Posted 4 years ago
Shariler
(2 items)
Can someone shari any info on my radio that I have recently come to own please. I have contacted the radiomuseum in Montreal and would or could not help me. I have tried to research this beauty. There isn't alot of info on it.
Thank you
Whatever it is it is very cool. Just by looking I say 1950s/early 60s. RCA victor transistor radio. Shouldn't be that hard to find.
Hi, Shariler. :-)
I think I found it:
*snip*
Transistor Six P-331
Country: Canada
Manufacturer / Brand: RCA Victor (International), Montreal
Year: 1958 ? Category: Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 Tuner
Semiconductors (the count is only for transistors) 6: 2T73 2T76 2T76 2T66 2T65 2T65
Main principle Superheterodyne (common); ZF/IF 455 kHz; 2 AF stage(s)
Tuned circuits 5 AM circuit(s)
Wave bands Broadcast only (MW).
Details
Power type and voltage Dry Batteries / 6 Volt
Loudspeaker Permanent Magnet Dynamic (PDyn) Loudspeaker (moving coil) / Ø 3.5 inch = 8.9 cm
Power out
from Radiomuseum.org Model: Transistor Six P-331 - RCA Victor International,
Material Plastics (no bakelite or catalin)
Shape Very small Portable or Pocket-Set (Handheld) < 8 inch.
Dimensions (WHD) 7.25 x 4.25 x 1.62 inch / 184 x 108 x 41 mm
Notes
The RCA-Victor model P-331 is a 6-transistor portable radio for standard broadcast reception. Has internal ferrite rod antenna and two earphone jacks.
*snip*
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_victor_transistor_six_p_331.html
*snip*
A very rare, and I mean RARE radio. This is the first transistor radio manufactured by the Nippon Victor Company in 1957-58. Nippon Victor was renamed Japan Victor Company or JVC. This example was made for export to Canada. There are only a handful of these known to exist. (the number could be as low as ten)
It's a hefty coat pocket sized radio - very well made. The entire front panel is reverse painted.
The domestic Japanese variant is even more attractive and equally as rare!
I recently saw a newspaper ad that included this radio (the Ottawa Journal from December 12, 1958) which shows a retail price of $59.95
*snip*
https://www.flickr.com/photos/transistor_radios/16507001434
*snip*
RCA Victor Canada began to market Japanese-made transistor radios in late 1957, or quite early in1958. It begins with the P-331, a beautiful set made by NVC - later JVC - with Nipper on the large reverse-painted front panel and which was sold in the domestic Japanese market as the TS-600. (The TS-600 was launched around August of 1957 as NVC's first transistor radio.) That was followed by the P-330, which is based on the NVC TS-650.
Following these two models, RCA Victor Canada appears to have gone on a path of selecting radios from a variety of Japanese makers as suited their motives at any given time.
*snip*
https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=289903&start=0
A service data manual (not free):
*snip*
RCA P-331 service data manual. Dated 1958.
This is an original factory issued manual, it is not a copy.
In good used condition. 4 pages.
*snip*
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/RCA-P-331-Radio-Service-Data-Manual-1958-Factory-Original-The-Real-Thing-/233914455484