Vintage SW Receiver Pics

[morganAL]

Is there anywhere besides RigPix that has a good selection of pictures of vintage SW receiver pictures? When I was about 6 or 7 years old, a local ham loaned my dad a receiver. He and I used to site for a couple of hours a night and listen to hams and SW broadcast. Even in 1978-1980, to me it seemed like an older receiver. My dad is gone now and I'm sure the ham is long gone as well (don't even have an idea who it was) so I can't ask what it was. That receiver sparked my interest in radio and led to me eventually getting my ham license and working with public safety radio for a number of years. Just for nostalgia, I would like to have a receiver like that one.

Here's what I know/remember:
It was fairly large. Probably 18-24 inches wide, 12-18 inches tall. No idea on depth.
It was black or dark gray.
I think, maybe, it had a band switch.
The tuning window was backlit and the letter and numbers were yellow/light yellow.
You had to have an external speaker or headphones plugged in before you turned it on or you would damage the audio output amplifier.

 

[W0JOG]

That would describe almost all the commercially made short wave or amateur service radios available then. Some popular-then names to hunt for are Hallicrafters, Hammerlund, Knight, National, etc If your local library has some old copies of Popular Electronics, QST (the amateur radio league magazine), Ham Radio or such, ads in them will show you what was around then. Ask a librarian for help. They are invaluable people to get to know.

de W0JOG

 

[iMONITOR]

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[majoco]

A 'vintage' photo of my Dad and me with an ex-govt Marconi R1475 that was a Christmas present on 1956 or thereabouts.

 

[merlin]

My early SWLing back '63-'73 was Halicrafters and Hammerlund. Since then, all military surplus beginning with the R-390/URR.
No question that was my best after complete refurb and alignment. I regret not keeping it.
Then came the solid state/DSP Watkins-Johnson 8711A w/preselector. It performed equally well along with the 'twins'. good to 500 Mhz.
Along side that, a Racal RA6790 and Harris R550. the latter 2 not the best performers but first class radios.
Back then, I had a 120' T2FD at 60'. needless to say, I could hear about any HF signal that reached me.
That is my trip down memory lane, having rid the above and a dream of moving someplace to have my shack and listening post setup again.
I think the best bang for the buck was the Harris RF-550.

 

[merlin]

I miss them.