2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

jamesinnewcastl · 13th Jan 2015, 11:45 pm

Hi All

I'm looking for pictures of the 120V and 2V batteries used to power radios such as (and in fact specifically) the TR9. I can't seem to Google anything useful.

Even better, does anyone have one so that I could get the dimensions please?

Cheers
James

Reelman · 14th Jan 2015, 4:34 am

In a similar vein does anyone have details of the GB & HT batteries used with the A1134 intercommunication amplifier please? The A1134 was used with the TR9 and of course the R1155/T1154.

The TR9 also used GB batteries.

Many thanks,
Peter

Ed_Dinning · 14th Jan 2015, 8:56 pm

Hi Gents, I think the GB batteries were pretty standard forces types, possibly even manufactured by Crompton of S.Shields by the 50's!

I think many a/c had small m/g sets for the HT and LT requirements, run from the main a/c batteries. RAF museums at Hendon or Henlow may have the definitive answer.

Ed

AC/HL · 14th Jan 2015, 9:30 pm

The GB battery is inside the amplifier, it doesn't look like the type we are more familiar with, possibly 3 tappings:
http://www.pa3esy.nl/military/gb/air...a1134_set.html
The T1154/R1155 manual only refers to the accumulators as two 20AH, one for standby.

G6Tanuki · 14th Jan 2015, 9:50 pm

From my experience as a Sergeant-Signaller in the Cadets in the 1970s, pretty much all the primary batteries [as supplied for our WS31/38/88-sets] were in a boring dull brown waxed case.

I sent back quite a few batches of such batteries because although they were supposedly still within their service life they showed essentially zero volts on test.

Somebody said the best ones came from the Vidor factory in Dundee or Ever-Ready in Dawley and the eternally-useless ones were from the 'new' Ever-Ready plant in County-Durham.

jamesinnewcastl · 15th Jan 2015, 12:45 am

Hi All

Looks like I've assumed that the 120V battery for the TR9 was an external one that is shown on a circuit I have for the MKI Stirling, but on closer inspection the TR9 does indeed have the 120V battery inside the case but the 2V (heater?) supply is external. Apparently the TR9 (in one variant) at least has two internal grid bias batteries.

Interestingly the 120V and 2V batteries for the A.1134 Amplifier are external but there is an internal 6V Grid Bias battery - this I assume is the brown item in the pics above.

But I'm still after a photo of the 120V and 2V batteries (and dimensions) if anyone can find them?

Cheers
James

AC/HL · 15th Jan 2015, 1:54 am

Thinking about it, the Spitfire radios would only need short duration, and have limited space, whereas the Lancaster would need several hours and have the room for large accumulators. Some aircraft used dry batteries for HT and some, especially marine installations, had power supplies.
You need first-hand testimony from ground crews or maintenance people. Dry museum photos and old manuals can only go so far.

jamesinnewcastl · 20th Jan 2015, 7:10 pm

How things have changed! I found this advert on a vintage radio site many days ago, but all I thought was that it might give me a visual idea of the ratio of the battery w x d x h. So I just looked at the picture!

I should have read the advert more closely, but then again how many adverts today announce a product and then studiously list the major dimensions! I'm just programmed to expect a hard sell I guess....

Anyone think that these are the right dimensions for the batteries I'm after?

Ed, thought you might like to see the Siemens battery - looks like the North East was a place for battery manufacture!

James

20th Jan 2015, 8:11 pm

Quote:

but then again how many adverts today announce a product and then studiously list the major dimensions!

Most portable items do such as 'phones.

Ed_Dinning · 20th Jan 2015, 9:57 pm

Hi James, thanks for that, the only radio related manufacturing site I was aware of at Spennymoor was the Merrington Lane Ferguson/ Thorn plant. That was a big site, so it may have been there in the early days.

Ed

AC/HL · 21st Jan 2015, 12:02 am

The Accumulator would need to be a sealed type, especially for a Spitfire or Hurricane, but the rating looks adequate for ground use. The other one looks like a low voltage type, not HT.

jamesinnewcastl · 21st Jan 2015, 11:37 pm

Thanks All

Still open for any pics but I think I can model these now!

James

jamesinnewcastl · 8th Mar 2015, 10:17 pm

Ah - this chap has a couple... Apparently they had to be taken off to be recharged after every flight.

James

Silicon · 9th Mar 2015, 10:41 pm

They look like vintage motorcycle batteries which were made with a hard black rubber case. The motorcycle batteries would be 6Volt.

AC/HL · 10th Mar 2015, 12:25 am

They're definitely 2 Volts, usually glass, but some were Celluloid (I think).
Oddly, they look like conventional refillable ones, but there must have been some precautions taken to prevent spillage.

GMB · 4th Dec 2015, 4:27 pm

I have just acquired a TR9 which contains what may well be the original grid bias battery. I will measure it and photo it when I get a minute.

It isn't in great condition as you might expect!

jamesinnewcastl · 4th Dec 2015, 9:28 pm

Thanks gmb. And congratulations on getting the tr9

James

108sigs · 13th Dec 2015, 8:10 pm

In the "Battle of Britain" Hurricanes had a 2V 20 AH lead acid accumulator fitted under the pilot's seat. The 120V HT battery almost fills the tray inside the TR-9.

PS. There are versions of the TR-9 up to H, J, K & L.

Regards, 108 sigs.

13th Jan 2015, 11:45 pm	#1
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 723	2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Hi All I'm looking for pictures of the 120V and 2V batteries used to power radios such as (and in fact specifically) the TR9. I can't seem to Google anything useful. Even better, does anyone have one so that I could get the dimensions please? Cheers James

14th Jan 2015, 4:34 am	#2
Reelman Octode Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,724	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft In a similar vein does anyone have details of the GB & HT batteries used with the A1134 intercommunication amplifier please? The A1134 was used with the TR9 and of course the R1155/T1154. The TR9 also used GB batteries. Many thanks, Peter

14th Jan 2015, 8:56 pm	#3
Ed_Dinning Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 8,195	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Hi Gents, I think the GB batteries were pretty standard forces types, possibly even manufactured by Crompton of S.Shields by the 50's! I think many a/c had small m/g sets for the HT and LT requirements, run from the main a/c batteries. RAF museums at Hendon or Henlow may have the definitive answer. Ed

14th Jan 2015, 9:30 pm	#4
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft The GB battery is inside the amplifier, it doesn't look like the type we are more familiar with, possibly 3 tappings: http://www.pa3esy.nl/military/gb/air...a1134_set.html The T1154/R1155 manual only refers to the accumulators as two 20AH, one for standby.

14th Jan 2015, 9:50 pm	#5
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 14,007	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft From my experience as a Sergeant-Signaller in the Cadets in the 1970s, pretty much all the primary batteries [as supplied for our WS31/38/88-sets] were in a boring dull brown waxed case. I sent back quite a few batches of such batteries because although they were supposedly still within their service life they showed essentially zero volts on test. Somebody said the best ones came from the Vidor factory in Dundee or Ever-Ready in Dawley and the eternally-useless ones were from the 'new' Ever-Ready plant in County-Durham.

15th Jan 2015, 12:45 am	#6
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 723	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Hi All Looks like I've assumed that the 120V battery for the TR9 was an external one that is shown on a circuit I have for the MKI Stirling, but on closer inspection the TR9 does indeed have the 120V battery inside the case but the 2V (heater?) supply is external. Apparently the TR9 (in one variant) at least has two internal grid bias batteries. Interestingly the 120V and 2V batteries for the A.1134 Amplifier are external but there is an internal 6V Grid Bias battery - this I assume is the brown item in the pics above. But I'm still after a photo of the 120V and 2V batteries (and dimensions) if anyone can find them? Cheers James

15th Jan 2015, 1:54 am	#7
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Thinking about it, the Spitfire radios would only need short duration, and have limited space, whereas the Lancaster would need several hours and have the room for large accumulators. Some aircraft used dry batteries for HT and some, especially marine installations, had power supplies. You need first-hand testimony from ground crews or maintenance people. Dry museum photos and old manuals can only go so far.

20th Jan 2015, 7:10 pm	#8
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 723	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft How things have changed! I found this advert on a vintage radio site many days ago, but all I thought was that it might give me a visual idea of the ratio of the battery w x d x h. So I just looked at the picture! I should have read the advert more closely, but then again how many adverts today announce a product and then studiously list the major dimensions! I'm just programmed to expect a hard sell I guess.... Anyone think that these are the right dimensions for the batteries I'm after? Ed, thought you might like to see the Siemens battery - looks like the North East was a place for battery manufacture! James Attached Thumbnails Last edited by jamesinnewcastl; 20th Jan 2015 at 7:16 pm.

20th Jan 2015, 9:57 pm	#10
Ed_Dinning Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 8,195	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Hi James, thanks for that, the only radio related manufacturing site I was aware of at Spennymoor was the Merrington Lane Ferguson/ Thorn plant. That was a big site, so it may have been there in the early days. Ed

21st Jan 2015, 12:02 am	#11
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft The Accumulator would need to be a sealed type, especially for a Spitfire or Hurricane, but the rating looks adequate for ground use. The other one looks like a low voltage type, not HT.

21st Jan 2015, 11:37 pm	#12
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 723	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Thanks All Still open for any pics but I think I can model these now! James

8th Mar 2015, 10:17 pm	#13
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 723	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Ah - this chap has a couple... Apparently they had to be taken off to be recharged after every flight. James Attached Thumbnails

9th Mar 2015, 10:41 pm	#14
Silicon Nonode Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coulsdon, London, UK. Posts: 2,169	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft They look like vintage motorcycle batteries which were made with a hard black rubber case. The motorcycle batteries would be 6Volt.

10th Mar 2015, 12:25 am	#15
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft They're definitely 2 Volts, usually glass, but some were Celluloid (I think). Oddly, they look like conventional refillable ones, but there must have been some precautions taken to prevent spillage.

4th Dec 2015, 4:27 pm	#16
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,099	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft I have just acquired a TR9 which contains what may well be the original grid bias battery. I will measure it and photo it when I get a minute. It isn't in great condition as you might expect!

4th Dec 2015, 9:28 pm	#17
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 723	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft Thanks gmb. And congratulations on getting the tr9 James

13th Dec 2015, 8:10 pm	#18
108sigs Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 2	Re: 2V and 120V Radio Batteries for WW2 Aircraft In the "Battle of Britain" Hurricanes had a 2V 20 AH lead acid accumulator fitted under the pilot's seat. The 120V HT battery almost fills the tray inside the TR-9. PS. There are versions of the TR-9 up to H, J, K & L. Regards, 108 sigs.