Vintage Tuning Dials

Old fashioned wireless receivers were based on thermionic valve technology, had heavy iron-cored transformers and big illuminated tuning dials calibrated for long wave, medium wave and short wave reception. Some, very old models were battery powered and the batteries had to be removed to the nearby garage for recharging. I am old enough, just, to remember seeing these sets around the place but I don't think I've ever laid my hand on a battery-powered model. They usually had mahogany veneer cases and some loose-woven material hiding a large speaker. Now, the tuning dial was a delight. As well as being calibrated in kilocycles per second or wavelength in metres there was the name of the station which was transmitting at that frequency. What exotic names there were. One would expect to see the BBC Light program and Third program but further along the tuning scale you would find Luxembourg, Brussels, Bucharest and Hilversum. These exotic places weren't visited and whiffed of foreign sights and sounds and dubious plumbing and hygiene, Reading on we had Ankara! What is Ankara, who lives there? What happens each day in Ankara. If, like me, you had a copy of Arthur Mee's Childrens' Encyclopedia to hand you could find Ankara in the world Atlas section and maybe a couple of sepia tone photographic plates featuring men in conical headgear and a picture of a mosque. Alas these days are no more. Those old valve sets are a hazard to health. The last time I plugged one in all the trips on my house consumer unit went bang so it went to the dump with the next carload of refuse. I'm sure there are still stations transmitting on short wave and using amplitude modulation and I'm equally sure their number is declining rapidly. If I want to know where Ankara is or what happens there I have the internet to inform me, probably some webcams showing the mosque or dockside or some young turkish model's boudoir if I am that curious about the place. Pictures of vintage tuning dials: http://www.indianaradios.com/Antique%20Radio%20Tuning%20Dials%20Gallery.htm Webcams in Istanbul: http://www.ibb.gov.tr/en-US/Organization/MunicipalHistory/Pages/Live_City_View_in_Istanbul.aspx Turkish Models: http://www.googleitforyourself.com