Relating to a method of radio reception where the incoming signal is mixed with a locally generated signal to produce an intermediate frequency that's easier to amplify and detect.
From auto- (self) + heterodyne (Greek hetero- 'different' + dynamis 'power'). An electronics term where 'auto' refers to the receiver using its own generated frequency mixed with the incoming signal.
The autoheterodyne receiver was a revolutionary breakthrough that made radios actually practical—instead of trying to amplify weak radio signals directly, engineers realized they could mix incoming signals with locally-generated ones to create stronger, easier-to-work-with frequencies, which is why radios finally became consumer products.
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