Here are some of the smallest novelty radios made. All the size of a credit card !
This ‘listen’ radio was given to readers of the independent
newspaper in the late 1990’s.
Most of these tiny radios activate when the earpiece is plugged in .
The slogan on this
promotional radio appealed to me.. Probably given to the sales reps to give to customers as a promotional item.
In the 1980’s Casio brought out the world’s thinnest radio. The RD10 was the size of a credit card and was only 2mm thick. It was mono fm and the earphone leads acted as the aerial and the on/off. In spite of its small size it had manual tuning and volume control..
Later a new stereo version was marketed, the RD100, but this was thicker than the earlier version and not so collectable..
Even novelty radios have
the PC bug. Greek Olympic airways designed this very nice
FM radio where the little blue tuning knob runs around the
‘At’ @ cut out in the metal face.
Designed to stand on the desk top. Good integrated design.
The little ‘at’ radio on the left is so cute don’t you think?
Manual tuning is at the rear.
About the only thing these two have in common is that they are both scanner novelties !
I bought the Saddam Hussein
card radio from a chap in Iraq.
What appealed to me was that the two small aces are in fact the scan and reset buttons controlling the radio. It also has a torch in the end face !
The other is unusual in that there are not many novelty radios carrying a countries flag. This one is a good design and is only 4 inches long and
a quarter inch thick.
For its size it is also a clock, the time appearing in the
Window in the lower centre.
This example is the very best novelty radio I have ever found. Made from solid perspex
.75 inches thick !!
Even the tuning and volume controls are solid perspex.
A Sony radio, I have only ever seen one other example of this model.. 0ver 200 holes drilled through the thick perspex for the loudspeaker and vent.
This radio is made in solid acrylic. Push the centre area and it raises up to allow the sound to emerge from the loudspeaker underneath with a blue led.
Fm only. A simple, beautiful but pleasing design.
These two have chess pieces molded into the bottom slab of
solid clear plastic. More pawns on one below.
How about a mouse as a mouse ?
Plenty of models about now, all scanners. The tail on this gold one is the fm aerial. Others use the earphone lead as the aerial.
Haven’t yet been able to find a rat though.
Here’s a version where the tail pulls in and out to control a
sliding pot for volume control.
Both use the mouse left/right buttons as the scan and reset buttons.
Finally, we mustn’t for forget Disney’s mice. Two common types below. The ears used for tuning are rather cute.
Then a FM and AM version was marketed, the RD30. All manual tuning but volume control is just low and high position no doubt to avoid increasing the thickness in order to install a rotary pot.
