Rare Sears SEEK modular AM/FM transistor radio kit (USA, 1960's)

[@1L6E6VHF]

I've found your radio in the Fall and Winter 1963 Sears catalog, page 1368. AM/SW 57G7490 tuner, 57G7491 speaker/amplifier, 57G7492 FM tuner and 57G7493 power supply/alarm clock (the speaker/amplifier does not exactly match the photo, it shows only a metal front with a perforated grille, no chrome strip at the bottom). Buy all four for $79.95 (in 1963 dollars - wow).

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thank you very much! I had tried digging for it in old Sears catalogs, but not that particular one. It's nice to finally see an ad for it. I would bet that the price was a major factor in why this kit is so rare. For $47.95 in that same catalog you could have bought a very stylish 12 transistor Silvertone AM/FM radio, fully assembled. It seems to have been on the market for a very short time.

[@Pico_Farad]

Cool. I think that the loop antenna is for AM and the wire for FM.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Nah, it's hooked up right, the connections are labeled.

[@krayonna]

I'm so happy you posted this video. I have the clock module with the power cord and have been searching for it online using the model # (7493) and/or chassis # but nothing has come up. Then I noticed the word SEEK on the face and searched again. Your video was first thing in my search results. Very cool, I thought it was just a alarm clock radio. Now I know what the 12v attachments are for! If anyone ever needs a replacement clock/power module, I've got one! 😊

[@50sTransistorRadios]

I guess I posted the right video at the right time, and I'm happy that I could help! Interesting that someone purchased just the clock module, but no radio to go with it. Does your clock have a cabinet too? If you want more information, take a look at the pinned comment, and page 1368 of the "Fall and Winter" 1963 Sears catalog, which can be found here: christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalog/1963-Sears-Fall-Winter-Catalog

[@iamrichrocker]

do not have to apologize..life has a way of getting in the way..love this big unit..a dying art like these AM radios and kit radios...thx for posting..

[@50sTransistorRadios]

That it does, thank you. Yeah, it is a dying art, though I hope the radio restoration hobby continues on into the future.

[@acidfroggy1194]

What an unusual radio! Has anice warm tube sound to it though. Thanks for another great video.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! Yeah, it's definitely an odd one.

[@bblod4896]

Interesting clock system. I wonder if there were more modules. Thanks for the video.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

I'm not sure if there were more modules available, as I haven't been able to find even a single advertisement for this kit. Even information about it is rare!

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! Apparently this unit has all four modules they made. Check out the pinned comment.

[@jeffking4176]

Certainly is unusual. And interesting. I would like to know what the thought was behind it. Great video. 📻🙂

[@Colin_Ames]

What an interesting radio. I think it is quite attractive in its own way, so I am sad to hear that you don’t have room to display it.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks Colin! Yeah, I'm in the same boat as a lot of radio collectors it seems, too many radios, and not enough space!

[@michaelwitas9482]

Working in manufacturing, and being somewhat familiar with the new product development process, I'm sort of surprised that this product line was approved for production and sale. It's interesting, but so huge and impractical, at a time when companies like GE were introducing micro sized clock radios that would easily fit on a bedside table or even on a floor lamp with a built-in tray.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

I'm also surprised this kit was ever designed and made. It seemed doomed to failure, especially with how expensive and impractically massive it is/was. They could have at least made the cabinet a cube shape with the two tuners on top!

[@carlvancamp183]

I have the entire collection as unbuilt kits, still sealed in the original boxes. All manuals too. Any idea of value?

[@defaultuserid1559]

I wonder who made this for Sears.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

The manufacturer code is 528, so this one was made by Warwick for Sears.

[@jamesgibson8672]

Was this made by Arvin, the usual supplier of transistor radios for Sears? I wonder if you could buy a different size of cabinet, if you didn't want to buy every module? Definitely a curious radio!

[@1L6E6VHF]

Another possibility would be Unelco Electronics of Baltimore, MD. I have a Unelco 1914 (year of design? LOL) radio that was a plastic version of the old multi-band radios that needed two coils to be operated on all 6 bands (total 12 coils). The user had to pull both the oscillator and antenna coils and change coils to change bands. In other words, a transistorized version of a radio design from the 1920s! This was my first exposure to shortwave radio.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

The manufacturer code is 528, so this one was made for Sears by Warwick, their other major radio supplier. You could apparently buy small cabinets that held just one of the modules, and there was a deluxe wood cabinet for all four available too.

[@stevemar7952]

Cool radio. Where do you find these things? Looks like an old three dialer. Thanks for showing it!

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! This one came from eBay a few years ago, and I had been looking for one of these for a few years at that point.

[@shango066]

Wow that thing is the last your muffler puke card squibler razrbar fit.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

...what?