model TR-173 'Collie'
Made in Japan 1965 - MW radio - 6 transistors - this is one of the radios that made pocket radios really popular in Europe, there must have been sold an enormous number of these Collies. They were given away as a promotion by several companies and others sold them at promotion prices with their products like soap and soup - it was amoung these promotion radios the best bargain. There were other brand radios like Toho, but performance of these radios was less - The Collie performed very well and was well built - Today is clear that Sharp used a minor quality plastics and paints in this radio: the colour of the case and the case itself detoriates, the plastic dial breaks easely as years go by and the plastic ages, the backpainting on the front vanishes when enviroment humidity is relatively high during some period. All this is the cause of the fact that only few Collies are in good condition nowadays and it takes good care to keep this radio in good condition, like there are other radios with the same problem, i.e. some radios made by Toshiba, see Channel Master.
model 6 transistor
Unlike the above Collie this radio is of very good quality and high quality parts are used. Heavy constructed metal case. This radio from the 1960s is an unusual looking radio and is also not commonly constructed. It employs i.e. resistors printed on the pcb just like some Panasonic radios have and has only few common resistors soldered on the pcb. This radio plays well. Supply 3V, 2X 1,5V AA cell.
©PE1MMK® Hans Hilberink Radiomuseum. 22-07-2000.