Transistor Radios Around the World

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Before '54 --- North America --- Western Europe --- Japan and Pacific --- East Bloc and USSR


1957 Sony TR-63

Shirt pocket radio, thermoplastic cabinet
4 1/2 x 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 inches / 114 x 71 x 38 mm
Six transistors (Sony: 2T64, 2x 2T67, 2T513, 2x 2T520, + 1T43 blue oval varistor, "170" glass diode)
Superheterodyne circuit
One standard 9-volt battery
Manufactured by Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, Ltd. Japan (Sony)

The first Japanese transistor radio exported to the United States. Of greater historical importance than any other Sony transistor radio, the TR-63 was the beginning of the end of America's dominance in the consumer electronics industry. And this trend was accelerated dramatically with Sony's introduction of the TR-610 the following year, the first truly mass-marketed Japanese pocket transistor radio exported to the US.

Sony TR-63

1957 Sony TR-63


Sony TR-63

back face


Sony TR-63

"Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, Ltd. Japan" —
on later units, this impression was replaced with "SONY Japan"


Sony TR-63

chassis — click on photo for a larger image


Sony TR-63

schematic


Sony TR-63

reprint of Sony TR-63 operating manual

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