Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" Vacuum Tube Hearing Aid
The Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" vacuum tube hearing
aid was produced by Microtone Co. of St.
Paul, MN in 1951.
It measured 3" x 2½" x ⅞"
thick and
weighed 7¾ oz. without the batteries.
This hearing aid had an elegant filigree microphone grill (top center)
The shiny chrome front and back overlaid a very light blue plastic
chassis.
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Rear view of the Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" hearing aid showing
the manufacturer's name (Microtone) at the bottom. The whole back swung
down to give access to the battery compartment.
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Top view of the Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" hearing aid showing
the receiver plug (left), the "thumb groove" to open the battery
compartment door (left of center) and the 3-position tone control lever (right)
shown in the upright "HF" (high-frequency emphasis) position. In the middle
"N" (normal) position both low and high tones were amplified
equally, and in the low "LS" (low suppression) position
low tones were suppressed and thus the higher tones were accentuated. The pocket
clips are at the left and right sides (top).
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Left-side view of the Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" hearing aid
showing the on-off/volume control wheel (upper left).
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Right side view of the Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" hearing
aid showing the external microphone jack (center) and the external
microphone flat-pinned plug beside it. External microphones weren't
unknown in body hearing aids, but they certainly weren't common. |
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The whole back of the case swung down from the top revealing the battery
compartment of the Microtone Model T-612 "Fleetwood" hearing aid.
The center compartment held a 1½ volt "A" battery, and the lower
compartment held a "B" battery—probably a 22½ volt one.
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View of the cover of the vacuum tube compartment of the Microtone Model T-612
"Fleetwood" hearing aid. It reads,"Microtone/Sealed Power/
T612/Four Tube Push Pull/St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A." The serial
number (D-96992) is in blue (left)
Note the slot in the left center of the cover. You inserted a small
screwdriver to pry up the lid revealing the vacuum tubes (below). |
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View of the vacuum tube compartment of the Microtone Model T-6-12
"Fleetwood" hearing aid showing the two sets of paired vacuum
tubes. These vacuum tubes worked in a push-pull configuration. The two
larger vacuum tubes are Raytheon CK548DX models, and the two smaller
tubes are Raytheon CX549DX models.
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View of the front of the external microphone (bottom center) of the Microtone Model T-612
"Fleetwood" hearing aid. The external microphone had a chrome
front and a cream plastic back. Above the microphone is a metal flower
that could slide over it to disguise the microphone so supposedly people
couldn't tell you were wearing a hearing aid.
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Rear view of the external microphone showing the broach-type pin to
fasten it to your clothing, and also showing how the disguising flower
slides over the microphone (from the right).
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Close-up view of the attractive metal flower showing how well it hid the
external microphone.
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Close-up view of the receiver used with the Microtone Model T-612
"Fleetwood" hearing aid. |
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The Microtone T-612 "Fleetwood" vacuum tube hearing aid in
its original case. |
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Outside view of the Microtone T-612 "Fleetwood" case.
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