Transistor Radios Around the World

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Before '54 --- North America --- Western Europe --- Japan and Pacific --- East Bloc and USSR


c.1959 Pygmy Ultron

Coat pocket / small portable radio, thermoplastic cabinet
6 7/8 x 3 15/16 x 1 5/8 inches / 175 x 100 x 41 mm
2-band MW/LW, superheterodyne circuit
Seven transistors (COSEM: SFT105, SFT 107, 2x SFT122, SFT152, SFT 153, one unidentified)
One tubular 9-volt battery
Manufactured by Pygmy; Paris

Red front, pale green back — the giant brass-colored thing sticking out of the cabinet's right side is the on/off-volume knob.

The Pygmy Ultron has a tuning dial that differs from most other European Radios: it shows both frequencies and specific broadcasters on both the MW and LW bands ("PO" is MW and "GO" is LW on French-made radios). And what makes this model especially unique is how it switches between the two bands: turning the tuning dial pointer to the bottom of the MW band knocks a slide-switch to LW, and turning the tuning dial pointer to the top of the LW band knocks the slide-switch to MW (see photos below).


Pygmy Ultron

c.1959 Pygmy Ultron


Pygmy Ultron

c.1959 Pygmy Ultron


Pygmy Ultron

the pale green back face looks turquoise in this photo)


Pygmy Ultron

Here, the radio is tuned to the top of the "G.O." (LW) band —
when you turn it higher, the dial pointer bumps the band-change
slide switch (right, middle of photo) to the "P.O." (MW) band —
the band switch is only accessible in this way!


Pygmy Ultron

And here, the radio is tuned to the bottom of the "P.O." (MW) band —
when you turn it lower, the dial pointer bumps the band-change slide
switch (right, middle of photo) to the "G.O." (LW) band


Pygmy Ultron

chassis — click on the photo for a larger image

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