![]() CLICK TO VIEW FILM (film distributed by Global ImageWorks) The film also credits the numerous suppliers that Regency contracted to create the minature components necessary for this pocket sized radio. hear Robert Simcoe 2004 NPR interviewĪssociation of Manufacturers recognized the importance of Regency'sĪchievement by producing a film featuring the production facilities Market, and its compact design brought the first widely usedĪpplication of printed circuit boards into commercial Notes that the TR-1 triggered the miniature discrete components Revolution in Your Pocket" by Robert Simcoe in the 2004 fall issue of AMERICAN The electrical value of each component ( patent numberĢ,892,931, submitted in 1955 and issued by Regency TR-1 radio with specific details given all the way down to Regency patented the historic design of the Soldered into boards without manual selection. His circuitĪllowed the tolerance of production run components to be directly Key circuit design that put the radio on the market. VIDEO INTERVIEW: John Pies describes Regency entering the transistor radio business 7:08 minutes (note: the actual price of the Regency TR-1 was $49.95, not $59.95 mentioned in this interview) Commercialized use of the transistor was still at bay. Nevertheless, cost per unit was prohibitive for the consumer market with the TI circuit design. The prototype Regency TR-1 radios also used machined cases which had the same appearance as the molded cases used in the final production design. The Smithsonian displays TI's early prototype in its machined case. TI also had a transistor radio circuit which Regency found not practical for the commercial market since the design required manually selecting matched components to make the radio operate. In early July 1954, the engineering and development of the TR-1 began at Regency. Radio expertise, and TI had the transistor and financialīacking. Sylvania and Philco did not take the bait. Into the market place, but established electronics companies RCA, Power limitations were considered inherent show stoppers for the Seriously by the major radio manufacturers. Invention (later to earn the Nobel Prize in 1956) was not taken Spring 1954 - A Crucial Moment in History is Missed by the TV in right photo (photo taken in 1954, two months after release of the TR-1) Center photo: mid-1950s DB-520.Ī DB-520 booster is found just right of center on top of the TV Signal Boosters were Regency's first major Hear John Pies discuss Regency's TV signal boosters 49 second audio This prompted the beginning of the Regency Division. Ed thought the regal name sounded classy and Pack of cigarettes that had a brand name called either Regent or Regency. Meeting to discuss the company name, Ed Tudor sat fiddling with a Too much like a construction building contractor. The display of a FM Monitoradio Police Alarm PR-9 is shown here.Įlectronics seemed to be the future of the companyīut the name Industrial Development Engineering Associates sounded in the early 1950s, which built emergency frequency band receivers (FM, VHF, UHF) - this very successful division helped push company sales above fifty-millionĭollars by 1980. The Monitoradio Division also was added to I.D.E.A. toīuild signal boosters under the Sears' "Silvertone" label. The TV booster product line thrived when Sears contracted I.D.E.A. Reception was generally poor in rural areas and this led to theĬompany's first big money maker, a TV signal booster. ![]() was notĬompetitive against large companies like RCA. Sets in 1950, the project was dropped because I.D.E.A. Included voltage signal boosters for countries using substandard voltage, resistors producted under I.D.E.A.'s Radell Division and a The group designed and built several products for midwest firms through the late 1940's andįinally started marketing their own creations. On July 18, 1947, the company formallyīecame a corporation. IDEA and became president, along with radio designer George Fathauer. Tudor was hired in 1946 to stimulate markets for Industrial Development Engineering Associates in Indianapolis. The visit led to a mutual decision to quit RCA and start their ownĮngineering consulting partnership company with the name I.D.E.A., Was recovering from a collapsed lung and received a visit from Joe. Transferred with their engineering group to Camden, New Jersey. ![]() ![]() Hear John Pies' recollection of I.D.E.A./Regency's beginnings 3:10 minutes CLICK to view a series of addtional factory photos & images between 19. Regency Factory in Indianapolis, Indiana where the TR-1 was built. Pies on May 12, 1991Īnd conversations since that time. Taped interview with Regency co-founder John R. The information that follows is based on a video ![]()
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