Posted: 11/15/2015 8:13:16 PM EDT
I know this isn't a HAM but I figured this place is swarming with radio folk so please don't mind. Recently acquired this from my mother in law. It was her moms (recently deceased) and was in an old box. Don't know anything about old tube portable radios and had two questions to start out with. First is can I get it to work and second is it worth anything. It looks pretty mint with no signs of any leaked battery acid. Cool thing on the dial is what looks like an old Civil Defense triangle to listen for when the red horde was attacking.
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| Looks like a 1956 model, pretty good shape. Probably still works fine since it was kept in excellent condition. Sadly, it runs everywhere from $25 to around $100. There are a couple of very good vintage restoration sites that can give you an idea of the range of worth on these. |
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B batteries haven't been made in ages, but basically you can either build a battery eliminator or use 8 9v batteries in series.
ETA: I stand corrected, somebody still makes a B |
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B batteries haven't been made in ages, but basically you can either build a battery eliminator or use 8 9v batteries in series. ETA: I stand corrected, somebody still makes a B Cool on a B battery although it doesn't look like it would fit. The right size one looks to be a bit longer and my rectangular in shape. I guess I could always operate it with the rear cover off? |
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Cool on a B battery although it doesn't look like it would fit. The right size one looks to be a bit longer and my rectangular in shape. I guess I could always operate it with the rear cover off? Quoted:
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B batteries haven't been made in ages, but basically you can either build a battery eliminator or use 8 9v batteries in series. ETA: I stand corrected, somebody still makes a B Cool on a B battery although it doesn't look like it would fit. The right size one looks to be a bit longer and my rectangular in shape. I guess I could always operate it with the rear cover off? Maybe this one? can't find it in a single qty though. |
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B batteries haven't been made in ages, but basically you can either build a battery eliminator or use 8 9v batteries in series. ETA: I stand corrected, somebody still makes a B Cool on a B battery although it doesn't look like it would fit. The right size one looks to be a bit longer and my rectangular in shape. I guess I could always operate it with the rear cover off? Maybe this one? can't find it in a single qty though. Thanks. Looks like the right size but I don['t need 5 at $175.  Thanks for all the help so far folks! 
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Thanks. Looks like the right size but I don['t need 5 at $175. Thanks for all the help so far folks! Your point is taken. Besides the atteries don't last very long, either. When I read the OP first thing I thought of is if they still made the batteries and how much they would cost if they still did. Next thing is the cost of replacing a tube and for that matter where to get a tube tested. |
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Quoted: Your point is taken. Besides the atteries don't last very long, either. When I read the OP first thing I thought of is if they still made the batteries and how much they would cost if they still did. Next thing is the cost of replacing a tube and for that matter where to get a tube tested. Quoted: Quoted: Thanks. Looks like the right size but I don['t need 5 at $175. Thanks for all the help so far folks! Your point is taken. Besides the atteries don't last very long, either. When I read the OP first thing I thought of is if they still made the batteries and how much they would cost if they still did. Next thing is the cost of replacing a tube and for that matter where to get a tube tested.  |
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Go to the dollar store and get four of those 2/$ packs of 9 Volt batteries. Clip 7 of them together and see if the radio works.
Those old radios go through B batteries very quickly, but you should be able to play with it for several hours. They're amazingly sensitive at night once the D layer de-ionizes. AM DXing can be a heck of a lot of fun. |
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I have not done that in years! I used to do it when I traveled by car at night. It's fun listening to a Boston station in, for example Oklahoma. Quoted:
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AM DXing can be a heck of a lot of fun. I have not done that in years! I used to do it when I traveled by car at night. It's fun listening to a Boston station in, for example Oklahoma. A couple of weeks ago I was able to pick up 700 WLW (Cincinnati) from Iowa. |
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This is what the B Battery looks like
vintage-1950s-everyready-battery-67-1-2-volts-No-477-neda-211p-cat-with-9-lives http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-1950s-everyready-battery-67-1-2-volts-No-477-neda-211p-cat-with-9-lives-/201465194394?hash=item2ee842e79a 
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Next thing is the cost of replacing a tube and for that matter where to get a tube tested. Pulled my BK 667 tube tester off the shelf and checked to see if the unit can test any of the tubes. No joy. Tubes last forever in storage if properly cared for. Meaning don't drop them which can damage the filament. I'd bet the tubes are still good. Just got to figure out how to get the B+ battery built. Sniffed around my boatanchor resources and found a few links worth looking at. http://www.techlib.com/electronics/B-battery.htm Didn't find an exact replacement but there might be something suitable here. http://www.batterycountry.com/ShopSite/specialty-cell.html And here's a guy who is making kits that use 9v batteries. http://www.greenhillsgf.com/IndexOwn_63V_BatteryKit.htm Many of the above links came from this thread on the Antique Radios forum. Ton of good info in this thread alone. http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=131610 |
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Now's the time to learn a little about hollow-state technology.
My experience with those old portable radios is that if the tube filament is good, chances are very high that the emission is also. Reason: batteries were expensive and the radios got very little use. The 1U5, 1U4, and 1R5 each draw .05 Amp and the 3V4 draws .1 Amp for a total of .25 Amp, or 250 MA. Put a multi-tester in series with a D cell and see what the current draw totals. If it's much less than the 250 MA, one or more of the tubes has a bad filament, You can check the individual filaments with an ohm meter. Looking at the base of the tube, the filament is between the pins (1 & 7) on each side of the gap in the circle of pins. Pins are numbered clockwise from the gap. The reading should be about 30 Ohms for the 1U5, 1U4, and 1R5. The 3V4 should measure about 60 Ohms. Actually, any continuity means the tube is probably good. Remove the tubes one at a time by rocking them gently in the socket while pulling outward. After testing a tube, put it back in the socket. On tubes that old, the numbers may rub off easily. |
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I know this isn't a HAM but I figured this place is swarming with radio folk so please don't mind. Recently acquired this from my mother in law. It was her moms (recently deceased) and was in an old box. Don't know anything about old tube portable radios and had two questions to start out with. First is can I get it to work and second is it worth anything. It looks pretty mint with no signs of any leaked battery acid. Cool thing on the dial is what looks like an old Civil Defense triangle to listen for when the red horde was attacking. That was known as CONELRAD and was meant to pass critical information without leading the Soviet bombers to locate cities via commercial radio. Cool radio find. 
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Yeah, I can imagine the navigator on that Rooski bomber, Radio Amateur Callbook in hand, trying to find if the guy's close to the desired target just as he changes frequency...
One possible scenario is Radio Moscow plays a certain song at a predetermined time to signal attack is eminent, agent in pre-selected city listens for signal from aircraft, then transmits carrier to home in on. Numbers stations with one-time code books were commonplace, so that's another method. Book ciphers were used, too. |
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Oh does that bring back memories.
Knowing how to build a fallout shelter by the age of 8. Walking around with my parents noting the closest public fallout shelter. The monthly tornado and air raid drills at school (same procedure by the way). Keeping 60 days of provisions handy. The annual visit by Civil Defense to hand us a stack of books on being prepared for when the Reds come to bomb us. Wondering why a group of people half a world away wants to kill me. 50 years later I realize the play doesn't change, just the actors in it. |
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We did have a certain sense of humor about the Cold War...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFUqh7uF1G4 
For some of us, it was a flashback to the air raid drills and blackouts during WW2 whenever Nazi U-boats were sighted patrolling for Liberty Ships off the NC coast. |