All-Transistor TV Receiver Shown by RCA
February 1953 Radio-Electronics

February 1953 Radio-Electronics [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio-Electronics, published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

This news tidbit appeared in a 1953 issue of Radio-Electronics along with an editorial by Hugo Gernsback titled "Transistor Transition." RCA had just developed its first fully solid state - except for the cathode ray tube (CRT) - television. Note that at the time the CRT was still often referred to as a kinescope. In fact, the word "kinescope" was coined and trademarked by RCA, so they had a vested interest in perpetuating its usage. Jerry Herzog, shown in the photo, was one of the engineers responsible for the design and construction of the television.

All-Transistor TV Receiver Shown by RCA

Tubeless-except for its 5-inch kinescope - this all-transistor portable TV receiver was one of the highlights of the recent RCA symposium on transistor progress. Some of the 22-odd experimental plug-in transistors which replace tubes throughout the set can be seen above the hand of RCA engineer Gerald B. Herzog. No larger than a portable typewriter, the experimental one-channel battery-operated receiver gives good pictures at a range of 5 miles on its built-in loop, and at 15 miles on a "rabbit-ears" antenna. The set weighs 27 pounds.

Posted August 15, 2018