[Milsurplus] First use of transistors in Military Portables

[James C Whartenby]

My money is on the ARN-59 as the first mil radio to use a transistor.  It
is sealed into the BFO assembly, all the rest of this ADF radio is
soldered in subminiature tubes.  It is the smallest vacuum tube military
superhet that I am aware of.
Jim

On Wed, 04 May 2005 21:34:48 -0400 Alan Tasker <atasker at ix.netcom.com>
writes:
> 
> > >The AN/UNC-4 was a simple regenrative receiver that was
> > >made to oscillate and was used as a transmitter. It was a
> > >pretty CRUDE radio but it was small enough to be carried
> > >in flight suit pockets.
> 
> Actually, the CRC-7, URC-4, 11, 14 all had a super regenerative 
> receiver, 
> and a straight crystal controlled, AM modulated final stage 
> transmitter.
> 
> The "A" version of the URC-11 and the PRC-21 were, as far as I know, 
> the 
> first use of transistors in Mil Portables. Anybody with any other 
> info on this?