wrote:
: In the 1960s the pocket radios hit the market and were sold everywhere.
: I have not opened one of them in years, but I recall the transistors
: used in them did not look like more modern types. They had a small metal
: can. Just a straight sided metal can, shaped like modern capacitors, but
: bare metal. Some had colored dots on them to identify the leads too.

: First, I am thinking that they were geranium types. Is that correct?

: Second, I have a very old GE transistor manual (edition 2) (PDF). No
: where in there does it mention the case style of them. What is the case
: style?

: Seems those type of transistors came and went quickly. I assume they
: were the first generation of transistors.

: Shortly after, I recall seeing a lot of metal cases that were shaped
: more like a hat, with a brim. Those too vanished. And I recall seeing
: some of the hat shaped types with a point sticking out of the top. I
: always wondered what that point was for???

Here https://www.mklab.rhul.ac.uk/~tom/temp6 are some photos of a few
old, unusual transistors from my collection, including a red spot one.
Are any of these the types you were thinking off?

Regards
Tom Crane

Ps. The email address in the header is just a spam-trap.
--
Tom Crane, Dept. Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill,
Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, England.
Email: T dot Crane at rhul dot ac dot uk