Weltron

Weltron Co Inc
Founded c.1967–1968[1]
Headquarters (formerly) Durham, North Carolina, now Oxford, North Carolina
Key people
 James Pratt Winston (president and general manager)[2]
Products Consumer Electronics

Weltron is an electronics manufacturer and retailer, based in Oxford, North Carolina.

In the UK some of their products were sold under the Prinzsound brand, in Canada under the Fleetwood brand, and in Australia under the GEC brand. Weltron's early product range is known for its Space Age design.

History

The Weltron name was first used in 1960 by Womack Electronics,[3] a company run by Charles A. Womack. Womack Electronics filed a trademark application for the brand, which was to produce Cathode ray tubes, in 1962.[4] The trademark was expanded in 1964 to cover the production of Radios, antennas and other devices,[5] in 1965 to cover instruments such as electric organs and electric guitars,[6] and in 1966 to cover electrical cleaning chemicals.[7]

James Pratt Winston joined Womack Electronics late in 1967. He left the company and started a new Weltron company, with a 51% share of ownership. Womack owned the remaining 49% share. Weltron's early product range consisted of guitars and other musical instruments, but Winston soon concluded that the company would be better served with its own bespoke product line. He came up with the idea of a spherically-shaped stereo FM radio/cassette deck that could run on mains and battery power, known as the Model 2001. Released around 1970–71, the "very unusual" 2001 was priced at $159.95 (equivalent to $967 in 2017).[8] The 2001 model was successful, and through 1972 the company developed other models, sold under the "New Shape of Sound" line. These included the 2002, a spherical AM/FM stereo radio, and the 2003, a spherical speaker sold in pairs. The new products were sold by direct marketing, along with advertisements in various consumer magazines.[9] The model 2005 was advertised in May 1973, listed at $300[10] (equivalent to $1,654 in 2017). Model 2007 was demonstrated at the 1975 Winter Consumer Electronics Show, with a price of $399[11] (equivalent to $1,815 in 2017). The Model 2010 was listed in 1977 as costing $185 (equivalent to $747 in 2017).[12]

In 1974 the company was bought by LCA Corp for $1,500,000 and settlement of some of the company's debts.[13] then owned by Walter Kidde Inc. Winston served as president of Weltron for about four years. In 1980 he started a new company, Winston International. About five years later Winston International purchased the Weltron brand. The company now sells a range of electrical products, including security systems and computer peripherals.

Design

The Model 2001 was featured in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation's "Your Place in Time" exhibition.[14][15]

Legacy products

A Prinzsound SM8, otherwise known as a Weltron 2001 "spaceball" AM/FM radio with 8-track player.

Home hifi

  • PS-804 – a portable AM/FM audio receiver with 8-track player
  • 2001 – a portable AM/FM audio receiver with 8-track player (c. 1970). Commonly known as the "Spaceball".
  • 2002 – a portable AM/FM audio receiver (c. 1972)
  • 2003 – a pair of spherical speakers (c. 1972)
  • 2004 – a portable AM/FM audio receiver with compact cassette recorder
  • 2005 – a vinyl turntable with integrated AM/FM audio receiver and 8-track player
  • 2006 – a pair of 8 ohm 10 watt tower speakers
  • 2007 – a vinyl turntable with integrated AM/FM audio receiver and compact cassette recorder (c. 1975)[16]
  • 2010 – a portable AM/FM audio receiver with 8-track player/recorder (c. 1977)
  • XX-10 – a portable AM/FM audio receiver with compact cassette recorder
  • 37-009 – AM radio headphones
  • 37-001w – headphones
  • 37-002 – headphones
  • 37-004 – dynamic headphones
  • 3006 – a pair of speakers
  • S-45 – stand for 2005 and 2007 models

Car audio

  • WAP-805 – an in-car 8-track player
  • 717-K – an in-car 8-track player[17]

Home electronics

  • 37-104 – electret microphone
  • 37-113 – dynamic microphone
  • 37-124 – dynamic microphone
  • 2500 – clock radio
  • 2501 – clock radio
  • 2502 – clock radio

References

  1. ↑ '73 Drive Set, Billboard, December 23, 1972, p. 46
  2. ↑ Joe, Radcliffe (December 23, 1972), Weltron Sets 1973 Drive, Billboard, p. 32
  3. ↑ Weltron (PDF), tsdr.uspto.gov, July 19, 1962, retrieved May 5, 2018
  4. ↑ WELTRON Trademark Information, trademarkia.com, retrieved May 5, 2018
  5. ↑ Weltron (PDF), tsdr.uspto.gov, June 23, 1964
  6. ↑ Weltron (PDF), tsdr.uspto.gov, July 20, 1966
  7. ↑ Weltron (PDF), tsdr.uspto.gov, June 30, 1966
  8. ↑ IHHEE Makes Summer Plans—But Bucks CES Date in Chicago, Billboard, January 23, 1971, p. 16
  9. ↑ Weltron Sets 1973 Drive, Billboard, December 23, 1972, p. 32
  10. ↑ New Products, Billboard, May 26, 1973, p. 41
  11. ↑ Weltron Will Show New Unit at Winter CES, Billboard, January 4, 1975, p. 40
  12. ↑ Grossinger, Tania (1977), The Great Gadget Catalogue, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, p. 71
  13. ↑ Off the Ticker, Billboard, August 31, 1974, p. 8
  14. ↑ Apple-1: Soul of a new era, TX: Texarkana Gazette, December 11, 2014, p. 9A
  15. ↑ Weltron Model 2001 Eight-Track Tape Player, circa 1970, thehenryford.org, retrieved May 6, 2018
  16. ↑ Weltron Will Show New Unit at Winter CED, Billboard, January 4, 1975, p. 40
  17. ↑ Audio 8-Track Player and Speakers (PDF), Radio-Electronics, August 1973, p. 90
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