First Fully Solid-state Auto Radio Article

[Tom WA3KLR]

I found an old Philco publication today and I thought you may be interested in reading this tidbit from the booklet that I spotted.

From the Philco TechRep Division Bulletin, Volume 5 No. 3, May and June, 1955, page 28:

PHILCO TRANSISTORIZED AUTO RADIO

“Surface-Barrier” transistors developed by Philco will be used in the first transistorized radio to be built into any line of new cars.  The use of transistors makes it possible to build a more compact receiver, small enough to be installed practically anywhere in the car.  This radio will be special equipment in Chrysler and Imperial lines this fall.

A reduction in physical size is achieved since use of this new type transistor eliminates all electron tubes, the vibrator, the power transformer, and the rectifier.  In addition, the battery drain is less than one-tenth that of standard auto radios.

Production of the auto radios in which eleven tiny transistors are used will commence as soon as tooling has been completed at the Philco Plant in Sandusky, Ohio.

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It’s interesting to note that 51 years later, the auto radio is still installed in the same location.

The Sandusky plant was originally a Simplex plant that Philco bought.  Chrysler eventually balked at the increasing cost of the auto radios, and this may have contributed to the end of Philco production at the Sandusky plant.  Philco also made ac-dc home radios at that plant.  Later, Chrysler bought the plant from Philco and used it for something other than auto radios.

[WA1GFZ]

My mother bought me my first issue of popular electronics in a grocery store in East Hartford in 1963. The big project was a solid state vibrator eliminator.
I remember my first bag of transistors from radio shack. They were open and just could not build an oscillator. Most of them had no die inside so stuck with tubes.

[W1RKW]

My mother bought me my first issue of popular electronics too in New London.  I think I was 10 years old putting time back to 1970.  I remember begging my mother to let me go to Radio Shack in the same shopping center while she grocery shopped to hang out.  That's when RS was cool.

Tom, neat tidbit of history. Thanks.

[kz0e]

"My mother bought me my first issue of popular electronics in a grocery store in East Hartford in 1963"


Wasn't the Finast store across from Govenor St. was it? i grew up a couple of blocks from there.

Larry

[K1JJ]

I remember about 1961? getting a two transistor radio. The neighborhood kids would walk around with these things in their ears bopping to the AM DJ's until the 9V went dead..

Whenever we came across someone with one the same question was axed... "How many transistors does it have?"  It was a status symbol to have four or six, etc.

Then one day there was a girl with one that was a little bigger than the usual radio.  Her's played louder and cleaner. We axed the question and she proudly replied, "It's an ALL transistor, see.... it says so right here on the case".  We all thought that was the ultimate, no matter how many transistors anybody had from that point on.... 

T

[w3jn]

This radio will be special equipment in Chrysler and Imperial lines this fall

Hmm.... my '62 Imperial still had a hybrid radio - sand state audio finals and audio driver and 4 or so toobs in the RF/mixer/IF.  Those toobs used 12 volts on the plate - no vibrator or HV supply.

Curiously, though, that car DID have a HV power supply for the electro luminescent dashboard illumination.

[WA1GFZ]

Yes Larry. that was the store.
Do you remember when they pulled up the tracks going up the center of main st.
We lived in So. Windsor off Rt 74. Dart Hill Rd. My parents came from Hartford so we
went by Drunken Dognuts every Sunday. Sometimes we stopped for a dozen.
My Dad did 32 years at P&WA down the street.
My big deal was to go to Hatry's in Hartford. My mom used to love driving there after school in rush hour traffic. I had to really be a good boy before she would accept that mission.

Where did you live?

[The Slab Bacon]

This radio will be special equipment in Chrysler and Imperial lines this fall

Hmm.... my '62 Imperial still had a hybrid radio - sand state audio finals and audio driver and 4 or so toobs in the RF/mixer/IF. Those toobs used 12 volts on the plate - no vibrator or HV supply.

Curiously, though, that car DID have a HV power supply for the electro luminescent dashboard illumination.

John,
       I had a 1960 New Yorker, it also had the hybrid radio and the electroluminescent dash . It was a really neat car. I wish I still had it. However the radio and dash wasnt the really INTERESTING part. What was really interesting was the 365hp 413 wedge motor that was under the hood! It was a genuine tire smoker for its day!! Truely a "tail finned road locomotive" that started my long love affair with Chrysler products.
                                                                      the Slab Bacon

[KB2WIG]

I had a friend who drove a '64 New Yorker. While  parked at the side of a road,writing he was note for his yl, he was rear ended by a cheby doing about 30 mph. Scratched his bumper, broke the "Park" pin in his transmission. He ended up in the back seat (didn't know how). The  Bel Air had its engine partially go through the firewall...   Them things were really urban assult vehicles....  klc

[kz0e]

"Yes Larry. that was the store.
Do you remember when they pulled up the tracks going up the center of main st.
We lived in So. Windsor off Rt 74. Dart Hill Rd. My parents came from Hartford so we
went by Drunken Dognuts every Sunday. Sometimes we stopped for a dozen.
My Dad did 32 years at P&WA down the street.
My big deal was to go to Hatry's in Hartford. My mom used to love driving there after school in rush hour traffic. I had to really be a good boy before she would accept that mission.

Where did you live?"



I live in Boulder CO now, left E.H. in 72 after high school, did the national guard thing, lived up in Massachusetts for a few years in the Hudson/marlborough area, then moved to Colorado with DEC in 77.

I lived right up the street from that Dunkin Doughnuts, had a paper route and almost turned into a chocolate honey-dipped cruller, man were those good right out of the fryer. A lot of my friends had dad's at P&W. I only got to hatry's once that I can remember. I do remember the tracks but dont remember them pulling them up.

A friend of my Dad's gave me a Halli S-20R back in 68 or so and I did a bit of SWLing on it, I remember one night I tuned across one of the ham bands and listened in on a lively AM conversation, whenever the east coast guys here get talking about the good-ol-days I wonder if that was that crew that night. Still have that Halli.

I worked at Bradley Intnl for a while, probably drove right by your place up 91.

You've drummed up some fond memories for me.

[WA1GFZ]

Wow Larry I graduated S.W. high in '69 and got my novice in '66.
As youts, we stayed out of E.H. most of the time to avoid the famous pigs.
We moved to South Windsor in '57 from Albany Ave. Hartford.

BTW, My Dad was one of the guys who shook the town when he fired up JT9Ds
in the back of P&W outside test area. We could hear it at home. 
The mil motors really made the phone ring at P&W back then. He could resonate the pipes in a local home that made some lady crazy.  gfz

[W1IA]

Almost as good as 8 tracks...HA...my Dad's Challenger T/A 340 six-pack has a stock 6 speaker stereo system with the new 8 track...man was that a peice of history.

B