| Micro-6
1964
The Micro-6, launched in 1964 at a price of 59/6d,
was another matchbox-sized radio (though despite Sinclair's
claims to the contrary, it was not the "Smallest Radio
in the World" - devices launched as far back as 1959
were significantly smaller). The Micro-6 could be worn on
the wrist using the dreadfully-named "Transrista",
a nylon wrist strap costing an extra 7/6d (right).
Sinclair advertised the Micro-6 heavily in the electronics
press. One advertisement, unusually frivolous for Sinclair,
read:
"HEY, MISTER, LOOK AT THIS! shouts
a barmaid, pointing at something on the bar - that is, if
you can see it from there ...! What is it? It's a radio
- a real, honest to goodness stationgetting six stage British
set so small that not even the Japanese, Americans or Germans
have got anywhere near it. A gimmick did you say? Indeed
not! If you're technical, you'll see on the pages which
follow how this cute little Micro-6 works. All I can tell
you is that it's loud, it's clear, and there seems no end
to the stations you can tune in. You have to build it yourself
of course, but they say that's half the fun. This one was
given to me . . . makes a lovely present for someone doesn't
it?
It's the SINCLAIR MICRO-6 - the smallest
set on earth!"
The adverts were, however, somewhat over-optimistic
about the radio's capabilities, as Alfred Marks recalls:
"I had a picture of this thing [the
Micro-6] held in a hand, and a map of Europe on the opposite
page, and lines coming out [from foreign radio stations].
Now you could get these stations - you could pick up Russia
and so on, largely due to the power of the transmitters,
of course. What the advertisement didn't say was that most
of them came in together! They were toys, but they did a
job. He had a lot of trouble with the battery holders at
the start - he always rushed to get things into production."
One Sinclair advertisement declared enthusiastically that
"the Micro-6 cannot be too highly recommended",
which was an unfortunately ambiguous way of describing it!
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© Chris
Owen 1994-2003 |
