So it was reported, 64 years ago, in Electronics Weekly’s edition of May 10 1961
Mr. Gray, during his address drew a direct comparison between the progress of UK and US transistorised TV receivers.
“British set designers are somewhat behind the US designers,” he said. “However, I believe they will catch up within the next year and may well go to transistorised sets here as soon as in the USA.”
In the United States, although nearly every major manufacturer has one or more sets completely designed, only two sets have been marketed.
Mr. Gray quoted these as the Philco Safari and Motorola Astronaut, and sales have been small, only 10 to 20 thousand of each.
Both sets use Philco MADT transistors in the tuners and IF strips -“because,” it was said, “these offer the highest gain with the lowest noise, and forward AGC”.
“American manufacturing experience indicates a reject rate of one-tenth that of valves, and none of the fall-off in performance within weeks of installation, which is often associated with valves,” said Mr. Gray.
