Ever Ready Motor Batteries

[Studio263]

I found these in a radio that has not been used for some time (decades?). Luckily they were well made so even though they are a bit rusty in places they haven't leaked and wrecked the set. It's strange, even though they are useless I can't quite bring myself to throw them away yet...

I don't remember "motor batteries" but on the side is says "Designed for Motors e.g. Tape Recorders, Shavers, Toys and other High Power uses e.g. Gas Ignition and Lighters". I've not seen anything like them since the 70s, can anyone remember if there were any others models in the range, perhaps for torches?

[ppppenguin]

According to my 1966/7 Ever Ready catalogue there were also HP7 (AA), HP11 (C) and HP16 (AAA)

There was also an HP1 which I've never seen. It was 12V, 5.25" x 2.75" x 5.4", described simply as "High Power Battery"

[mark pirate]

You are about right age wise, I remember using these batteries in my cassette recorder, I remember them being a more expensive longer life version of the standard blue batteries.

I would certainly not throw them away, I have not seen any in over 30 years!

Mark

[Restorer79]

I may be wrong but i seem to remember the HP1 being used in a lot of the Old Battery only security systems.

[Nickthedentist]

My grandparents had an early quartz clock in about 1978/9, a hideous thing with a hessian face and gold frame and hands.

It came with an Ever Ready HP11 (C-size) that claimed it was specifically designed for clocks. It looked very like the ones you picture, though I seem to remember it was part red, part blue although I could be mistaken about that.

There were also, of course, the SP range (= standard power, i.e. zinc carbon) which were blue.

However, Ever Ready (and other) batteries always seemed to leak in our household the 1970s, a nasty orange liquid which stained carpets etc. irrevocably! The only ones which seemed immune were Duracells, although they swelled slightly and opened their seams by 1mm or so when they were long dead.

[mickjjo]

I have these two, slightly different design, despite their age still reading 1.2 volts with no load. Made in Britain, there's a novelty!

Regards, Mick.

[Darren-UK]

I think the "Motor Battery" branding, which was really nothing more than a sales ploy, appeared when domestic motor-rewind clocks, as opposed to quartz clocks, were all the rage. The reality, however, was that an 'ordinary' battery lasted just as long in these clocks as the motor only operated for a couple of seconds four or five times an hour.

[Nickthedentist]

Interesting, Darren, though Tim's description of what's printed on the side of these particular ones doesn't mention clocks specifically.

When would that have been, roughly?

[paulsherwin]

I think this was all just an attempt to market zinc chloride batteries when they were first introduced. The battery companies wanted to give people a reason to pay more for zinc chloride rather than sticking with the zinc carbon cells they'd always used.

[Darren-UK]

We'd be talking late 1960's to the mid 1970's although the examples in #1 appear rather more recent.

I wouldn't expect widespread batteries such as the HP2 to be specifically marked as being for clocks as that would have the effect of limiting sales. Plenty of other things contained motors at that time though; shavers, personal fans, lint removers and so on, so 'Motor Battery' would have a wider market in that sense than if were specified as being for clocks.

[hamid_1]

I remember seeing those Motor Batteries in the 1970s. I guess they were a marketing ploy. There was indeed a specific Clock Battery. It was called Size C11 - For Transistor Clocks. C11 was the same size as SP11 / HP11 (or a modern R14 or C cell) but I think it was gold and blue - it's been decades since I've seen one. My parents bought a transistor clock in the late 1970s which had one of those C11 batteries. Its movement had two coils, a battery, a transistor and a magnetic balance wheel. As the balance wheel moved, the magnet induced a voltage in one of the coils which turned on the transistor. This let current flow from the battery through the other coil, generating an opposing magnetic field that repelled the wheel, thus giving it a push and keeping it going. My parents still have the clock hanging on their dining room wall, but sadly the original movement was replaced with an ordinary quartz one many years ago.
In the 1980s Ever-Ready was taken over by Hanson who discontinued a lot of the special batteries; presumably they were not profitable enough.

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by hamid_1

There was indeed a specific Clock Battery. It was called Size C11 - For Transistor Clocks. C11 was the same size as SP11 / HP11 (or a modern R14 or C cell) but I think it was gold and blue...

I'm sure you're right about the colour scheme, I remember it looked very "posh" compared with the usual SP/HP range. And the "transistor" wording rings a bell too.

Originally Posted by hamid_1

In the 1980s Ever-Ready was taken over by Hanson who discontinued a lot of the special batteries; presumably they were not profitable enough.

The clock I mentioned above was manufactured by Hanson, and I think the Ever Ready C11 battery was the original that was supplied with it. I think it was quartz, as it had a seconds hand that stepped rather than swept. It could have been very early 80s rather than late 70s, I suppose.

[unabridged]

I have a HP 2 I removed from an old ITT Golf radio/cassette. It's been siting on my stereo cabinet as an ornament of sorts. Must admit i's never noticed the writing on the side!

So am I right in thinking Eveready were a kind of budget brand? I remember their blue batteries on sale in the early 90's, I also have a 1980's torch of theirs and a handful of their statement 1970's square plugs and a similar age shaver adapter. I noticed in Maplin there is still an Eveready brand selling bulbs and stuff. Wonder if its related or someone bought the name....

[Lucien Nunes]

I remember HP2 and SP2 available concurrently in the 1970s although not the 'Motor Battery' designation. Are we saying that when zinc chloride was introduced, some or all sizes of the HP range were designated 'Motor Battery' or are these a subcategory of HP?

What were the type numbers of the 4.5V and/or 6V cardboard cased prismatic (possibly octagonal) batteries that were used in portable recorders of the 60's? Something makes me think they were also badged 'Motor Battery' but for the different reason that they specifically powered the motor in the recorder while the amplifier had its own.

It's amazing how after just a few decades so much of what seemed common knowledge at the time is now a matter of technical archeology. Ever-Ready batteries could be found on every street corner in the 1970s but today it's a challenge to track down either the surviving batteries or the story behind them.

Lucien

E2A
Ever Ready were not a budget brand originally, although IIRC they did keep zinc carbon and zinc chloride products very much in view when others were only touting their new alkalines. I don't think Eveready and Ever Ready are actually the same company, hopefully someone can add some detail...

[paulsherwin]

Ever Ready (UK) and Eveready (US) were different companies, though they had some obscure links in the early days which I've never managed to work out.

Ever Ready was the dominant battery brand in the UK from the 1920s to the 1980s (the other major brand was Exide). When they started to introduce zinc chloride formulations in the late 60s they had a huge existing range of conventional zinc carbon batteries, so I guess they wanted to differentiate the new products. Zinc chloride ('high power') batteries carried a significant price premium when they were introduced.

[cmjones01]

I, too, well remember Ever Ready 'SP' and 'HP' batteries from the 1970s and 1980s and, like many small boys at the time, had a collection of almost-dead ones on the shelf which were continually swapped around into toys and Lego battery boxes in an effort to eke out a few more minutes of use!

I remember that 'SP' (Zinc Carbon) became 'Blue Seal' and HP (Zinc Chloride) became 'Silver Seal' and the 'Gold Seal' (Alkaline) brand was introduced some time in the mid to late 80s. Can anyone remember when?

[ppppenguin]

Don't forget the LP2 and LP11. These were claimed to be "leakproof". the case was similar to the HP types but with a white background instead of red.

My 66/67 catalogue also lists a few Alkaline Manganese types. The MN-1300 is U2(D) size. They give the capacity as 10000mAh and is cost 7/-(35p) as against 8d (approx 3.5p) for an ordinary U2 and 1/6 (7.5p) for an HP2.

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by cmjones01

I remember that 'SP' (Zinc Carbon) became 'Blue Seal' and HP (Zinc Chloride) became 'Silver Seal' and the 'Gold Seal' (Alkaline) brand was introduced some time in the mid to late 80s. Can anyone remember when?

I'd say earlier than that. I was given an ex-display Pye radio/cassette in about 1982 for Christmas, and I'm sure that came complete with 4 black Gold Seal batteries, the first time I'd ever seen them.

Nick.

[michael cumming]

I have alot in my collection, You could be right there Paul about them wanting to promote Zinc Carbon but the only way they could make them last longer was adding a bit more electrolite, i am sure they did this later on with silver seal but i also have two D cells in black with Power plus on, later pones were black and red, was this an early attempt Zinc Carbon. things which used motors would need a battery to last longer.

I have two D cells the same with the Berec logo from Ever Ready but one has instructions for use an the other does not, both are high power batteries.

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by mark pirate

I would certainly not throw them away, I have not seen any in over 30 years!

That's all very well but I'm not keen on having toxic waste littering my workbench! If anyone would like them before they go in the bin just let me know.