K.C. Rajendran of Chembukkavu, near Thrissur, became addicted to radios when he was just eight years old. Fascination for music was the prime reason and he was desperate to get a radio of his own.
Persuading his father, he made his dream come true, by becoming the proud owner of a second-hand Philips radio priced ₹15. When he felt that the sound of his radio was not clear, he went for another. It was just the beginning, and collection of radios became a hobby. He has spent a major share of his earnings on buying radios.
After four-and-a-half decades, 53-year-old Rajendran has a museum of radios in his house. From massive specimens of the yore to small new-generation ones, his owns 310 radios. “Most in my collection are second-hand ones. I collected them from electronics shops, some even from scrap collection centres, where people dumped them with minor complaints.”
Rajendren, a building contractor, repaired most of them. “I am not trained in electronics, but I could repair them,” he said.
In all sizes
His collection has radios belonging to 40-odd companies, 57 of them from Philips alone. Products of Murphy, Sanyo, Hitachi, Sony, Sharp, and Panasonic too find a place. Some resemble a matchbox. Some weigh 20 kg. Radios are part of his life. “I wake up to their sound and go to sleep listening to them.”
