![]() ![]() Handy, R., Erbe, M., Antonier, A. The design was recognised by the Industrial Design Society of New York, and in 1955 the radio was included in the American Art and Design Exhibition in Paris. Aside from the sleek simplicity of its lines, the other standout feature was its distinctive grille, which was copied by almost all pocket radios that followed the TR-1. The radio was designed by the firm of Painter, Teague and Petertil whose final design was an excellent reflection of modernity. ![]() ![]() H5580-2 Transistor radio, plastic / metal, made by Regency Division IDEA Inc, America, 1954-1958 Over one hundred thousand, in a range of colours, were sold during its first year of manufacture. The result was the Regency TR-1, the world’s first pocket transistor radio. In July 1954 the Texas Instruments and Industrial Development Engineering Associates (I.D.E.A.) companies embarked on a six month project to produce a pocket-sized radio for the Christmas market. Capable of carrying out the same function as a valve but much smaller and not prone to overheating, the transistor opened up new possibilities for smaller radios and new directions in radio design. H5580-7 Packaging for transistor radio, paper, made by Regency Division IDEA Inc, America, 1955-1964Ī major development came in 1948 when US scientists William Shockley, Walter Brattain and John Bordeen invented the world’s first solid-state amplifier, which they named a ‘transistor’. In the 1930s and 1940s the size and power consumption of car radios decreased, while the introduction of the ferrite rod aerial improved reception. Other problems included bulky valves, overheating and high power demand, which could drain a car’s battery. They were made to be installed in cars, but were virtually unusable while moving due to interference from the engine and electrical system. Some of the first compact radios were produced in Australia at this time. The number of broadcast transmitters in Australia increased from eight in 1924 to 31 by 1930. All were battery-operated until the introduction of mains operation in1928, but the early batteries were large, as were the radios. Until the 1920s most radios sold in Australia were imported, but after that date increasing numbers were manufactured locally. It is significant for the way it combines science, design, and culture: the solid state physics that led to the development of the transistor the aesthetics and functionality of the plastic radio body and the portability that took radio out of the home and made listening to it more often an individual experience rather than a group activity. This Regency TR-1 transistor radio was one of the earliest portable radios imported into Australia. When one reads about the invention of the transistor one cannot help but note that the work of Bardeen and Brattain. This allowed for the boom in consumer electronics as well as the computer, all of which rely on transistors in some form or another to amplify either current or voltages in cost effective ways (Computer World: The Transistor).Share: Email this H5580-1 Radio, portable TR-1 radio receiver, plastic / metal, designed by Painter, Teague & Petertil, made by Regency Division IDEA Inc, USA, 1954-1956 So, silicon technology is still on the move. One of the major improvements to audio fidelity that the transistor made possible was in it’s flexibility in producing different types of amplification. By altering the configuration of the circuit the amplification properties of an electric or audio signal can be manipulated more or less at will, producing varying types of ‘gain’ and impedance (Computer Science: From Transistors to Functions). The physical properties of germanium amplified the current running through it much like the triode before it. The set up of a transistor at it’s most basic was a circuit with two ends touching some material like geranium. Because the transistor didn’t require the same amount of power, or conditions, like a vacuum, transistors could be much smaller, and much more portable. Whereas the triode relied on diodes in a vacuum and the manipulation of the grid voltage (requiring lots of power to constantly heat the cathode), the transistor relies on the semi conductive properties of various materials, initially metalloids like germanium, and later silicon. However mechanically the transistor differed greatly from a triode in several important ways. The way the transistor works is by amplifying an electric current, much like Lee de Forest’s invention, the triode. ![]() It improved upon earlier designs like Lilienfield’s solid-state amplifier, which due to the lack of semi-conductor materials int he 1920’s found no commercial application (ETHW: The Transistor). The transistor was invented at Bell labs by Bardeen and Brattain in 1947. ![]()
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