Old Tube Radios

[Windsong]

I have just purchased a Neutrodyne radio from 1925, and by gum;  it takes two 45 volt batteries, one 6 volt battery and one 4.5 volt battery. 

It is times like this that I miss Radio Shack.

I figure two banks of series-wired 9 volts ought to sort the 45s, and the 4.5 and 6 can be achieved by your 1.5V AA suggestion in 3 and 4 pack configurations, respectively.  AAs an 9Vs are readily available and rechargeable-capable, too. 
This thing has a broadcast band too.

It's an Interesting contraption.

[ghostler]

Seems your radio would be a candidate for a custom power supply to eliminate the batteries. Come to think of it, there are sealed lead acid batteries, SLA's in 4.5 Volts. They vary in size, I think some are used in older emergency lighting systems and possibly battery backed emergency power systems for small computer equipment, routers, etc. However SLA's need recharging.

Love the large variable capacitors for tuning and hand wound coils for the frequency bands. Plus, the larger tubes of the 1940's - early 1950's?

I enjoyed messing with the stuff when younger. Even saved money by purchasing parts and software from the Xerox Computer Surplus Center back in the 1980's to make my pre-IBM XT computers. Built a Xerox 16/8 from parts. Had a Zilog Z80 8-bit CPU and a 16-bit 80186 (pre-runner of the 80286 "AT" CPU) processor on its expansion chassis. Had a version of Wordstar 3.0 for 8 bit CP/M computers.

Ran 3 OS's - CP/M-80, 16 bit CP/M-86, and generic MS-DOS 2.0. Patched the BIOS, partition and formatting programs to use another hard disk. Didn't want to spend the bucks on a 10 megabyte 360 cylinder 4 head Shutgart 5.25 in. HD. Bought a used 10 megabyte 720 cylinder 2 head Miniscribe HD, which required revising the software and firmware to run. They were hard coded for the Shutgart.

This was about the time that the IBM PC/AT was expanding in business offices. Alas, with advances in PC's and now building my own clones, ditched that earlier Xerox system I built. Now I wished I kept it.

Have collected enough project woodwinds to keep me busy for a while, 9 clarinets and 3 saxes.

[Windsong]

Seems your radio would be a candidate for a custom power supply to eliminate the batteries.

I had thought that might also be nice, but I would have to design a transducer for distribution.

Love the large variable capacitors for tuning and hand wound coils for the frequency bands. Plus, the larger tubes of the 1940's - early 1950's?

Actually, 1925--which just blows my mind.  Radio was just 5 years in at the time, so this was hi-tech stuff. 

Yes; the capacitor plates are very cool, and while basic in function, the whole apperatus is extremely well made.  The tubes are huge, the glass is thick and the filiments are very nicely made. The chassis is poplar and bakelite.  I took the faces for laquered steel initially.

I enjoyed messing with the stuff when younger. Even saved money by purchasing parts and software from the Xerox Computer Surplus Center back in the 1980's to make my pre-IBM XT computers. Built a Xerox 16/8 from parts. Had a Zilog Z80 8-bit CPU and a 16-bit 80186 (pre-runner of the 80286 "AT" CPU) processor on its expansion chassis. Had a version of Wordstar 3.0 for 8 bit CP/M computers.

As did I to some degree, starting with the Timex Sinclair in the late 70s.

Have collected enough project woodwinds to keep me busy for a while, 9 clarinets and 3 saxes.

That does not sound like a problem yet, but it's sneaky...

[Windsong]

Well, look who doesn't have to go back to school to become an electrical engineer?  I would not have guessed such a well-developed unit existed, but it gets good reviews, and has been successfully used with a near identical radio to my own with strong endorement, so:

https://www.arbeiii.com/

[ghostler]

Glad to see Windsong that you found a source to A/C power your vintage tube radio. His price is really not bad considering. I would have expected maybe double that.

I would have probably resorted to my 1968 ARRL Handbook that I have squirreled away somewhere, read up on their section of power supplies and sample circuitry. I think I still have the 1956 one that belonged to my father squirreled away somewhere.

But finding sources for some of those components these days, since majority have gone solid state might be a harder find. I used to mail order stuff from B.G. Micro through their newspaper flyer back in the 1970's - 1980's, they are no more. And, remember Ohlson Electronics?

365 pF variable capacitors for broadcast band tuners were common as dirt in the 1960's and 1970's and less than a couple bucks from Radio Shack, Newark Electronics, and etc. Today they are $40 starting:

Amazon - 365 pF Variable Capacitor CCW Rotation


Although one can find a crystal earphone suitable for a crystal radio set for under $10.

[Windsong]

Parts are tricky, and damage to 100-year-old circuits is easy with the wrong juice. 

There is very little info on my particular radio, but it's a Neutrodyne, and those circuits are well documented.

I do recall Olson's.  They were great.

[350 Rocket]

For the longest time, I told myself "Don't get involved with vacuum tube junk."

But, one of those pandemic-era beer-fueled eBay purchases...
You cannot view this attachment.

Johnson Messenger I, probably from 1965 given the date codes on components. Hooked up to my base station antenna it did receive, but I think the microphone cord is shot since it wouldn't key up. Gave me a slight shock at one point and it looks like there might be something missing inside, but I have too many other things going on to poke around in it. It does have its full complement of crystals for five channels though - 1, 9, 10, 14, and 19.

[Windsong]

That's cool!  I mean--shocks aren't cool, and it probably has an open circuit or an exposed wire somewhere that should be traced, but these "worthless" old radios are showing they have some merit still, and are often a fun challenge to troubleshoot.
If we ever thought they were throw-away items starting in the 1970s, when solid state technology had pretty much taken over exclusively, outside of military technology, where tubes are still in use, we know better today, where a phone and a bluetooth speaker are as close to a "radio" as some people will ever come, and a 19 dollar department store radio with an unknown name won't last the year.

[Windsong]

Here are some more snaps of "the old breadbox":

[ghostler]

A lot of nice interesting details, Windsong, like the woven checkerboard cloth covered rubber insulation wires, the technology of the day. I see the factory wiring layout. Reminds me of when a ham radio operator does his wiring, a bit neater whereas this wiring was done to cost, quick assembly. The wires are all laid out plumb following case contour lines, enough to make a master electrician happy.

Then they used waxed woven cord instead of plastic zip ties. There was a technique to loop and extend it to make wiring harnesses, think it was described in the ARRL Handbook.

[Windsong]

I see what you mean.  Its pretty impressive, given the time in which it was done.  It is tidy and well planned.  In addition to that bullet fuse shown, There is another one missing and judging by the contacts, it is a whopper.  I have yet to find its rated size on a schematic.