Timeline of pocket/transistor radios: -- 1945—1958 -- 1959—1967
This timeline includes not only transistor radios but also a number of crystal and subminiature tube radios that were relevant to the early years of transistor radio production, especially pocket-sized radios.
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1959: |
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DDR (GDR): |
first DDR all-transistor radio |
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DENMARK: |
first Bang & Olufsen transistor radio — and first Danish transistor radio? |
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HUNGARY: |
second version of Hungary's first transistor radio |
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JAPAN: Benida |
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JAPAN: Continental |
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JAPAN: Crown TR-7S (TR-777) |
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JAPAN: Crown TR-800 |
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JAPAN: Hitachi TH-666 |
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JAPAN: Kobe Kogyo KT-63 |
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JAPAN: NEC NT-61 |
first NEC shirt pocket transistor radio |
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JAPAN: NEC NT-620 |
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US (JAPAN): |
(possibly '58?) one of the first US transistor radios to have been made in Japan |
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JAPAN: Realtone TR-555 "Galaxy" |
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JAPAN: Realtone TR-801 "Electra" |
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JAPAN: Sanyo Channel Master
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JAPAN: Sony TR-86 |
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JAPAN: Sony TR-714 |
Sony claims this to be the first SW shirt pocket radio |
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JAPAN: Standard SR-D210 |
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JAPAN: Tokai
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first Motorola transistor radio manufactured in Japan |
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JAPAN: Toptone AR-65 |
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JAPAN: Toshiba 6TP-304 |
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JAPAN: Toshiba 6TP-309 |
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JAPAN: Toshiba 6TR-92 |
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POLAND: Eltra MOT-59 |
first Polish transistor radio |
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RUSSIA: Atmosphere |
second "mass-production" Russian transistor radio, perhaps 10,000 units |
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US: 1959/60
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WEST GERMANY: |
first "Siemens-Germany" transistor radio |
1960: |
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CZECHOSLOVAKIA: |
first Czechoslovak "pocket" (small coat pocket) transistor radio |
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FRANCE: |
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ITALY: |
circa 1960 — one of the first Italian pocket transistor radios |
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JAPAN: Global GR-711 |
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JAPAN: Global Zephyr ZR-930 |
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JAPAN: Harpers GK-631 |
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JAPAN: Magnavox AM-22 |
Made by NEC -- same chassis as NEC NT-620 |
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JAPAN: Sony TR-620 |
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JAPAN: Tokai G-607 |
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JAPAN: |
2-band MW/SW radio |
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JAPAN: |
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LATVIA: Spidola, 1960/61 |
first Soviet multi-band transistor radio and first Soviet export transistor radio |
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RUSSIA: Neva (Heba) |
first Soviet shirt pocket transistor radio |
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US: Zenith Royal 50 |
first Zenith shirt pocket transistor radio |
1961: |
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CZECHOSLOVAKIA: |
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DDR (GDR): |
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FRANCE: |
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Great Britain: Decca
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Great Britain: Fidelity
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one of a very few shirt pocket transistor radios made in Great Britain in the early '60s |
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Great Britain:
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ITALY: |
click here to read Lello Salvatore's article on this beautiful radio |
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LATVIA: Gauja |
first Soviet "pocket" (coatpocket) transistor radio made both for the domestic market and for export |
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US: Zenith Royal 500H |
the "zenith" of the 500 series, both in audio and radio |
1962: |
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FRANCE: |
France's most iconic transistor radio |
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BELARUS: Mir |
An early shirt pocket radio from the Soviet Union |
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JAPAN: Crown TR-911 |
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JAPAN: Crown TR-999 |
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JAPAN: Toshiba 6TP-31A |
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UK: Dansette RT66 |
one of a very few shirt pocket transistor radios made in Great Britain in the early '60s |
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UK: Perdio PR33 |
one of a very few shirt pocket transistor radios made in Great Britain in the early '60s |
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YUGOSLAVIA: |
first Yugoslav transistor radio, Iskra-Kranj Factory, Slovenia |
1963: |
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DDR (GDR): VEB |
c.1963, first DDR shirt pocket transistor radio |
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Great Britain: 1963
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Great Britain: 1963
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RUSSIA: Neva 2 #1 |
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RUSSIA: Neva 2 #2 |
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RUSSIA: Selga |
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RUSSIA: Sokol |
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RUSSIA: Topaz-2 |
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1964: |
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CZECHOSLOVAKIA: |
first Czechoslovak shirt pocket transistor radio |
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RUSSIA: Alpinist |
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UKRAINE: Planeta |
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1965: |
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LATVIA: Orbita |
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1967: |
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UKRAINE: Jupiter-M |
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RUSSIA: Orljonok |
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1972: |
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JAPAN: GE Orbiter |
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