My grandfather used to love listening to short wave. I eventually took up an interest and became a ham radio operator on HF. Wish he could’ve seen. He loved listening to far away stations.
My grandma did too, my older cousin installed a big antenna outside her window, and she had a portable tuner like this.
We had a Blaupunkt with short wave for our vw beetle as a kid too (early 80s), but I don’t remember it ever working, and regretfully took it apart when I was around 12, and don’t think it ever went back together.
My Dad bought one and took it with us on family camping trips.
I still remember the weird and eerie warbles, chirps and harmonics; creepier than many camp fire ghost stories, under the right conditions.
I’m pretty sure my grandmother still has my grandfather’s radio. It looks like one in the picture.
My family had one of these. When playing with it I had no idea what I was doing but occasionally I could pick up sounds like the drone at the beginning of Empire Strikes Back
Thems dead sexay.
Shortable Portwaves
I remember seeing the second one at my grandparents house when I was a kid!
![[1968] Sears Wish Book Shortwave Portables](https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/1e7e7e6c-eb2f-42b5-8df1-2be18a6e0c00.jpeg){kind=link}