WB2RJR
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Posts: 400
1st BCT, 10th Mountain, returned from Iraq 11/2008
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« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2009, 09:02:41 AM » |
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Hi Cliff,
Sounds interesting.
When I was 10 in 1959 my parents went to see some friends who had a cottage on Lake Erie south of Buffalo, NY. My older brother was at Scout Camp, and my younger brother was just 3 and taking a nap. Only OLD people around talking and nothing for me to do.
In the kitchen I saw a radio and asked if it would be OK if I turned it on to listen to.
My dad's friend said fine.
This was a Sunday in 1959, not much on AM to listen to that would interest a 10 year old. I found that out very quickly. However I also noticed that this radio had a third knob. Not just the two for volume and tuning like our radio at home.
I didn't know what that third knob did, but I decided to switch it and see what happened.
There are many ways in which I could tell you at that moment my life changed, I didn't see it then, but I do now.
That third knob was to switch that Crosley model 56-TX from AM to Shortwave.
All of a sudden on this radio, I could hear the BBC, Radio Moscow, Radio Prague, Radio Havanna Cuba, Radio Netherlands, HCJB etc.
I was flipped out, almost couldn't believe this was possible.
I spent the whole afternoon listening and exploring on shortwave.
When it was time to leave, I could not stop talking to my dad's friend about all the stations I had heard from around the world, how this was the best best best radio I had ever seen in my life. I was going on and on.
Because I was such an interested nut case kid,he gave that radio to me. He said, "Why don't you take it with you? " My parents said OK and that radio was mine. It was a 1946 Crosley model 46-TX, a table radio with shortwave.
My first and favorite SW receiver, although not the best I've seen.
In 63 I became a ham, and have been since then,but that is another story.
73
Marty WPE2HGD (WPE2HGD ,I'm sure you know what that means if you are an old SWL)
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