Tuned in

I was a weird kid…ask anyone.  Some would argue I am still am weird.  They are probably right.  Anyhow, when I was a kid, I had a small black transistor radio from Sears that Santa brought.  I listened to classical music frequently on it.  I also listened to Charlie Pride and CCR on 8 track so I had a diverse listening experience as a kid.  Anyhow, back to that transistor radio.  I loved that radio and loved the smell of the ozone it generated (or whatever that smell that old electronics make).  Surely I am not the only one who knows and likes that smell?  I (somewhat) understand how radio waves work but I remain amazed at how people talking somewhere in the world can end up talking through the little speaker in my hand.

Juliette shortwave radio
My $1 Juliette shortwave radio!

Fast forward to now.  I have a little bit of extra money now and then and my fascination with radios is being reborn.  I got my ham radio license a few months ago and that started me learning more about radios and antennae and stuff.  So, with that extra money I mentioned a moment ago, I went junkin’ a few months ago and found a 40ish year old shortwave radio…for $1!

Aircastle shortwave radio
My $7 Aircastle shortwave radio!

Just this weekend, I was driving by another pile of junk someone had for sale sitting out by the road.  I spotted another old shortwave radio and whipped the car around to check it out…for a mere $7 I bought another 40ish year old shortwave radio.  Both radios are in pretty awesome shape and tune very well.

Tuner on Juliette shortwave radio

Tuner on Aircastle shortwave radio

Aren’t those faces just beautiful

I have a third more modern shortwave radio which is nice and all but punching in frequencies on the keyboard just doesn’t have that old fashioned radio feel and the new radio doesn’t make that old radio smell.  I love to stoop in near the radio with my ear to the speaker as I slowly and carefully turn the dial listening for anything interesting.

Tecsun PL-380 shortwave radio
My modern but boring to tune shortwave radio!

I have all of my radios on a table in the living room and when the lights are dimmed a little and I can spend a few minutes tuning in the world, the world feels a little smaller…and a lot more crazy!  Seriously, have you ever listened to shortwave?  There are lots of crazy folks on there.  Still, there is even more awesome stuff broadcast on shortwave and I love searching for every bit I can find!

Does anyone else listen to shortwave (or any band in addition to AM/FM)?

6 thoughts on “Tuned in

  1. Nope, don’t listen to shortwave. I do listen to FM and my kids think I’m crazy for “listening to songs you don’t even like”. They’re plugged into their own music on their own devices.

  2. Ooo Ooo That Smell, Can’t You Smell That Smell.
    Ooo Ooo That Smell, The Smell That Surrounds You.

    Don’t remember the name of the song or group who sang it.
    But I do remember that smell of a transistor radio, nothing like it.

  3. My goodness are you getting old. I remember our first color TV as a kid and the big magnet that the repairman would bring to get the colors back in line. Boy we come a long ways.

  4. My grandpa had a shortwave radio, and I remember as a kid listening to people talking in foreign languages. I still enjoy cranking the radio in the car when there are the occasional Hispanic broadcasts on (which drives Mel crazy). I am definitely going to keep a lookout for one of those, sounds like a lot of fun!

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