{"id":41268,"date":"2019-12-24T15:36:49","date_gmt":"2019-12-24T19:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=41268"},"modified":"2019-12-24T15:37:41","modified_gmt":"2019-12-24T19:37:41","slug":"holiday-memories-a-simple-transistor-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/holiday-memories-a-simple-transistor-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Memories: A simple transistor radio…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you ever received a gift that had a major positive impact on your life?<\/p>\n

One year, I received a gift that really opened the world of radio listening and, eventually, amateur radio.<\/p>\n

It was a Realistic Model 23-464 portable AM transistor radio. It was the very first radio that, as a kid, was completely my own–!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Realistic Model 23-464.<\/p><\/div>\n

Although it had a super simple dial and was incredibly basic, I absolutely loved it. It was through this radio that I discovered the world of night time mediumwave propagation. I remember plugging in the single earpiece in the side of the radio, laying in bed at night, and tuning in distant signals. Although selectivity left something to be desired, sensitivity was excellent.<\/p>\n

I can’t remember if I eventually gave this little radio away or simply lost it in one of the dozens of moves I made early in my career. Three years ago, I purchased another one on eBay for no other reason than the warm memories.<\/p>\n

Have you ever received a radio as a holiday gift and is it tied to any special memories? Of course, we’re talking about any holiday\u2013Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Easter, or any other religious or secular holiday.<\/p>\n

Please comment<\/a> and share your memories!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s wishing everyone Happy Holidays!\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Do you enjoy the SWLing Post?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Please consider supporting us via\u00a0Patreon<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0Coffee<\/span>\u00a0Fund<\/span><\/a>! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your support makes articles like this one possible. Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever received a gift that had a major positive impact on your life? One year, I received a gift that really opened the world of radio listening and, eventually, amateur radio. It was a Realistic Model 23-464 portable AM transistor radio. It was the very first radio that, as a kid, was completely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,7566],"tags":[5752,1551,4094],"class_list":["post-41268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-radio-memories","tag-holiday-radio-memories","tag-holiday-shortwave","tag-nostalgia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aJC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20891,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/memories-and-transistor-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":41268,"position":0},"title":"Memories and transistor radios","author":"Thomas","date":"August 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I've always had an affinity for pocket transistor radios. My first one was an AM-only model: a Realistic Model 23-464.\u00a0It was about the only new pocket radio I could afford--and purchase locally--when I was a kid. It was surprisingly sensitive on the AM broadcast band, but the dial was a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Magnovox 1R 1203","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Magnovox-1R-1203.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Magnovox-1R-1203.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Magnovox-1R-1203.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Magnovox-1R-1203.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20994,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/garys-arvin-model-61r35-brings-back-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":41268,"position":1},"title":"Gary’s Arvin Model 61R35 brings back memories","author":"Thomas","date":"September 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary Wise (W4EEY), who shares the following guest post: It's funny how much we radio folks share in common. The recent posts on Arvin radios made me smile because I have an Arvin radio too. An Arvin transistor was my very first radio, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Arvin Transistor Radio","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/igejbhjg.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/igejbhjg.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/igejbhjg.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22532,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/december-contest-your-holiday-radio-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":41268,"position":2},"title":"December Contest: Your holiday radio memories!","author":"Thomas","date":"December 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[Update: This contest is over, but you can read all of our radio memories on this Christmas Eve post.] It's the winter holiday season here in North America, typically a great time to slip\u00a0into the shack, sip some warm mulled cider\/eggnog\/coffee, and explore the world via the shortwaves, mediumwaves, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contests"","block_context":{"text":"Contests","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/contests\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Christmas-Decorations-1024x940.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Christmas-Decorations-1024x940.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Christmas-Decorations-1024x940.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12130,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/listener-post-landon-kf4cau\/","url_meta":{"origin":41268,"position":3},"title":"Listener Post: Landon (KF4CAU)","author":"Thomas","date":"February 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Landon\u2019s radio story is the latest in\u00a0our series called\u00a0Listener Posts, where I place all of your personal radio histories. If you would like to add\u00a0your story\u00a0to the mix,\u00a0simply send your story by email! In the meantime,\u00a0many thanks\u00a0to Landon for sharing his personal radio history: Landon (KF4CAU) My interests in SWL'ing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Listener Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Listener Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/listener-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SP600Dial3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/SP600Dial3-300x182.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20915,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/arvin-model-68r05-johns-1967-transistor-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":41268,"position":4},"title":"Arvin Model 68R05: John’s 1967 transistor radio","author":"Thomas","date":"August 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to John Harper (AE5X) who shares the following in reply to our post about transistor radios: Attached is a pic of a like-new transistor radio from 1967 [see above]. Remember the days when they bragged about how many transistors a gadget contained?! Sort of like bragging about RAM\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"arvin_68R05","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/arvin_68R05.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/arvin_68R05.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/arvin_68R05.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/arvin_68R05.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51777,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/carlos-buys-a-vintage-wahda-transistor-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":41268,"position":5},"title":"Carlos buys a vintage Wahda transistor radio","author":"Thomas","date":"February 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: Hey Thomas, check this radio set I just bought. Portable, MW only, working with 4 AA batteries. It's working perfectly. This piece was made in Japan, I don't know the year, but the curious thing is the Arabic name on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Wahda-radio-Carlos-Latuff-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Wahda-radio-Carlos-Latuff-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Wahda-radio-Carlos-Latuff-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Wahda-radio-Carlos-Latuff-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Wahda-radio-Carlos-Latuff-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41268"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41268\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}