Transistor Radios Around the World

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1972 Optalix St. James Auto S.2

Pocketbook radio, leather-over-plastic cabinet
7 1/8 x 3 3/4 x 2 3/8 inches / 180 x 95 x 60 mm
2-band MW/LW, six transistors, superheterodyne circuit
Two large 4.5-volt batteries
Manufactured by Optalix; Amiens, France

From 1972, this is the most recently-produced radio on this site — it's so unique and pretty that I just couldn't NOT put it on this site! It has the leather-over-plastic "pocketbook" cabinet design popular with French transistor radio manufacturers such as TED / Optalix, the first of these being the classic TED St. Germain from 1962. This set has a pretty stunning clear-plastic-covered tuning area mirrored by a unique overlapping plastic speaker grille design.

And like many European MW/LW radios, this set's MW band is calibrated in meters and the LW band displays several LW broadcasters by name. Radios made in France designate their bands as "PO" (Petites ondes) and "GO" (Grandes ondes) — "PO" is MW, and "GO" is LW.


Optalix St. James

1972 Optalix St. James Auto S.2


Optalix St. James

inside the pocketbook

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