Jim: i had an old firestone console all my childhood and early adulthood. it
had flywheel tuning that must of weighed a pound, split-gear backlash control
and 6v6 output tubes into a 12 inch speaker. even my cheap sangean portables
that i have now are far superior in every way but one. there is little
satisfaction with any of them. i am not "one with my radio" like i once was. my
old radio was an extension of my senses....

There ya go... It's not that I'm old and jaded that I look upon modern radios
as appliances. It's because of like you so well stated.

Back in my early ham days, peaking and dipping transmitters, for instance, was
part of the fun. That's why I liked the marine work I did before retirement.
One still had to dip and peak the shipboard transmitters.

I enjoyed working on old foreign made tube type receivers, too. When they
worked right and the band was open, there was none of that confounded noise
floor inherent in solid state receivers. If a station was transmitting anywhere
in the world, it probably could be heard.

(Sigh...)
Bill, K5BY