The hand-held radio was developed in the USA and was used by infantry in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The devices were manufactured under license in Germany and France. Due to their shape they were nicknamed "bananas" and are often referred to as the forerunners of the mobile phone. Depending on the terrain, the range was several hundred feet to about a mile. Thanks to the use of subminiature tubes, the radios weighed only 5 pounds, including the battery.
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