Question for any short wave buffs?

Question

We got second hand from my uncle a Magnavox console with radio, short wave, ssb, phonograph. All mono. My uncle was an early adapter in stereo.

Place: Chattanooga Time:1964 My father said it needed an external antenna to make it work but the ssb worked and I think there was an internal antenna. I was just a kid, so I didn't know much.

Since then I have a had a few short wave radios. I can't say

whether or not that thing would have worked at all without an external antenna but I can say this: MUTLTIPLE frequencies were jammed on that thing with a minimum of 50,000 watts. Does that sound possible?

Answer 1

On an old radio, an antenna was usually required to pick up more stations.  Even older ones required an antenna and a ground.