1963 Roxy "Carsistor" UR-701
Small coat pocket radio, thermoplastic cabinet
4 1/4 W x 3 15/16 H x 1 1/8 D (108 W x 100 H x 28.5 D mm)
Eight transistors (Hitachi), four 1.5v AA cells
Made by Usui Denki Co., Japan
Unusual for its squarish dimensions, but I find it strangely appealing. I found two of these in perfect condition when I first began collecting, and as my collection grew in need of trimming, I got rid of both of them. Recently I found a Roxy on eBay and I bought it out of nostalgia.
Most of my info here comes from collector Joe Haupt's Flickr page for the Roxy. As he states,
"The Carsistor transistor radio was an idea that never gained much traction. It seemed liked a good idea back in 1963 - you could use your pocket transistor radio as your car radio. The Carsistor was equipped with a car antenna and bracket. In theory, you would simply attach the antenna to a car window and clip the radio to any convenient place in the car. Few people purchased the radio, and it disappeared from the market. The Radiomuseum.org site has the radio listed as a Roxy model, and there is a Roxy badge on the front of it; however, all ads for the radio list it as a Carsistor."
|
