SW3

The National SW-3 was probably the first popular, affordable, widely available commercial shortwave receiver.  The SW-3 could function as a standard AM broadcast receiver as well as a long and shortwave receiver. 

Pictured here is an SW-3 manufactured about 1935 or so.  In front of the radio are four plug-in coils.  The radio used a separate set of two plug-in coils for each frequency range.  The coils were fairly expensive, so owners rarely had a large number of coils, preferring to spend their hard earned cash on frequencies of primary interest. You could also buy coil forms and wind your own coils if you were so inclined. 

The SW-3 is a regenerative receiver, requiring a fair amount of skill to coax the best performance from it.  The SW-3 in the picture has received amateur and shortwave broadcast signals from all continents, and continues to perk along just fine as it turns 70.

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