1950 Tom Thumb Bike Radio

1950s Tom Thumb Bike Radio

Model B-44

Automatic Radio Manufacturing Co. of Boston, MA

Dimensions:

Base: 7″ x 4 x 3.5″

Overall: 16″ x 8 x 4″ (with aerial retracted)

The Tom Thumb bicycle radio was manufactured in 1949 by the Automatic Radio Manufacturing Co. of Boston, MA.

Previous bicycle radios required large internal battery packs that had to be mounted separately, but the batteries in this new AM radio were housed inside the casing. It contained four vacuum tubes and was powered by two 1.5-V and one 67.5-V battery.

The radio is in good all round original condition. I’ve never fitted batteries to see if it works, but I purchased it (12 years ago) as a functional radio. The original handlebar mountings are there, but to fit to a bicycle’s handlebar you’ll need to drill two holes in two three inch pieces of metal to make a clamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period pics and technical info with thanks to : https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/automatic_bike_radio_b44.html