The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device that can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. It allows a variable current, from an external source, to flow between two of its terminals depending on the smaller voltage or current applied to a third terminal. Transistors are made either as separate components or as part of an integrated circuit.
Transistors are divided into two main categories: bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field effect transistors (FETs). Transistors have three terminals where, in simplified terms, the application of current (BJT) or voltage (FET) to the input terminal increases the amount of charge in the active region, and thereby effectively increases the conductivity between the other two terminals, and hence controls current flow between those terminals. The physics of this "transistor action" is quite different for the BJT and FET; see the respective articles for further details.
More on [ Transistor ]

Antique Radio Page - Transistor Radios - Don Adamson's gallery of transistor sets. Brief descriptions accompany the thumbnail images, which may be clicked for a larger image.
Radio Wallah - Photos and info on early transistor radios from Alan Kastner's collection. Most are shown with detail closeups or interior views. Tips for dating Japanese radios, and visits to some of Alan's favorite shops in Akihabara, Tokyo's Electric Town
Meta Description: [ Presenting photos and info on early transistor radios. Recapture the wonder of the fifties through some swell designs! ]
Sarah's Transistor Radios - Sarah Lowrey's large personal collection, plus a few tube models. She periodically presents one as a feature with additional details. Her main collecting interest is in the first ten years of transistor radio manufacture.
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