Tune in the World With a Vintage Shortwave Radio

Published in Antique Week

While collectors can enjoy most anything, some items offer more than just looking nice on the shelf. It’s nice when a collectible actually does something! Antique and vintage shortwave radios are like that – rather than just collect dust, they let you listen to news and entertainment from across the world.

Shortwave listening is a great way to learn about geography and culture.  Imagine listening to an English broadcast from China one day and classical music from Germany the next. For even more adventure, there’s the excitement of chasing down marine and aircraft communication, amateur radio operators, and even military signals.

Vintage shortwave radios also provide a great glimpse into the history of technology and consumer electronics. From the outset of radio broadcasting in the 1920s shortwave listening has always played a part. In those early years, the first radios were sold to the general public – more impressively, those who couldn’t afford one learned how to build their own.

Radio’s “golden age” spanned the 1930s through the 1950s and it became more commonplace for people to listen to the broadcasts from around the globe. Design played an increasing role as radios became home decor items. Many early radios reflected the influence of Art Deco design and are beautiful pieces. The same can be said for many post-war models that incorporated jet-age and atomic-age lines popular in mid-century.

Communication technology developed during WWII showed up in rigs built in the 40s and 50s. Often referred to as “boat anchors” due to their size and heft, these vacuum tube receivers were masterpieces of workmanship and engineering. Things got smaller once we made it to the moon and learned how to miniaturize electronics using transistors and integrated circuits. World band radios also got more capable and began sporting digital displays and direct keyboard-entry of frequencies.

Plenty of old shortwave sets can be found in the usual places – eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook marketplaces. There are also local radio collector clubs and specialized events called “hamfests” that cater to radio communication enthusiasts which can be additional treasure-troves for vintage shortwave gear.

Keep in mind, since these radios date back decades, what you purchase may require refurbishment.  That’s particularly true of old tube-type radios. Old tubes, capacitors, and power transformers can all go bad and need replacing. While solid-state sets from the 1970s may be less prone to needing repair, they are not immune from needing some tinkering. 

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As you search, you’ll uncover choices ranging from inexpensive portable receivers costing as little as $30 to top-tier communication equipment originally costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Overall, vintage shortwave receivers from pre-1985, in good working condition will run between $100 and $200 with fixer-uppers typically $50-$75.

While you are on the hunt, it’s worth keeping an eye out for certain brands and models. The following will provide a good overview of what to look for.

Hallicrafters

Perhaps no other line of vintage shortwave receiver is more coveted than those made by Hallicrafters starting in the 1930s.  Hallicrafters went on to manufacture nearly two-dozen popular models before ceasing production in the 1960s. Plenty of kids during that era got their start in shortwave listening by saving allowance money for a six-tube S-38, originally priced at about $40. An S-38 will still command $40 today.  A Hallicrafters SX-110 even appeared in a 1966 episode of the Andy Griffith show that featured a traveling band of gypsies who tricked  Mayberryans into believing they could predict the future. It was actually the shortwave radio where they gathered the inside information for their “predictions.”

Hammarlund

Formed in 1910, the Hammarlund Manufacturing Company was one of the nation’s earliest producers of radio equipment. They introduced their first shortwave sets in the early 1930s. Popular models from the post-war years include the Super Pro and HQ Series which can still command up to $200 if in good shape.  Unfortunately, Hammarlund did not make a successful transition into the solid-state market and ceased operation in the 1960s.

Zenith

The Zenith Transoceanic series was among the most popular shortwave radio lines ever built. Nearly a million units were sold between 1942 and 1979. One was even featured in an episode of Father Knows Best entitled “Shortwave” in which the family hears a cabin cruiser in distress on Bud’s Transoceanic and jumps to their aid.

Chicago-based Zenith had been making radios, including those with shortwave coverage since 1924.  But, its founder, E. F. McDonald, a charismatic former Naval Lieutenant-Commander wanted a portable radio suitable for boaters.  The first model, the Transocean Clipper, looking like a leather suitcase, was introduced in 1942. It was followed by a succession of improved leather-clad tube-based radios released throughout the 1940s and 50s.  The brilliantly-styled line was so popular that it spurred competing “suitcase” style shortwave sets including RCA’s popular Stratoworld radio.

In 1957, the first of several transistor-based Transoceanics was introduced. Although Zenith continued making solid-state models until the end of the 1970s, they effectively lost the competitive battle to Sony, Panasonic, and others which had introduced digital tuning. 

Transoceanics, of all types, are a favorite of collectors and restorers, but particularly so for the tube radios.  Project radios can be had for as little as $10 while restored units can run over $100.

Heathkit

Michigan’s Heath Company started as a manufacturer of aircraft electronics.  In 1947 they began introducing electronic items in kit form, naming the product line Heathkit. Their first shortwave kit came out in the 1950s. Following Heathkit’s success, other companies began selling kit-built communication gear, including Knight (the popular Star Roamer radio) and Lafayette which was once the competitor to Tandy/Radio Shack.

Grundig

Grundig started in post-war Germany in 1945, quickly earning worldwide acclaim for its consumer electronics. By the 1950s, they were the largest radio manufacturer in Europe. Grundig radios of that era are truly remarkable pieces, technologically advanced, exuding mid-century style, and often sporting exotics woods like European walnut or teak.

From the 1970s to 1980s, Grundig introduced successions of the Satellit models, prized by enthusiasts because of their advanced circuitry and early adoption of digital tuning.

Tandy/Radio Shack

Radio Shack marketed a popular line of shortwave gear marketed under the brand name Realistic during the 1960s and 70s. Most of the gear was made by General Research Electronics of Japan; the most popular model, the DX-160 had the features beginning listeners wanted, yet sold at a modest price tag of around $130.  Today, DX-160s are still chased by collectors, with working units typically snagging between $75 and $80. If the original external speaker is included, it can raise the price by $10-20.

Also sold under the Realistic name during the 70s was the Patrolman line of multiband radios, many of which offered shortwave coverage in addition to police, fire, and aircraft bands. These were enjoyable radios, easy to use and can often be found for $50 or less.

Yaesu

Japanese manufacturer Yaesu is best known for making amateur radio gear.  In the mid-1970s, Yaesu developed a following in shortwave circles for the FRG-7 model which was considered an exceptional radio of the era. While the original model didn’t feature digital tuning, it outperformed most of the radios based on digital circuitry. Expect to pay around $200 for a good working FRG-7 today.

Panasonic

Panasonic released a handful of shortwave models as far back as the 1960s. But, it was the late-70s RF-2200 that became legendary. It is considered one of the best portable shortwave radios ever built. A good condition RF-2200 will run about $150 today.

Sony

Sony introduced the world’s first digitally-synthesized shortwave, the ICF-2001, replacing dials and tuning knobs with keypads and digital readouts. That radio would forever change communication listening. Ironically, it was their analog ICF and CRF models that still considered some of the best portable shortwave radios of the era. An ICF-5900 is a holy grail for many shortwave collectors, usually priced from $150-$200.

Japan Radio Company

If you had money 40 years ago and wanted the best receiver money could buy, it probably would have been a Japan Radio Company (JRC) radio.  Looking like they came right off the rack at a commercial radio station, JRC rigs were known for top performance and the best technology, including the pioneering use of LED displays for frequency readout. Today, these radios are scarce and will set you back several hundred dollars, if you can find one.

This is just a sample of what’s available – other well-known names offering good options include National, Kenwood, and Drake, just to name a few. Whatever you buy, you’ll find a certain romance in listening to shortwave broadcasts on vintage equipment. Modern plastic can’t replicate the feel of a beautifully-balanced tuning knob or bathing the room with the glow of the dial lights as you listen to a broadcast from halfway around the world.

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