an automated station that's owned by the local community college that plays a wide variety of pop/oldies music from the '40's through the early '90's.

In the near future, I plan to purchase an SSTRAN AM transmitter and my station will play a wide variety of oldies, classic country, standards, and OTR shows.

[DavGoodlin]

When I find an SS radio that works well, I keep it or give it to a family member as a kitchen set. They know to give it back if they no longer want it.

I was given a Zenith AM/FM AC/battery portable circa 1975 that is an excellent receiver. My parents use as a kitchen radio.

I still have my first Am-clock radio from 1970, A GE C1342 and my cousin's Zenith "circle of sound" Am-clock radio from the same era. Needless to say the GE sucks compared to the Zenith.

I found a 1966 Westinghouse AM radio and a 1968 Westinghouse AM/FM clock radio, without power transformers similar to your Philco, and both were actually made in the Metuchen, NJ factory of what appear to be domestic parts. They are both in a friend's possession.

I am using a 1953 Zenith J615 (12BA6 RF amp) at work. Not SS, but I can get two AM stations that are not either sports-talk, religious or political-talk. One plays classic country, patriotic marches and folk music (pre-1970) and is barely received, not a big profit center but likely a labor of love. The other is a true small town station that is pretty powerful, playing 60s-80s top 40 classics.

We have lost several good AM stations in central PA to corporate owners who made them sports-talk. How much of the same thing do you really need?

RTP-nut, once you get a transmitter, please post it! I would do a pirate station at work and play big-band and 50s music (though I prefer 60s-70s pop)

[magnasonic66]

I collect AM and AM/FM solid state radios, the last decent table radio I got was a Panasonic in that fine woodworking they come in, two knobs and two slide controls. Idiot in Goodwill wrote the price in magic marker on the top. I do have one of Zenith's last good table radios from the late '70s, buried in storage. Also two Zenith stereo table radios from the late '70s, one only half works. I'm pretty sure those are identical. Found the first one twenty years earlier. And four plastic Circle of Sound clock radios, my favorite of that type.

[dieseljeep]

I pick up the same type you prefer. An older couple that are friends of our family called me and asked where they could get just a radio. The ones they looked at had digital tuning, CD players etc. I gave them a Panasonic AM-FM table radio. It's solid state with a slide rule dial and a wood cabinet. I dont think they use the FM band.
Needless to say, they were very pleased.

[radiodayz]

I collect a little bit of everything. Most of the nice tabletop AM/FM SS sets I find are either Sonys or Panasonics; but I also have a Magnavox, a Motorola, an RCA and a Zenith. I'd like to find one or two less-common brands, maybe an Arvin or Westinghouse.

I can't say I'm thrilled with the direction AM/FM broadcasting is going, but we are lucky here to still have a pretty good variety of music and talk available. I rarely listen to sports talk radio except when there's an actual game on. Baseball is still great on the radio; even a boring game makes good background noise for working on something else. If you get tired tired of what's available over the air, you can always pick up one of those little FM transmitters to send music from your Ipod or CD player to your vintage AM/FM radio.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by radiodayz

If you get tired tired of what's available over the air, you can always pick up one of those little FM transmitters to send music from your Ipod or CD player to your vintage AM/FM radio.

I am real close to doing that for AM, I bet we can get something going that uses tubes and transmits without much trouble.

The FM band is getting wierd around here as the corporate giants trade stations and then simulcast their "engineered" formats. One long time Philly Rock station actually switched to a sport-talk format. Fortunately we have two Philadelphia (non-cmmercial) university stations with translators. One plays Jazz, the other classic and new indie rock.

[sedemehcra]

>I found a 1966 Westinghouse AM radio and a 1968 Westinghouse AM/FM clock >radio, without power transformers similar to your Philco, and both were >actually made in the Metuchen, NJ factory of what appear to be domestic >parts. They are both in a friend's possession.


I worked in that factory from 1965 to 1968 on the color tv line. What are the model numbers of your friend's radios?

[wa2ise]

I have a bunch, see my web page
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/ss.html
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/s80.html

and transistors
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/trp.html

[bgadow]

Originally Posted by sedemehcra

>I found a 1966 Westinghouse AM radio and a 1968 Westinghouse AM/FM clock >radio, without power transformers similar to your Philco, and both were >actually made in the Metuchen, NJ factory of what appear to be domestic >parts. They are both in a friend's possession.


I worked in that factory from 1965 to 1968 on the color tv line. What are the model numbers of your friend's radios?

Welcome to Videokarma! I know a lot of us would like to know more about the work that you did. You should start your own thread under "early color" or "rectangular".

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

I have a bunch, see my web page
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/ss.html

I had a Panasonic R-1597 - loved that radio. Bought it for 75 cents and used to DX with it a lot. In fact, it's what I listened to WWL on at night while we were evacuated for Katrina. Sadly, the roofers took off with it when I had my roof replaced in 2006.

[Adam]

I picked up this '73 GE AM/FM clock radio last year: http://videokarma.org/attachment.php...9&d=1320981547 I also have a '75 RCA 5" b/w tv / am/fm radio / clock, for which I still haven't managed to fix the clock.

[KentTeffeteller]

I am beginning to have an interest in SS AC table radios, especially AM/FM sets of USA or early Japanese era manufacture. And especially those of unusual styling or build.