[BC] Re: Regency TR-1

[Jason Togyer]

Phil Alexander <dynotherm at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>"Powell E. Way III W4OPW" <w4opw at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>>If you put it in constant dollar terms the little
>>>red $9.95 Regency hit the market when $10 was the
>>>virtual equivalent of $100 today in terms of
>>>purchasing power.
>>
>>
>>It was not a very good radio, but the prices now
>>commanded by them are somewhat breathtaking!
>
>Yeah, but it was cheap, ran on batteries and fit
>in your shirt pocket. OTOH, a Zenith Transoceanic
>was a good radio that ran on batteries, cost a
>fortune and DIDN'T fit in your shirt pocket. <g>

Actually, with due respect to my learned colleagues :-) it wasn't 
that cheap --- the Regency TR-1 had a retail price of $49.95 in 1955, 
which would be more than $350 by today's standards.

But that was in the era when transistors were individually produced 
--- and then had to be sorted to find the duds, calculate the specs, 
etc. Once mass production techniques were refined, and reliable 
transistors could be cheaply turned out, the prices dropped fast.

I don't know if there's a direct analogy to HD receivers or not --- I 
don't think the technology of HD receivers is as primitive as 
transistor tech was in 1955. But --- I Am Not An Engineer.

Also, in 1955, there was a demand by people to listen to the existing 
AM radio service that was already 35 years old. They didn't need to 
be sold on the benefits.

HD is a new service --- receiver manufacturers and broadcasters are 
trying to create demand for something most people haven't heard yet.

73 de Jason Togyer KB3CNM
WKHB Irwin, Pa. / WKFB Jeannette, Pa.
(and sometimes WRCT-FM, Pittsburgh)