In 1965 Hoffman produced this solar radio battery which could be used to power ANY model of ordinary (non-solar) transistor radio from sunlight. It was available with either a 4-1/2 volt, 6-volt, or 9-volt output. The packages came with instructions and epoxy mix to enable the permanent attachment of the solar pack to a host radio – or it could be used by simply attaching the end leads to a radio’s battery terminals and without making a permanent attachment. Newspaper ads in May 1965 list the unit for sale at $5.95 (plus shipping …… then just a quarter!) in any of the three offered output voltages. Pictured here is the 9-volt (HSB-9) version.
Photographed from the Bill Burkett collection
