[Phlogiston]

Here is a Wards radio with a Sears "power shifter". The power supply takes the place of the batteries and was somewhat universal. The radio is surprisingly sensitive, though lacking in some audio quality (base). A lot of these radios consumed 10 watts or less. Very efficient.

   

[cewrightiii]

Ok, that's pretty cool....might have to look into these radios when im done the 2 I have....I live in a very rural area in Md, so you would think there might just be one out here!!

[standardtwin]

Don't forget the 32 volt Radio's too!

I have two 32 volt Delco Radios which do not use a vibrator. I run them with a battery pack, and during show season, a Delco light 32 volt 850 watt generator.

Delco Light was the largest supplier of rural farm light plants in the country, from 1916-1948. They were designed to charge a bank of 16 2 volt glass jar batteries wired in series. Your house would be wired the same, except that the wattage of the bulbs were typically 25 watt. Dim by today's standards, but better than a kerosene lamp. When the battery got flat, you would run the generator to recharge, and leave running, if a heavy current was used. You could buy a washing machine, clothers iron, vacuum cleaner and a electric motor on a stand that you carried from room to room to power small items, ie cream seperator etc, all on 32 volt DC. Most 32 volt appliances and radios were either thrown out when REA came along, or kept and mistakenly plugged in to 110V AC, which would fry at least the first three tubes in the set.

Wincharger, Jacobs etc also made 32 volt wind chargers as well as the typical 6 volt ones that were sold with Zenith Radios.

I'm looking to add a Philco 32 volt to my collection.....

[cewrightiii]

Ok.. so let me get this right....there were actually "rechargeable" batteries back then?? what the flip!! That is out right geeking me out right now!! Going to Google the heck out this stuff when I get home!!

It amazes me that rechargeable batteries seemed so "new" not so long ago, yet they have been around for 100yrs...maybe not like todays but still, the technology must be the same...just smaller...

[morzh]

Phlogiston

Well, judging by the speaker the radio should not consume a whole lot in the first place.
And for the same reason, the Base lacking thing.

Cewrightiii

Rechargeable lead-acid battery was invented in 1859.
155 years to the date.
By a Frenchman.

[Phlogiston]

I wonder how many cycles (charge-discharge) those old batteries were good for. Especially at deep cycle.

[Warren]

Considering they were bigger batteries, its possible they could recharge more times than now... Just a guess.

[Arran]

 Lead acid batteries have been on the market for more then 100 years, more then likely the glass jar 2 volt cells used in a Delco lighting system's battery bank was composed of those. With regard to 32 volt sets I have only seen one example in the past 25 years, and it was a post war Sparton Bakelite set with the 150 ma AC/DC style tubes in a series parallel arrangement, by far most of the DC operated sets manufactured and sold in Canada were of the typical "A", "B", and sometimes "C" powered types, and occasionally the 6 volt vibrator types.
 Unlike some U.S manufacturers the Canadian made 6 volt sets never came with a dual power option where you could switch from 6 volt operation to 117 volt AC operation, in fact most I've seen used battery style tubes in series, which was very efficient.
Regards
Arran

[standardtwin]

Yes, the Delco batteries were lead acid in a glass jar, later in a rubber one.. You would charge them to a rolling boil. One cell has a float ball in it to indicate charge

The capacity ranged from 157Ah to as much as 533A/h. Depending on which style you bought.

The smallest set of 16 weighed 670lbs and cost $163.00 in 1941

The bigger set weighed 1712lbs and cost $399 in 1941. Folks were still buying them then.

You could buy the lead negative and positive group plates seperately to rebuild them.

I've seen a battery bank that still holds a charge, very rare now, as glass breaks easily. I have one large one for display, and it weighs a good 20lbs dry.

Edison batteries (alkaline) lasted even longer, and I had a set of those several years ago, that still held a charge.

[DanH6464]

I remember my Dad talking about glass jar batteries I always assumed that it was something that they fabricated themselves because when you're poor you have to improvise lol. This was also the time when they put the milk down in the well to keep it cold. Facinating.

[Phlogiston]

I posted a picture of my "garbage can" before. But at this point it bears reposting.

   

6 volt cell. Inside is a small bottle of "Edison Battery Oil" to prevent evaporation, but not much help when the kids knock the jar over.

P.S. Working for the Phone Co all those years, we still called them jars, at least in the beginning. A switch location running at 48 volts will still have many strings of them weighing many tons.

[thirtiesradio]

I love the farm radios  

They have always been fascinating to me. I have several although only 2 are restored and working at the moment. One is a 1938 Zenith 7 tube set which can be used on AC or a 6V battery by turning a switch on the rear. It performs just as well on 6V and the quiet sound of the vibrator humming away is exactly what they would have heard if using a wincharger. Very nostalgic. Great sets to collect

[thirtiesradio]

I pulled this tail fin off my wincharger. Tacked it up in my work shop until I get time to restore it. It would be great to actually use it with a 6V set and battery.

[Paul Philco322]

The whole "farm scene" before electrification is quite cool. With the current green energy boom going on you would think no one ever used wind or stored electricity before now. Look through some old Sears catalogs, farm radios, windmills, lights for barns powered by wind, what goes around comes around. Many forget what we used to use.

Paul

[thirtiesradio]

Here are scans of a couple wincharger brochures. The brochures have a lot of information and make for interesting reading if you like the farm sets.