1955 RCA 7BT-9J
Coat pocket radio, thermoplastic cabinet with aluminum face
5 1/2 x 3 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches / 140 x 82.5 x 38 mm
Six transistors (Texas Instruments TI235, 2x TI234, RCA 3x 2N109)
One tubular 9-volt battery
Manufactured by RCA Victor Co. Inc., USA
RCA's first transistor radio (possibly second?), released in October 1955 at about the same time as the 7BT-10K lunchbox radio.
A relatively low-production radio for whatever reasons.
I was lucky enough to find this RCA complete with its shipping box, all papers, and a gray flannel carrying pouch — I've added a photo toward the bottom of this page showing some of the ephemera.
Like many radio manufacturers, RCA produced several prototypes before releasing its first commercial transistor radio, including a 1952 prototype which found its way onto eBay some years ago and sold for massive bucks ($5,000, I think?), and apparently also a 1953 prototype, as reported in a December 15, 1953 article in the New York Times (see image below). So RCA was making transistor radio prototypes well before Regency introduced the TR-1 in 1954 -- were there Regency prototypes as well?
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