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Gizmos A - Z
15-station Desk Intercom
Academy 'Camcorder' Radio
Accoson Sphygmomanometer
Acos SLM3 Sound Level Meter
Acoustic Coupler
Advance PP5 Stabilised PSU
Aibo ERS-111 Robotic Pet
Aiwa LX-110 Linear Turntable
Aiwa TP-32A Tape Recorder
Alba PTV-11 Mini TV Clock Radio
Alcatel Minitel 1 Videotex
Aldis Folding Slide Viewer
Alpha-Tek Pocket Radio
Airlite 62 Military Headset
Airlite 71 Aviation Headset
Aitron Wrist Radio
Aiwa TP-60R Tape Recorder
AKG K290 Surround 'Phones
Amerex Alpha One Spycorder
Amstrad em@iler
Amstrad NC100 Notepad
Amstrad VMC-100 Camcorder
AN/PRC-6 Walkie Talkie
Apple Macintosh SE FDHD
Amstrad CPC 464 Computer
AlphaTantel Prestel
Archer Realistic Headphone Radio
Astatic D-104 Desk Microphone
Atari 2600 Video Game
Atari 600XL Home Computer
Audiotronic LSH 80 'Phones
Avia Electronic Watch
Avid Pneumatic Headphones
AVO Multiminor
AVO Model 8 Multimeter
Bambino Challenger Radio
Bandai Solar LCD Game
Barlow Wadley XCR-30 Radio
BC-611/SCR-536 Handy Talkie
B&O Beocom 2000 Phone
B&O Beolit 609 EXP II AM Radio
Baygen Freeplay Lantern
Bellwood, Bond Spycorder
Benkson 65 LW/MW Radio
Benkson 68 Mini Tape Recorder
Benkson 79 Mini Tape Recorder
Benkson 92 Baby Sitter Alarm
Betacom BF1 Pianotel Phone
Betacom CP/6 Ferrari Phone
Bigston PS-5 Flat Panel Speakers
Binatone Digivox Alarm
Binatone Long Ranger 6 CB
Binatone Mk6 Video Game
Binatone Moontime Clock Radio
Binatone Worldstar Radio
Binotone Radio Binoculars
Bio Activity Translator
Biri-1 Radiation Monitor
Blick Time Recorder Clock
Bolex Paillard 155 Cine Camera
Bowmar LED Digital Watch
Boots CRTV-50 TV,Tape, Radio
Beseler PM2 Color Analyzer
British Gas Mk 2 Multimeter
Brolac Camera In A Can
Brydex Ever Ready Lighter
BSB Squarial
BT CT6000 Moneybox Payphone
BT Genie Phone
BT Kingfisher Answering Machine
BT Linesmans Phone 282A
BT Rhapsody Leather Phone
BT Slimtel 10 HT2A
Bush TR 82C MW/LW Radio
Cambridge Z88 Computer
Candlestick Telephone
Canon Ion RC-260 Camera
Cartex TX-160 Multiband Radio
Casio VL-Tone Keyboard
CD V-700 Geiger Counter
CD V-715 Survey Meter
CDV-717 Survey Meter
CD V-742 Pen Dosimeter
Casio CA-90 Calculator Watch
Casio WQV-1 Camera Watch
Central C-7980EN Multimeter
Channel Master 6546
Chinon 722-P Super 8 ciné
Citizen Soundwich Radio Watch
Citizen ST555 Pocket TV
Clairtone Mini Hi Fi Radio
Clarke & Smith 1069 Radio
Clipper TC-300 Tape Recorder
CocaCola Keychain Camera
Coke Bottle AM Radio
Commodore 64 Home PC
Commodore PET 2001-N
Companion CR-313 Walkie Talkies
Computer Novelty AM/FM Radio
Compact Marine SX-25
Concord F20 Sound Camera
Connevans LA5 Loop Amplifier
Coomber 393 Cassette Recorder
Coomber 2241-7 CD Cassette
Contamination Meter No.1
Cosmos Melody Organ
Craig 212 Tape Recorder
Craig TR-408 tape recorder
C-Scope ProMet II Detector
Dansette Richmond Radio
Daiya TV-X Junior Viewer
Dancing Coke Can
Dawe Transistor Stroboflash
Decca RP 205 Record Player
Decimo Vatman 120D Calc
Diamond Rio Media Player
Dictograph Desk Phone
Direct Line Phones x2
Dokorder PR-4K Mini Tape
Dosimeter Corp MiniRad II
DP-66M Geiger Counter
DP-75 Geiger Counter
Duvidal FT-66 Tape Recorder
Eagle Ti.206 Intercom
Eagle T1-206 Intercom
Eagle International Loudhailer
EhrcorderTP-421 Tape Recorder
Electrolysis Cell
Electron 52D Spycorder
Electronicraft Project Kit
Eddyprobe II Integrity Tester
Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart Radio
EMS Stammering Oscillator
Ericsson Ericofon Cobra Phone
Estyma Travel Radio Alarm
Etalon Luxor Light Meter
Euromarine Radiofix Mk 5
Exactus Mini Add Calculator
Fairylight Morse Set
FEP Microphone & Earphone
Ferguson 3247 Tape Recorder
Ferguson FC08 Camcorder
Ferguson FHSC 1 Door Cam
Fi-Cord 101 Tape Recorder
Fi-Cord 202 Tape Recorder
Field Telephone Set J
Fidelity HF42 Record Player
Fisher-Price 826 Cassette
Fleetwood Globe AM Radio
Fonadek Telephone Amplifier
Franklin LF-390 Guitar Radio
Gaertner Pioneer Geiger Counter
G&E Bradley CT471C Test Meter
Garmin GPS III Pilot Satnav
GE 3-5805 AM CB Radio
GE 3-5908 Help CB Radio
GEC C11B2 Electricity Meter
GEC Sashalite Photoflash
GEC Transistomatic
GEC Voltmeter
General Radiological NE 029-02
Gfeller Eiger Phone
Giant Light Bulbs
Giant Watch-Shaped Radio
Goodsell TC Record Player
Gowlland Auriscope
GPO Headset No. 1
GPO Keysender No 5
GPO RAF Microphone No. 3
GPO Telephone Series 300
GPO Telephone Type 746
GPO 12B/1 Test Meter
GPO Trimphone
GPO Ring Microphone No 2
Gramdeck Tape Recorder
Grandstand Astro Wars
Grandstand Video Console
Grundig EN3 Dictation
Grundig Melody Boy 1000 Radio
Grundig Memorette
Grundig TK-141 Tape Recorder
Grundig Yacht Boy 210 Radio
Guy's Britannic Calculator
H&G Crystal Radio
Harrier Pilot AM/FM/Air Radio
Hacker Radio Hunter RP38A
Hacker Radio Mini Herald
Hanimex Disc Camera
Harmon Kardon HK2000
Harvard Batalion Radio
Heathkit GR-70 Multiband Radio
Heathkit Oxford UXR2 Kit Radio
Henica H-138 Radio Lighter
Hero HP-101 Intercom
Hitachi MP-EG-1A Camcorder
Hitachi TRK-8015 Cass Recorder
Hitachi WH-638 Radio
Hitachi VM-C1 Camcorder
HMV 2210 Tape Recorder
Hohner 9806 Organetta
Homer KE-10 Intercom
Homer KT-505 Phone Amplifier
Homey HR-408 Recorder
Horstmann Pluslite Task Lamp
Hy-Line 110 Clock Radio Phone
Ianero Polaris Spotlight
Ingersoll XK505 TV, Radio
Intel QXP Computer Microscope
Interstate Video Game
International HP-1000 Radio
Internet Radio S-11
IR Binoculars No 1 Mk 1
ISI Rapid Abnormality Indicator
ITT KB Super AM/FM Radio
Ivalek De Luxe Crystal Radio
James Bond TV Watch
Jasa AM Wristwatch Radio
Juliette LT-44 Tape Recorder
Jupiter FC60 Radio
JVC GR-C1 Camcorder
JVC GX-N7E Video Camera
JVC HR-C3 VHS-C VCR
JVC HR-3300 VHS VCR
King Folding Binoculars
Kodak Brownie Starflash
Kodak 56X Instamatic
Kodak 100 Instamatic
Kodak Disc 6000
Kodak EK2 'The Handle'
Kodak EK160 Instant Camera
Kodak Pony 135
Koss ESP-6 Headphones
Kvarts DRSB-01 Dosimeter
Kvarts DRSB-88 Dosimeter
Kvarts DRSB-90 Geiger Count
Kyoto S600 8-Track Player
La Pavoni Espresso Machine
Le Parfait Picture Frame Radio
Linwood SImple Siren Car Alarm
Ludlum Model 2 Survey Meter
Macarthys Surgical AM Radio
Magma Fumalux FL400 Lighter
Magnetic Core Memory 4kb
Maplin YU-13 Video Stabilizer
Marlboro Giant AM Radio
Mattel Intellivision
Maxcom Cordless Phone
McArthur Microscope OU
Mehanotehnika Iskra Intercom
Memo Call Tape Recorder
Merlin Hand-Held Game
Microflame Model B Blowtorch
Micronta 22-195A Multimeter
Micronta 3001 Metal Detector
Micronta S-100 Signal Injector
Microphax Case II Fiche
Midland 12-204 Tape Rccorder
Military Headset 5965-99-100
Mini Com Walkie Talkies
Mini Instruments 5.40 Geiger
Minidyne Mk II TENS Machine
Minifon Attaché Tape Recorder
Mini-Z Electro Thermometer
Minolta 10P 16mm Camera
Minolta-16 II Sub Min Camera
Minolta XG-SE 35mm SLR
Minolta Weathermatic-A
Minox B Spy Camera
Modernage Bookcorder 405
Mohawk Chief Tape Recorder
Monatone D 5151 AM Radio
Motorola 5000X Bag Phone
Motorola 8500X ‘Brick’
Motorola Micro TAC Classic
MPMan MP-F20 MP3 Player
Mullard OC Transistors
Music Man Talking Radio
My Power Megaphone
Mystery Microphone
Nagra SN Tape Recorder
National Hyper BII Flashgun
National RQ-115 Recorder
National Panapet AM Radio
National Standphone Intercom
National Toot-A-Loop Radio
National WH-106 Hearing Aid
Nattax Dental Outfit
NatWest 24 Hour Cashcard
Nife NC10 Miner's Lamp
Nikkai VW58 Mini TV
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TRANSISTOR RADIOS
Satisfying as crystal radios are -- it really is something for
nothing -- the need for a long aerial and the lack of volume tended to limit
their appeal (and portability) somewhat.
Forget the Summer of Love, Flower Power and Woodstock,
the ‘swinging sixties’ really began with the arrival of cheap pocket-size transistor
radios or ‘trannys’.
Every kid wanted one, mainly to be able to listen to Radio Luxembourg
and later the offshore pirate stations, which at the time were the only source
of decent music. One day I hope someone will do some proper research into the
sociological impact of the transistor radio...
I recall saving up for months from my paper round and doing odd jobs to
buy my first one. I don’t remember exactly how much it cost but I suspect it
was more than a fiver, which according to the now sadly out of date ‘What is it
worth today’ website (http://www.eh.net/hmit/),
would have been worth over £150 at 2002 prices (the last year it covers), which
puts it into the same price bracket as an iPod today.
My first tranny was a Benkson, a 6 transistor model, beautifully crafted from maroon
plastic; it came with a real leather case and an earphone and was powered by a
9 volt PP3 battery that seemed to last for about five minutes. I must have
taken it apart scores of times, to see how it worked, until one day, towards
the end of its short life I got careless and it stopped working.
Despite my best efforts -- at that time mostly confined to prodding and
wiggling components -- it never worked again. I would dearly love to replace it
but I’ve never seen another one. I
have found several quite like it, though, and my current favourite is a
little
Hitachi TH-620 (above). As with so many of my most recent finds it came from
ebay and is definitely worth a lot more than the £3.50 I paid for it
.It is a real gem, still in its
original box, in fact it looks as though it has hardly been out of it.
The leather case is in perfect condition and it still has the original
earphone in its carry pouch, and yes, it works.
The
next radio is badged Viscount (above). It's a bit tatty and I’m
including it as an example of what's available to budding collectors of
sixties technology on a tight budget. It cost me ten pence at a car
boot sale and at that price it really doesn’t
matter if it works or no as it can be useful for spares. As it turned
out this one was a runner and all it needed was a quick wipe over
with Mr Sheen. There’s plenty more like it out there but,
not maybe for much longer as 60's ephemera has become highly
collectible. You have been
warned!
The
last radio I'm featuring here is the Sinclair Micromatic. I have a
couple of good examples dating from
1967 and 1969. They were sold as kits, for fifty-nine shillings and
sixpence
(around £2.95 in today’s money), or ready built for 79/6 (just under
£4.00). Sinclair's
marketing was brilliant and I was suckered into buying three of them.
Not one of them ever worked properly, I blamed my soldering skills but
now I realise it probably wasn’t my
fault. The darn things were badly designed and I later read that Clive
Sinclair (now Sir Clive) bought up out of spec and reject transistors
from
Plessey and these went into the kits.
Early
Micromatics and the even earlier Micro 6, on which this design was based used then state of the art metal alloy transistors
(MATs), which were notoriously delicate and easily damaged. There were
three of
them in the Mk1 radios and the one pictured (below right) could be one of the few in
captivity that actually works. The
crude regenerative circuit with its postage stamp trimmer can only pick
out one
or two stations but you really can hear something in
the earphone (apart from your hair growing) providing you are within
half a
mile of a powerful transmitter. The Mk II model came out a year or two
later and it has two
silicon transistors. These are more stable with higher gain so later
Micromatics are more likely to work (and easier to repair if
they don't) but I still prefer the cruder Mk1 for its novelty and
rarity value.
Micromatics turn up every so often on ebay but they are now
fetching silly prices. I’ve seen rough ones go for upwards of £60, an unbuilt kit
sold recently for almost £200, so if you’ve got one tucked away somewhere look after it.
Update
I am indebted to George Hill for bringing a You Tube video of the Saint TV series (the original one, starring Roger Moore), which shows him using a Sinclair Micromatic as a walkie talkie. Must have been a special edition version...
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