World's First Transistor Radio! The Regency model TR-1 (1954, USA)

Here's a pair of radios I've been saving for a "special occasion" for way too long, so I decided that Labor Day 2022 was suitable enough. I hope you all enjoy!
If you want to learn more about the TR-1, here's a great website dedicated to it: www.regencytr1....

[@Colin_Ames]

Nice pair of radios. Some years ago, while living in Michigan, I met a collector who had a drawer full of these.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks, Colin! That collector is a lucky guy, collecting a drawer full of TR-1s would be quite expensive these days!

[@cjay2]

As others have said, I would repair the white one, replacing what needs replacing. You should be able to find still some germanium transistors, though they probably won't be exact physical matches. Test all the components and get the white one working, so you can know what they were capable of doing. Keep all the old parts, in case you want to sell it in the future. Thanks for the excellent video.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks, cjay2! I will probably make minimally invasive repairs to the white one, and see where that gets. It's currently playing, so the original transistors are probably "good enough", and I plan to leave them be unless there's a real issue somewhere. Keep in mind this radio was considered a poor performer even when new.

[@cjay2]

@@50sTransistorRadios Copying from my recent Feb'23 reply elsewhere in this comment section: I would suggest either hiding modern caps underneath, as M.K. indicates in his comment here, or carefully re-stuffing the original caps. Either way, you can definitely find an invisible way to repair at least the white one.

[@JIMO415]

Nice pieces of history. In a relatively short period of time, look where we are now!

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks, Jim! Technology sure advanced rapidly after the invention of the transistor

[@Big_Tex]

Cool! That's like the original iPhone of 1954.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

That's not far off honestly, transistor radios quickly became the hot new gadget to have in the late 1950's.

[@jeffking4176]

Very cool. Yeah, I’m with on repairing the newer one and leaving the older one as-is. [ I have an “Airline “. badged Raytheon made , BR-1100A. [ dated by the Tech who worked on it , as March, 1956]. 4 transistors, but performance is not bad at all. I just had to have it done. I figured , there’s enough of them on shelves for display, but that doesn’t give any sense of what it as like to use one, SO…… Great video. 📻😁

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks, Jeff! Yeah, I plan to fix up the white one. The 6 transistor Raytheon pocket set has been on my wanted list for a long time, but I haven't managed to snag one. It was one of the few "good" performers of the early days. I have a 4 transistor Raytheon as well, but it's a bit of a Frankenstein (mismatched case), and so I haven't shown it. I like to hear how these sets perform as well, and after all, they were meant to be used.

[@iceberg789]

this stuff is for preserving, not for repairing.

[@davidfromamerica1871]

These were “revolutionary” “Space Age” When they came out back then. Seems like everything back then was “Space Age” Even some of the new food and drink items were “Space Age”

[@50sTransistorRadios]

America sure was on a space kick in the 50's and 60's! Honestly that's understandable though, the possibilities for space must have seemed limitless at the time.

[@bblod4896]

Beautiful radios. Too bad the battery leaked. I've learned expensive lessons from battery leakage. Thanks for the video.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! Damage from leaking batteries is a common problem with transistor radios, unfortunately.

[@ACURAOCULTA]

Beautiful Radios

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks!

[@tommybewick]

Fantastic! Iconic radios and I'm so glad you shared them with us. That's a hard call to make, but I would probably get them both working with new parts as needed, and of course save all the old parts and keep them with it.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! I'm planning to try to get the white one working, in a minimally invasive way, if possible.

[@m.k.8158]

@@50sTransistorRadios It looks as if you can hide modern caps in-between the PC board and the metal chassis-done properly, the original parts will still be visible from the top. So this could be a invisible repair.

[@cjay2]

@@m.k.8158 Exactly.

[@cjay2]

@@50sTransistorRadios I would suggest either hiding modern caps underneath, as M.K. indicates in his comment here, or carefully re-stuffing the original caps. Either way, you can definitely find an invisible way to repair at least the white one.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

@@cjay2 The ceramic caps are pretty much impossible to restuff, they just shatter. I have made crude reproductions of them in the past by wrapping white paper around a modern cap and sealing the ends with hot glue, I may try that again.

[@tuckermichael24]

Very nice radios, love your video

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks!

[@brucebuckeye]

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

[@RonShiel]

my father imported these into the uk from Japan via his company AC agencies ltd. couple of years later he imported first ever tourch with a rechargeable battery.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Did you mean that he imported Sony radios? These Regency radios were made in the USA.

[@RonShiel]

@@50sTransistorRadios i was 7 years old in 52. i do not remember thr make. he imported direct from japan. sorry thst is all i can remember. his company was called AC Agencies ltd based in 29 Minshul street manchester. Tel Central 1936 !!!!!¬ ( Locally this building was called The Monkey House because lots of foreigners worked there)

[@colintinker7778]

Thank you for the tour around these radio's. Seems odd that they chose to use such a high voltage battery and the ability to fit it the wrong way round! I'll bet many radio's got zapped back then.Probably not covered by the warranty so a very expensive repair required. Also, the audio output is reminiscent of class A tube designs. Not efficient for battery longevity.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks, Colin! I thing the battery choice was down to two factors: 1. Availability. Those 22 volt batteries were already on the market for hearing aids. 2. Getting maximum gain out of the early transistors. Those 22V batteries were not cheap, and the class A output setup would mean it's always drawing peak current, so yeah, not efficient. But it was the first!

[@antigoseraros]

Lindos aparelhos! Parabéns pelos vídeos

[@barryfleischer6553]

Great presentation.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks, Barry!

[@LakeNipissing]

I would repair the white one. Just keep the original parts. Good luck to find the replacement gold grille for the red one which was damaged from the battery leaking.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! That's what I plan to do. I'm hoping someone here knows of a source of that grill cloth, we shall see. I'm sure Regency just bought that from a fabric supplier.

[@thrillscience]

Good! No more nuts -- back to radios!

[@eddiejones.redvees]

The same age has I am born in 1954

[@gqinc1202]

do you have the values for the caps in the Motorola 6X32E radio you recapped a few years ago, i have the same radio, but I cant find the capacitor values anywhere

[@50sTransistorRadios]

I'll reply on that video

[@cleitevieira]

Hi. Nice chennel! A question: which was the first pocket radio with a AM/FM switcher?

[@50sTransistorRadios]

Thanks! I believe the Zenith Royal 810 was the first AM/FM coatpocket sized radio. I'm not sure what was the first shirtpocket sized AM/FM radio.

[@quantumleap359]

I wouldn't repair either one of these radios. They are original only once. And for use as an AM radio, they are not very practical nor sensitive. Plus, the expensive battery precludes much use anyway. They are fun to look at and should gain value if left stock.

[@50sTransistorRadios]

It is true that they're only original once, and these ones in particular are probably more valuable in that state. Still, they were made to be used.

[@patrickmurawski400]

Consumer reports losers There! The first transister radio made in U.S.A and just about the last! Get that with lefties! And I own a TR1!!!!!

[@Suddenlyits1960]

For being the first transistor radios,I’ve always felt these Regency’s to be rather plain and uninspired design wise. You’d think being the first and given it’s cost they would have designed a really futuristic jetsons looking case to give it that “world of tomorrow” look to match the revolutionary technology inside. Subsequent manufacturers really ran wild with their designs and it’s incredible the amount of imagination that was put into transitor radio designs.