Some old tube radios drawn electrity from batteries. If A (heater batteries) can be replaced with modern batteries, B (the ones for plate/anod), well, it's very hard to get 45, 67.5, 90 or more Volts with batteries (you need to get a lot of them). But if you rember, when it was the last time that you did seen such batteries for sale in stores (shops)?

I that the antique electronic supply catalog had some 67V ones a few years ago. Never seen them stocked in stores. But my memory of stores only goes back to the early 90s...

Larger American portables usually have enough room for a series set of 9V batteries to approximate the original B battery.
On smaller coat pocket radios I've been thinking about getting lots of cheap 3V coin/button cell batteries and stacking them in a plastic tube with terminals on the end...it should be possible to get plenty of voltage in a small package that way. Most tube radios had miniscule B+ current draw so that approach should work.

It's been at least 30 years.

When I was maybe 12 or so, I got a GE clock radio that is also a portable tube radio. I asked my dad to buy a B battery, and somehow he got one, a 67.5 volt battery, brand new from Everready. I'm assuming he went through a battery supplier, special order, not just on a store shelf. So that would've been 20 years ago. Still impressive that it was available that late.

When I was maybe 12 or so, I got a GE clock radio that is also a portable tube radio. I asked my dad to buy a B battery, and somehow he got one, a 67.5 volt battery, brand new from Everready. I'm assuming he went through a battery supplier, special order, not just on a store shelf. So that would've been 20 years ago. Still impressive that it was available that late.

20 years ago, the Eveready 467 was still being made, as there was a little demand for them. They were expensive back then.
I have one of those GE Convertibles. The clock has the AC power supply when used on AC. I don't think it was a big seller.

I've never even heard of a B battery.

I've never even heard of a B battery.

It comes from the early days of tube radio when the 'A' battery was for filaments, 'B' battery was for the plates, and 'C' battery was for negative grid bias. Thereafter 'B plus' came to denote the plate supply of all non-battery power supplies.

http://www.exellbattery.com/products/eveready-replacement-batteries/

Can still buy many of the eveready numbers from exell battery via Amazon. Expensive but possible to buy!

Never have seen one in a physical store, but my memory of stores only goes back to the 80s.

http://www.exellbattery.com/products/eveready-replacement-batteries/

Can still buy many of the eveready numbers from exell battery via Amazon. Expensive but possible to buy!

Never have seen one in a physical store, but my memory of stores only goes back to the 80s.

Last time, I seen a price quote, it was $50usd for a 467. :thumbsdn:

In the past I’ve just hit up the dollar store for a bunch of cheap 9V batteries. A guy could also get 5-6 A23 batteries (the little 12v ones for garage door opener remotes) in series and do that too. I also like Tom’s idea of getting a bunch of 3 bolts in series :thmbsp:

I really got into early portable radios from 1939-40, but setting up the A and B batts (1.5V - 90V), although fairly easy, is pricey! If you get quality batts, you're looking at over $40. That hurts when it's more than half what you've spent on the set! You can get them cheaper, but you get what you pay for. I get so excited to hear the set play again that I gladly pay the tab.