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Happy 50th Birthday to the transistor radio |
axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Londinium
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Fifty years ago this month, the world's first transistor radio went on sale. The Regency TR-1 narrowly beat Raytheon and little-known Japanese company Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo to market and began the revolution which has changed the world.
The original news release for the TR-1 from transistor manufacturer Texas Instruments read in part:
"Following the announcement today of the first commercial transistorized radio receiver, Executive Vice-President P.E. Haggerty of Texas Instruments Incorporated--leading transistor manufacturer--issued a statement of congratulations to the regency company on its significant electronic achievement.
In a message to Mr. Edward C. Tudor, President of Industrial Development Engineering Associates, Inc., Mr. Haggerty said, "As the transistor manufacturer, we sincerely congratulate your Regency division on being the first to produce commercially a transistorized consumer product. With the introduction of this first mass production item replacing the fragile vacuum tube with the tiny transistor, Electronics enters a new era," Mr. Haggerty continued.
Texas Instruments--manufacturer of the new low cost, high gain transistor, which makes the first commercial transistorized radio possible--is one of the largest producers of germanium transistors and the exclusive producer of silicon transistors for high temperature applications. Its latest development, the low cost, high gain transistor used in the Regency radio, is one of the greatest practical advances yet made in transistor technology since it makes possible the long predicted transistorization and miniaturization of mass production consumer devices.
"We are proud to have contributed to Regency's pioneering achievement." Mr. Haggerty continued. "Production of a high gain transistor at reasonable cost has been a long-sought goal of the entire Electronics industry. The Regency company deserves special commendation for the remarkable speed with which it converted this latest transistor development into a superior, marketable product," he concluded.
Kernel-sized substitutes for vacuum tubes in electronic amplifying, until now transistors have been limited in consumer application. The largest commercial application for transistors has been in hearing aids, in which the benefits of miniaturization, long battery life and high reliability have justified their use. Texas Instruments has been an important supplier of transistors for hearing aids, as well as for many specialized commercial and military applications.
The new Texas Instruments low cost, high gain transistors used in the revolutionary new Regency pocket receiver are technically termed n-p-n grown junction, germanium triodes. Such a high gain is obtained with the new transistors--up to 40 decibels per stage--that only four are required by the radio.
Even so, audio volume fidelity, and reception range are the equal of or superior to that of the small vacuum tube-equipped portable radios. Grown junction construction--wherein the germanium crystal layers of dissimilar electrical characteristics are grown into the transistor--contributes to the transistor's performance and reliability.
The Regency radio is made possible by an efficient circuit design taking full advantage of the unique features of the new Texas Instruments low cost, high gain, high frequency transistor in combination with the advantages common to all transistors. Gain at radio frequency is sufficient with the new transistor so that one transistor is used for a combined mixer-oscillator stage. Only two intermediate frequency stages are required and, following a germanium diode detector, one audio amplifier stage.
The first completely transistorized commercial broadcast receiver has a resulting "form factor" of 5 x 3 x 1-1/4 inches--the smallest compete set commercially available--with the semiconductor devices themselves occupying less than 1/10 of a cubic inch. The "pocket size" is considered a significant achievement, since it includes a high fidelity, high volume speaker and single battery power supply as well as all associated receiver circuit components. The subminiature output transformer is also of Texas Instruments manufacture.
Now that the low cost, high gain transistor has made possible the first mass production transistorized device, Texas Instruments anticipates that the resultant increase in transistor production will make economically feasible the transistorization of many more consumer products. TI predicts that the first commercial production of a low cost, high gain germanium transistor will rank in importance with the first commercial production of the high temperature, high frequency silicon transistor...also exclusive to Texas Instruments. ENDS
The little known Japanese company which finished third in the race to put a transistor radio on the market did so approximately 12 months later, making a smaller 112x71x32mm product (compared to the 127x76x33mm dimensions of the TR-1), used six transistors (compared to the TR-1's four) and used half the power of the TR-1. It also airfreighted 20,000 units into the US which sold for $39.95 (compared to the Tr-1's $49.95) under the Totsuko brand.
A year later, it decided to change its name and from that point forward, the world began to learn a new word synonymous with miniaturisation and quality - SONY!
For a fascinating look at the early history of the transistor and the events which helpedto bring the first consumer product using the just-invented transistor, see http://www.regencytr1.com/.
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[ This Message was edited by: axxxr on 2004-10-11 00:18 ] | |
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k700nut
Joined: Sep 29, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: manchester,england.
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All that talk about germanium transistors and texas instruments reminds me of my days of studying hnc electronic engineering many moons ago.texas instruments still manufacture ic's(chips),to this day.lol
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Posted: 2004-10-10 20:51
