1939 Zenith CHAIRSIDE

[DavGoodlin]

I have a Magnavox chairside, 1947 I think. Zenith made some really good ones, not so much other makers.

Not many in the wild - a single Stromberg-Carlson model could be the grandest one of this genre.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

Not many in the wild - a single Stromberg-Carlson model could be the grandest one of this genre.

S-C 231 R ?...is this the model you are thinking of, or is there a even more attractive model?

https://radioattic.com/item.htm?radio=1600072

jr

[Jeffhs]

I wonder how many of those radios were in use in 1939. After all, two years later, the United States entered World War II, at which time Americans were forbidden to listen to shortwave radio. In fact, many radio repair shops of the period disabled the shortwave bands in any radio designed to receive anything above the broadcast band.

As well, amateur radio was suspended in the United States for the duration of the war, and many if not most amateurs licensed at that time were ordered by the US Government to sell their gear to the military. I am reminded of an article I saw in an electronics magazine (I forget which one or what year, although I think it must have been late 1980s or early '90s) which told the story of a ham who, shortly after WWII began, was in contact with another amateur. The contact went on for a few minutes, then a third amateur broke in and said, "Get the hell off the air. We are at war!"

Both stations fell silent at that point and, of course, were never heard from again for the duration of World War II, again by order of the U. S. Government; in fact, it wouldn't have surprised me if the operators of both stations were drafted into the military, along with untold numbers of American men, amateurs or not.