What you see below is an Emerson 8-transistor radio from about 1965. We unearthed it as we sorted through a mountain of stuff that had to be moved as our master bedroom and bath are being completely rebuilt. I bought this radio, the most powerful transistor of its time, as a freshman in high school or maybe even as an 8th-grader. We all had a radio, and we all carried them around. I had very little money, so this was probably a couple of bucks.
Because I can’t resist toying with things, I turned it on—and it worked perfectly, with nearly half-century-old batteries!! I opened it up with a screwdriver (the only option), removed the batteries just in case (no acid or degradation visible) and replaced them. I now listen to Imus in the Morning while I get dressed on this AM classic radio. Every time I look at it I hear Cleve Duncan and the Penguins singing “Earth Angel.”
© Alan Weiss 2013
Wow. That’s pretty cool.