Empress Pocket Radio

The Empress D-1258 was a solid-state pocket radio manufactured in Hong Kong. It is a five transistor heterodyne receiver, which receives in the medium wave (MW) frequency range of 535 kHz to 1605 kHz. It has an IF stage which operates at 455 kHz, providing a clear reception of the stations. This radio has a built-in loudspeaker with an output of 200 mW.

This model is the same as the Vesta-35. If memory serves, Vesta was at one time a manufacturer of thermionic valves, batteries, and radios. In the early 80s, the Chinese flooded the market with cheap pocket radios, and there were many designs with different cases, but the circuit remained the same.

The electronic engineering of these early pocket radios was remarkable, because they were able to make extremely sensitive and loud radios using as little as five transistors. In contrast, modern radios use integrated circuits (IC), which contain hundreds if not thousands of transistors, and yet the performance is often average.

Cost / eBay

The Empress D-1258 would have been mass produced in Hong Kong, however I have not seen very many of these. You might see this on eBay once every few years and radio collectors usually snap it up fast. The price is of course what you end up paying on the day.

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