Preserving frequencies of the past

The Hindu

28-07-2025

Radios might be fading into oblivion, but they seem to be still singing in the hearts of a few who hold onto their love for the old electronic device.
Uday Kalburgi is the proud owner of a one-of-its-kind Short-Wave Radio Museum, which houses over 180 tube/valve radios, some of them dating back to the 1920s.
Mr. Kalburgi, a retired telecom engineer, fell in love with radios when he was nine-years-old. He dreamt of collecting radios and opening a museum, which he accomplished on February 13, 2021. Always in search of rare radios across the world, Mr. Kalburgi tries to restore them to their original glory.
'Each radio has its own story,' he said as he opens up about his passion.
Preserving a habit
Mr. Kalburgi started the museum after being inspired by Pandu Rajan, a fellow radio lover and a conservator-restorer. 'I loved listening to Omkar Prasad Nayyar's songs on my radio when I was a child. I still have some of the records and listen to them using the radiogram,' says Mr. Rajan.
The 75-year-old has managed to restore several rare radios like BX 798X and BX 735A by Philips for his personal use. 'Upgrading to newer tech is not really my cup of tea. I love listening and working on the old analogue radios,' he noted, while not hiding his disappointment at people moving away from radios for television and other devices.
The secret Congress radio
One of the rare exhibits at the museum is the 'Secret Congress radio', used by Usha Mehta during the Quit India Movement to spread the words of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.
The museum also houses rare radios like the 'Globe', only 100 pieces of which were produced in the United Kingdom in 1946, Pilot G774B -USA made in 1936, Philips B6IF XX produced in Ireland in 1954 and many more.
'People like me who are in their 70s and 80s still affectionately listen to radio on a daily basis,' he notes, while worrying that a generation which listens to songs on loop on music streaming apps might never get to experience the serendipitous joy of music discovery on radio.
Mr. Kalburgi however expresses annoyance with the presentation style of the young radio jockeys. 'Listening to Akashvani is different. They are very matter of fact and practice what they have to say two to three days in advance,' Mr. Kalburgi remarks.
Inspiring youngsters
In an attempt to cultivate the habit of radio listening among youngsters, Mr. Kalburgi sends invitations to schoolchildren and university students to visit the museum. 'I used to distribute pamphlets in front of schools and colleges. Students who are interested in radios will find this place very useful,' he says.
What would be the future of the craft of radio restoration, though? Mr. Kalburgi is unsure. 'There are still people who approach me to restore their radios. But thanks to AI and computers, interest among people has been reducing,' he sighs.
(With inputs from Vaishnav G. Edappattu)