Growing up in northern Minnesota, we were able to pull in three, count ‘em, three t.v. stations on the trusty aerial antenna mounted to our home’s rooftop. I was fortunate, some of my pals who live out in the sticks were lucky if they got one station. Cable did not come our way until well into the 1980s. And satellite tv? Who could afford that? This meant that much of our news and entertainment came in the form of radio.
We had pretty much a radio in every room — bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, basement, garage, and one that could be plugged in when we were working outside.
That was forty-plus years ago. Today, it’s all streaming all the time. Or so it seems.
Sure I have my Pandora and TuneIn Radio app. I also have in my home four radios which I still listen to on a regular basis. There’s probably nothing unique about that as I’m sure many homes still have radios and listen to what’s often called “terrestrial radio”.
Two of those four radio sets are wonderful pieces of radio history. One is a 1946 Hallicrafter’s S38-B; the other is a 1937 Delco R-1127 woodbox. They came to me via my family and made for great conversation pieces as they took up space on my bookshelves. The Hallicrafters did run. Not great, but it did. The Delco? Not so much.
Now, they both work, wonderfully. Paid someone to get the running in top condition. (Hey Minnesota Kossacks, if you have a tube radio you’re looking to get operating again, hit me up; I know a guy...)
It’s fun to scan not just the A.M. band, but the megahertz (or megacycles as the Hallicrafters calls it) that comprise what is known as shortwave. Finding international broadcasts, WTWW from Nashville, or even the Voice of America, can make for a fun diversion. One of my favorites is tuning into WWV, operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where it is all time, all the time. Every minute you can hear the words “at the tone, xx hours, xx minutes, coordinated universal time”. WWV celebrated their 100th birthday in 2019.
This is not to say that shortwave has always been a fun way to pass the day. Before the digital age, shortwave was used by nefarious groups to peddle their nonsense. Much of the shortwave landscape has shrunk as stations shut down their broadcasts.
The other difficulty of using these tube radios is the sheer amount of electrical interference found in most homes. Between modern t.v.s, wireless signals, and even refrigerators, static and buzzing can abound.
Either way, I’m glad I spent the coin to get my radios running again.
Fun fact — one of the questions asked on the 1930 federal census was whether or not the home being enumerated had a “radio set”. It was question #9.
Tell us your radio story! :)