Mike -

The first portable (so-called) radio that we had in our house when I was a
kid was a Philco that used a battery that must have weighed at least four
pounds.  It would also run on AC, of course, and was quite a piece of
equipment.  I think my dad bought it around 1948 or so and it did yeoman
service when I spent a lot of time in the hospital with eye surgery in 1955,
'56 and '57.

Also, the first radio I ever owned was a thirties-era Zenith tabletop--one
of those tall puppies with the round dial.  This one included FM (must have
been one of the first radios ever sold that included FM) and several foreign
broadcast bands.  I did a lot of AM DXing with that thing as a kid up to the
time I bought the Hallicrafters S-85.  I then sold it to a friend and as far
as I know, he's still got it.  I know it was still working about ten years
ago and it'd never been restored--just routine replacement of dried caps and
burned-out tubes.

--
 Walt Smith - Raleigh, NC
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