The Valve Radio - 488

 I had an occasion to come across an Original Vintage  Marconi Radio Set in my neighborhood at Ajax in Canada  , this has opened the floodgates of many fond memories of my youth with these instruments of Marvel .





I am not sure if many of you would have heard of the term Valve Radio Receiver Set .  It used to be the sole mode of entertainment by way of listening to music via the Radio Signal through what used to be called an Aerial  from the Radio Station .


It came with features which included Medium Wave + 3 or 5 Bands . More the Bands , higher the prices .


FM did not even exist in those days .


All India Radio and Vividh Bharathi came a very poor second to Radio Ceylon which had a huge audience in both Hindi and Tamil Languages . Being a commercial broadcaster , its ads for Indian Products were the only ones to be heard in those days . Having been set up by the Voice of America in Colombo , its powerful reach extended across the length and breadth of India and beyond .


The Hindi Broadcasts were there from morning 7 to 10 am . The daily PURANI FILMO KE GEET from 7.30 am to 8.00 am with the final song from KL Saigal and the susequent AAP HI KE GEET with its Signature Dole Re Mera Man Dole Ray Music an all time favourite for many . 


The Tamil broadcast from 4.00 to 7 .00 pm was again followed by Hindi Programmes from 7.00 to 10 pm . BINACA GEET MALA on Wednesdays at 8.00 pm and ABHI TO MAIN JAWAN HOON on Sunday Nights at 10.00 pm were never missed .


To day even after some 5 decades , the names of AMIN SAYANI and MAYILVAAHANAN  KS RAJA SUGUNA AND SAROJA always seem to ring a bell and bring back nostalgic memories .


Over the years , the Valve Radio slowly lost ground and The Transistor Radio took over.


The major difference is that there was no need for a power supply point and it could be energized with PENCIL AA OR ORDINARY batteries . This made it possible for it to be taken anywhere one wished . Following your sports commentary became very easy .


This was during the Audio Age . Today we are in the the hands of the Visual Media . The Valve and Transistor Radio have become obsolete and a thing of the past and can be found as Museum or Antique items in a few homes .


Television has now  come to stay in a very big way . The SMARTPHONE in ones hand is now a combination of a RADIO , TELEVISION AND A COMPUTER ALL IN ONE GADGET .

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