1959 Cadillac radio

[Renato]

Good day,

My 57 Cadillac radio has a power supply. I tried to find for 1959 Cadillac, but Google drops me only the radio. As I know the first transistor radios comes from 1964.

[J. Gomez]

Good day,

My 57 Cadillac radio has a power supply. I tried to find for 1959 Cadillac, but Google drops me only the radio. As I know the first transistor radios comes from 1964.

The 1959 radio is all in one no separate amp/power supply, actually is the first year with an output transistor and vacuum tubes which operate at lower voltages. The 1958 still had a separate amp/power supply with vacuum tubes but the high ends 1957-1958 Eldorado/Brougham were all transistor radio.

HTH

[Ohjai]

When did Cadillac stop using vibrator supplies in their radios?

I remember having one of the first transistor radios around 1959, and trying to remember when two way radios stopped using vibrator supplies, I think Motorola phased in the transistor supply with the introduction of the "T" series in the early1960s, phasing out the "Twin V" models (6 & 12 Volt) vibrator supplies.

I would guess that the 59 radio would still be using the vibrator as its "power supply".

Jim

[J. Gomez]

When did Cadillac stop using vibrator supplies in their radios?

I remember having one of the first transistor radios around 1959, and trying to remember when two way radios stopped using vibrator supplies, I think Motorola phased in the transistor supply with the introduction of the "T" series in the early1960s, phasing out the "Twin V" models (6 & 12 Volt) vibrator supplies.

I would guess that the 59 radio would still be using the vibrator as its "power supply".

Jim

Jim,

Vibrators traditionally are/were used in high voltage applications via an output transformer for the high voltage. The older vacuum tubes required higher voltages for the plate and grid and so the vibrator with the bulky power supply was use on those applications. Changes made to vacuum tubes with lower voltages allowed the radios to trash the pesky vibrators with all the bulky components for the power supply.

Transistors made radios simpler and less bulky but you still have the hybrid setup with vacuum tubes and transistors (output types) for a few years until they became available for other applications.

I would guess the same would be applicable for the old 2-way radios back then as more type of transistors where developed for different applications around the early '60s.

[bcroe]

Those 1960ish  2 way radios still needed a big tube output section
for like 50 watts, they went to a transistor inverter for transmit.  I
built a monitor back then (before you could buy one), could hear the
inverter in the background on some radios.  Even with later high
power high frequency transistors, probably was quite a while before
they could run direct from 12V battery.  Bruce Roe

[Renato]

Thank you!