I suppose an 80's boombox is like an oversize "transistor"
 

After cleaning some pots and switches, and soldering some bad joints, this set works quite well on AM reception. It also has a pair of shortwave bands as well as FM stereo. And a cassette deck, though any real cassette deck would sound better...
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/SanyoM9935K.jpg
You don't see the missing battery cover around back...

Some were basically a compact HiFi system....Others not so much.

I have a big ol'Panasonic that looks a lot like that. Has bass and treble controls, Dolby NR, Norm and CRO2 tape record-PB, good FM section. I ran the heck out of it for over 10 years at work playing my old cassettes. Sounded pretty good hooked up to a pair of Realistic Minimus 11s (big brother to the 7).

She's a beauty! That takes me back in time when I was a young lad. I used to ogle these sort of things in electronics retailers. I have loads of product brochures on these and TV/VCR/HIFI. Great memories. :)

I had that same model as a kid. Meeeemories....

These things were quality :drool:

I have one similar to that one, in my collection.
Does yours have a voltage selector switch on it. It seems, the ones that have shortwave, were meant for Foreign use. :scratch2:

Yes, I can select 120, 220, or 240V AC. Though no 100V selection. For the fun of it, I set it to 240VAC and I run it off an outlet like this http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/americanaussieoutlet.jpg, similar to Aussie outlets, which I have 240VAC connected to it (a pair of 120VACs, one 180 phase shifted, the usual power company feed in the USA). If you're careful enough, you can modify a 120V parallel plug with a soldering gun, to melt the plastic a little to twist the prongs to angled positions to mate the Aussie style outlet. :)

I had though of the shortwave bands as a kind of feature list, for owners to brag about "My boombox can get shortwave stations, can yours?". :D

The plant I worked, in the mid-60's, still used receptacles like that. The Hubbell devices had the lower outlet flipped 180 degrees. I guess they did that so there was no ground up, ground down issue. :D
You can also use one of those travel kit adaptors, made for Aussie receptacles.

I remember looking at one that boasted a "Shortwave" band on it, & there was nothing but noise &a few static pops... An R-390A, they WEREN'T..

Nice Sanyo.

My big JVCs have decent shortwave tuners but I'm sure they are still inferior to standalone shortwave radios.