Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Larry Thompson, who writes:
I recently came across a photo of Billy Joel’s office in Sag Harbor in an interview with Willy Geist.
It looks like he has several shortwave radios or ham transceivers. Just wondering if anyone has a clue to his radio interests.
Readers: please comment if you have any insight!
Hi there.
The rig on the left might be a RDF probably a KAAR manufactured at Kaar Engineering Co.; Palo Alto, California in the late 40s or early 50s.
The center rig is a RADIOSHACK Realistic DX-302
As for the one on the right it seems to be a tube desktop radio from the 40s or 50s AM – SW but not FM)
Could be any brand of consumer radio manufactured in the period.
Best
Waldo
Follow up:
Agree with Tom Gavaras post, the radio on the right seems to be a Grundig Classic 960 Aniversary Edition.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/grundig_classic_amfmshortwave_960.html
Waldo
I think the radios are maritime. That loop looks like it would be for radio direction finding. 73 Bill HI7/N2CQR
Linked below is a zoomed and enhanced pic of the radios if that might help ya’ll. Cropped in GIMP, then rescaled and “restored” via Upscayl, then further tweaked in GIMP for white balance and color. YMMV.
https://ibb.co/K0qsZ4x
Billy is well known to be an avid sailor, and given the aforementioned “nautical” theme of the room, I’m guessing these would be mariner-related radios.
No microphone visible to me. No registration for William Martin Joel.
The radio on the right looks like a Grundig 960, which were manufacted betwen 1996-2000.
Middle one could be a Realistic DX302.
The radio to the left is a Ray Jefferson model 483 radio direction finder. He may well have radio interets but these are just for decor — very narrow table just fitting the radios, no cords, etc.
It is hard to say,as the picture is so small, but the radio in the middle looks like a very old Yaesu , maybe just a receiver like the FRG-7 or it’s family.
The one on the the left has a a kind of “Heathkit” look, and the loop antenna looks like a small transmitting loop ( Magloop ) with a capacitor at the top … Or it could be an antique Direction Finder loop & receiver 🙂 All this could be wrong, It may just be nice “decor” in the room, to go with the “nautical” theme!