RCA Branded Collectibles

RCA Branded Collectibles

Company: Radio Corporation of America (RCA)
Based: New York, NY.
Founded: 1919 (founded as the Radio Corp. of America by GE to acquire Marconi Wi
reless Telegraph Co. of America. Taken-over by GE in 1986)
Founder: General Electric Corporation (GE)
Specialty: Developing Vacuum tubes, televisions, military & space electronics, s
atellite communications. Early and substantial contributor to the development of
the transistor.Developed commercial mainframe computer systems during the late
1950's & 60's. One of the largest and most influential electronics companies dur
ing the 20th century.
image of the RCA Bizmac computer from 1956
RCA's first commerical computer - The 'BIZMAC' (1956)

RCA - An early Computer Pioneer

"From Vacuum tubes to Solid state"
image of an RCA core memory computer ad from 1964
An RCA Core Memory Ad (1964)
Radio Corporation of America (RCA), was an early supplier of vacuum tubes from
radio industry and other electronics. RCA was one of the eight major computer co
mpanies (along with Burroughs, Honeywell, Control Data Corporation, NCR, IBM, Ge
neral Electric and UNIVAC) through-out most of the 1960s. RCA's turnaround was i
ts computer division. It was started in 1958 by Sarnoff and then RCA President
John Burns. RCA abandoned computers in 1971. Early RCA computer models included
the RCA 300, RCA 301, RCA 501, RCA 601
The history of computing hardware starting at 1960 is marked by the conversion f
rom Vacuum Tubes to Solid State Transistors and later the Integrated Circuit. By
1959 discrete transistors were considered sufficiently reliable and economical
that they made further vacuum tube computers inefficient and uncompetitive. Com
puter main memory slowly moved away from Magnetic Core Memory devices to solid-s
tate static and dynamic semiconductor memory, which greatly reduced the cost, si
ze and power consumption of computer devices.

RCA Micromodule Assembly Display (1958-60)

image of an RCA Micromodule paperweight
Item #065
On March 18th 1959 the U.S. Army Signal Corps and RCA announced development of m
icromodules for electronic devices which ultimately could permit 500k components
to be packed into a cubic inch of space. As electronic systems grew more comple
x, engineers sought simpler ways to interconnect the thousands of transistors us
ed to implement them. Government agencies funded micro-module and multi-chip hyb
rid circuit projects in search of a solution to this tyranny of numbers problem. T
he micro-module and other lego-like alternatives were a clever solution to the pro
blem of interconnections. While these techniques substantially enhanced the reli
ability of electronic components, however, the interconnections were still there
, functioning as a physical limit to further miniaturization. In 1958, the U.S.
Air Force and Westinghouse adopted the term molecular electronics in order to desc
ribe their radical joint research program that aimed to leapfrog beyond both the
conventional approach to circuit integration proposed by RCA and the U.S. Army
Signal Corps and the burgeoning efforts to build monolithic integrated circuits
at Fairchild Semiconductor and Texas Instruments. Because of the introduction of
integrated circuits in 1960 there was no production of micro module equipment a
nd the Micro-module packaging technology quickly became obsolete.
This rare Lucite display contains actual components showing each of the steps n
ecessary to manufacture a Micro-module: an end wafer, transistor, diode, ceramic
capacitor, electronic capacitor, resistor & end wafer. At the end of the arrow
are two assembled micro modules, one is the stacked and soldered micro module an
d another is finished product and is encapsulated. These Micro-modules were manu
factured at RCA's Semiconductor and Materials Division in Somerville, New Jersey
.
Measures 6 x 4" x 1" thick.
image of an RCA Micromodule early transistor electronic computer transistor comp
onents
Close up of RCA micromodule components
image of an RCA Micromodule transistor computer components
Close up of RCA micromodule
RCA 501 Computer 2N581 Transistor and Magnetic Core Memory (1958)
image of the RCA 501 computer paperweight with RCA 2N581 transistor and core mem
ory
Item #497
The RCA Model 501 Electronic Data Processing System, released in 1958, was the c
ompany's first Transistorized Computer Model, replacing the previous Vacuum Tube
technology of the previous model, the RCA BIZMAC (released two years earlier in
1956). The 501's many transistors were mounted onto PCB module cards. 16k Memor
y was standard and was composed of Magnetic Core Memory Modules. RCA eventually
withdrew from computer manufacturing in 1971.
Clear Lucite paperweight has an actual RCA 2N581 transistor as well as a bunch o
f Core Memory "Doughnuts". Item has "RCA 501" and "Electronic Data Processing Sy
stem" embedded inside as well.
List of all the RCA Transistors used in the RCA 501 system:
#3696, 3696A, 3697, 3697A, 2N1495, 2N1289, and the 2N581.

RCA 301 Electronic Data Processing System Mainframe Computer (1960)

image of the RCA 301 computer paperweight
Item #442
The RCA 301 Electronic Data Processing System was a business oriented medium siz
ed computer with central memory built from magnetic cores. Its logic circuits us
e solid state circuits made from discrete transistors and diodes. The RCA 301 wa
s offered with between 10k to 40k of core memory. Input was from Magnetic tape,
paper tape or punch cards.
Clear Lucite paperweight with a white backing. The graphics are wonderful with a
black and white mainframe computer with chair in the upper left, and an arrow c
omprised of keypunch cards pointing to actual metal typeset embedded within the
acrylic at the bottom.
Measures 2 1/4" square, it is tapered when standing, from a thickness of 7/8" at
the bottom to 11/16" at the top.
image of an RCA 301 computer and operator
An operator on an RCA 301 Computer
image of an RCA 301 computer from 1961
The RCA 301 Electronic Data Processing System from 1961
image of an RCA 301 computer Main Console and operator
RCA 301 computer Main Console and operator
image of an RCA 301 computer
The RCA 301's Main Rack
image of the RCA 301 computer
Close up of the RCA 301 computer type set
image of an RCA 301 computer punch cards and type set
Close up of the 301 Computer & Punch Cards
RCA Early Germanium Television Transistors (1953)
image of an RCA transistor paperweight from 1953 with germanium alloy junction a
nd point contact tv transistors
Item #457
In 1952 RCA engineers were busy experimenting with new Transistor designs with g
oals of developing the worlds first experimental All-Transistor Television. In 1
953 RCA introduced to the public the First Transistorized Television using Trans
istors similar to these. The earliest Junction Transistors were constructed usin
g glass bases with molded epoxy encapsulation surrounding the circuitry. It was
soon discovered that this construction process led to moisture contamination and
caused the Transistors to fail prematurely. Most manufactures would quickly cha
nge to the new process of using hermetically sealed metal cases which solved the
issue with premature failure.
Clear Lucite paperweight with two early examples of RCA Germanium Transistors em
bedded inside. The white one (L) is a low power Germanium Alloy Junction Transis
tor used for Audio circuits. The clear one (R) is a Germanium Point Contact Tran
sistor used for RF/IF high frequency circuits. Has the RCA logo button made of b
rass and red enamel embedded inside as well.
Measures 1" X 2 3/4" X 3 3/4".
image of an early RCA Point Contact Transistor
RCA Point Contact Transistor
image of an early RCA junction transistor
RCA Junction Transistor
image of an early RCA Point Contact Transistor close up
RCA Point Contact Transistor Germanium & 'Whiskers'
image of an RCA early junction transistor ad from 1953, the mighty mite of elect
ronics
RCA Junction Transistor Ad (1953)
image of the RCA electronics logo during the 1950's
image of the first transitorized television invented at RCA in 1953
The first transitorized television, invented at RCA (1953)
RCA Video Data Terminal Character Generator (Mid to Late 1950's)
image of an RCA Video Data Terminal character generator paperweight
Item #570
This paperweight contains a character generator's Stencil (or Mask) made by RCA
for use with an RCA computer's Video Data Terminal (VDT). The VDT was made up o
f an electron gun, the character generator mask (stencil), beam deflectors, and
a phosphor coated screen, all sealed in a glass vacuum tube.
RCA applied for the contract to manufacture the new SAGE Radar computer system f
or the U.S. Government, but it ultimately was awarded to IBM. RCA was also compe
ting with both General Dynamics and Hughes for VDT display technologies for use
with the advanced display systems updates for the SAGE computer and radar system
during the Mid to late 1950's time period.
The development of the SAGE computer display systems in the 1950's introduced th
e computer user to the CRT as a viable display and interaction interface.
RCA VERSAWATT Power Transistor (1978)
image of an RCA Versawatt Transistor paperweight
Item #455
This 3 lead RCA VERSAWATT power transistor is encased in a clear block of Lucit
e with white background. Comes in it's original box with pamphlet which explains
the "volumetric efficiency" of the RCA VERSAWATT.
The VERSAWATT power transistor was designed for medium-power Linear & switching
service in consumer, automotive & industrial applications.
image of an RCA Power Transistor paperweight
RCA Power Transistor
image of a paperweight with a RCA Power Transistor
RCA Power Transistor
image of the RCA versawatt transistor
RCA VERSAWATT Specifications sheet
image of the RCA versawatt Power Transistor Specifications
RCA VERSAWATT Specifications sheet
image of an RCA VERSAWATT Power Transistor
RCA VERSAWATT Power Transistor Cut-Away view

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