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VEF Spidola (Latvian: VEF Spīdola, Russian: ВЭФ Спидола) was the first mass-produced transistor radio with short wave band in the Soviet Union. It was manufactured by the VEF factory in Riga, Latvia, since 1962. A small series under the name "Spidola" (Спидола ПМП-60) was manufactured since 1960. It was named after the fictional witch Spīdola from the Latvian epic poem.
The word "spidola" was a genericised trademark for "transistor radio" for long time in Russian (other synonyms included "transistor").
In many cases, the Spidola was used to listen to Western stations (such as the Voice of America ).. The criminal prosecution of at least one Soviet dissident involved confiscation of the Spidola as an "instrument of crime," but without specifying the "crime" committed with the confiscated Spidola.
Specifications
First "Spidola" was a ten-transistor, seven-band superheterodyne. Some versions were eight-band.