TRANSISTOR MUSEUM™ Historic Transistor Photo Gallery
Raytheon “Tall Boy” Case (5/16”L 3/16”W X 7/16” H) Date Codes 1956 (Weeks 23 and 40) Above is the Classic Cardboard Transistor Packaging Used by Raytheon in the Mid 1950s See Page 2 for More 2N63/64/65 Information	RAYTHEON 2N63 2N64 2N65   TYPE Germanium PNP Alloy Junction Transistor USAGE General Purpose/AF DATE INTRODUCED 1954 CASE STYLES Raytheon Iridescent Blue Metal AVAILABILITY Rare (Production Limited to Mid 1950s)
HISTORIC NOTES Raytheon was the early leader in germanium transistor production in the mid 1950s, beginning in 1953 with the famous CK721 and CK722 hobbyist transistors and the CK718 hearing aid transistor. These first commercial devices used a black plastic epoxy case, which tended to absorb moisture over time in a manner that often led to device failure.  Raytheon addressed this problem by developing a hermetically sealed metal case, which entered large scale production in late 1954.  Also at this time, Raytheon had implemented substantial improvements to its germanium transistor manufacturing technology, which contributed to the introduction of better performing transistors.  The Raytheon types 2N63, 2N64 and 2N65 audio transistors were some of the first types developed by Raytheon in the mid 1950s to combine hermetically sealed metal cases with improved germanium technology.  Another interesting feature of the mid 1950s production of Raytheon germanium transistors was the use of a striking iridescent blue paint for the case color.  Whether you are an historian, engineer, researcher or experimenter, you’ll likely discover that your beautiful 2N63, 2N64 or 2N65 transistor still performs its job as an audio transistor, even after more than 50 years since Raytheon manufactured these unique devices.
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