Battery brands available in the UK. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

batterymaker1 · 16th Oct 2008, 2:04 pm

Split from this thread.

As per title..............

I can think of Ever Ready, Vidor, Oldham, Exide/Drydex, GEC, Siemens....

Were there any others?

John M0GLN · 16th Oct 2008, 2:26 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by batterymaker1

So, on the same subject, what brands were there in Britain?

I can think of Ever Ready, Vidor, Oldham, Exide/Drydex, GEC, Siemens....

Were there any others?

Just looking through a 1930-31 component catalogue I've got, lists Columbia, Hellesens, Grosvenor & Pertrix in addition to the ones you've mentioned, a closer look I see that the Columbia must have been an import, it says, National Carbon Co Inc, Long Island NY, and Hellesens was Danish, the catalogue is definitely British, its from The Northern Radio & Cycle Supplies, Skinnergate, Darlington, and the Pertrix has a bulldog on the label and says 'A British Product'

John

ronbryan · 16th Oct 2008, 2:37 pm

I remember Ray-O-Vac batteries being sold in the fifties, but they were single cell types, not layer batteries as far as I can remember.

There is a Wikipedia entry here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayovac

Ron

Paul_RK · 16th Oct 2008, 2:39 pm

Here's a list of companies from the 1934 Broadcaster Trade Annual: of course some may have been suppliers rather than manufacturers. On top of these there would have been store brands etc.: I have a 'Marspen' (Marks & Spencer) standard grid bias battery around somewhere...

Paul

Nickthedentist · 16th Oct 2008, 2:43 pm

Presumably, Ecco [sic] isn't a typo?

Nick.

mickjjo · 16th Oct 2008, 2:44 pm

I have an old 9 volt grid bias battery, The label states "UN.X.LD" , "British Made", not sure who made it but a nice design.

Regards, Mick.

ianj · 16th Oct 2008, 4:16 pm

Ray o Vac's are in my Woolworths at the moment.........anyone remember "Flying Bomb" chinese jobs?

Dave Moll · 16th Oct 2008, 4:38 pm

Did Crompton supply the civilian market, or were they just military?

kalee20 · 16th Oct 2008, 5:16 pm

If memory isn't playing up, there's a photo in John Scott-Taggart's Manual of Modern Radio including an HT battery branded "Full o' Power".

There was also the Milnes HT accumulator, with its changeover switch to conect all the cells in parallel for charging, and in series for use.

And the Home Radio catalogue of 1975 features the Mallory Duracell...

John M0GLN · 16th Oct 2008, 5:31 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalee20

If memory isn't playing up, there's a photo in John Scott-Taggart's Manual of Modern Radio including an HT battery branded "Full o' Power".

Your memory isn't playing you up, in the catalogue I have there is a advert for them, they were made by Siemens.

John.

Paul_RK · 16th Oct 2008, 5:54 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

Presumably, Ecco [sic] isn't a typo?

Nick.

Nope, unless someone was making a habit of it

Ecco Battery Co. Ltd., Ecco Works, Bow Common Lane , E3. Tel. East 4904-5, telegraphic address Eccobatri, Pop, London.

Paul

batterymaker1 · 17th Oct 2008, 12:44 am

Crompton did sell to the civilian market--when they bought Vidor.

AnthonyG · 17th Oct 2008, 12:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Moll

Did Crompton supply the civilian market, or were they just military?

They were a fairly common aftermarket brand in the automotive sector in the 1980s, whether this operation was part of the original company I'm not sure.

Gordon · 17th Oct 2008, 6:09 pm

My elderly neighbour has just let me borrow the Houghtons catalogue for 1933-1944 which has 10 pages for dry batteries - all illustrated. I wish I could copy the whole lot but here's one example below.

Battery manufacturers included are:

Drydex (Exide Batteries)
Ever Ready
Grosvenor (selling a 'mercury' HT battery)
Hellesen
GEC
Marconiphone
Lion
Oldham
Pertrix
Siemens
TEC (The ?? Company Wolverhampton)

Gordon.

russell_w_b · 18th Oct 2008, 9:03 am

There's the 'Delta' dry-cell, as purveyed by Messrs. Falk, Stadelmann and Company (electric bells and accessories) in 1921, and there's an early 'own-brand' cell made by 'Sunco' (the Sun Electrical Company), which, I'm told, is one of the forerunners of 'Rexel Senate' electrical wholesalers.

Note that the 'Sunco' cell claims to be made to 'Sunco's' own standards by: '...a firm of battery manufacturers of international repute...' and does not actually claim to be made in Britain, despite having London, Leeds and Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the label!

The 'Delta', on the other hand, claims boldly to be 'London-made'.

Other batteries available at that time (1920's) are made by 'Dania' (country of origin unknown) and 'Hellesens' (Copenhagen).

16th Oct 2008, 2:04 pm	#1
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Battery brands available in the UK. Split from this thread. As per title.............. I can think of Ever Ready, Vidor, Oldham, Exide/Drydex, GEC, Siemens.... Were there any others? __________________ Just playing with high voltage.... Last edited by Darren-UK; 16th Oct 2008 at 2:19 pm. Reason: Thread split.

16th Oct 2008, 2:37 pm	#3
ronbryan Octode Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK. Posts: 1,960	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. I remember Ray-O-Vac batteries being sold in the fifties, but they were single cell types, not layer batteries as far as I can remember. There is a Wikipedia entry here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayovac Ron

16th Oct 2008, 2:39 pm	#4
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,259	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. Here's a list of companies from the 1934 Broadcaster Trade Annual: of course some may have been suppliers rather than manufacturers. On top of these there would have been store brands etc.: I have a 'Marspen' (Marks & Spencer) standard grid bias battery around somewhere... Paul Attached Thumbnails

16th Oct 2008, 2:43 pm	#5
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,861	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. Presumably, Ecco [sic] isn't a typo? Nick.

16th Oct 2008, 2:44 pm	#6
mickjjo Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dartford, Kent, UK. Posts: 1,661	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. I have an old 9 volt grid bias battery, The label states "UN.X.LD" , "British Made", not sure who made it but a nice design. Regards, Mick. Attached Thumbnails

16th Oct 2008, 4:16 pm	#7
ianj Heptode Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 525	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. Ray o Vac's are in my Woolworths at the moment.........anyone remember "Flying Bomb" chinese jobs?

16th Oct 2008, 4:38 pm	#8
Dave Moll Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK Posts: 6,130	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. Did Crompton supply the civilian market, or were they just military? __________________ Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

16th Oct 2008, 5:16 pm	#9
kalee20 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lynton, N. Devon, UK. Posts: 7,087	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. If memory isn't playing up, there's a photo in John Scott-Taggart's Manual of Modern Radio including an HT battery branded "Full o' Power". There was also the Milnes HT accumulator, with its changeover switch to conect all the cells in parallel for charging, and in series for use. And the Home Radio catalogue of 1975 features the Mallory Duracell...

17th Oct 2008, 12:44 am	#12
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. Crompton did sell to the civilian market--when they bought Vidor. __________________ Just playing with high voltage....

17th Oct 2008, 6:09 pm	#14
Gordon Pentode Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Bournemouth, Dorset, UK. Posts: 131	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. My elderly neighbour has just let me borrow the Houghtons catalogue for 1933-1944 which has 10 pages for dry batteries - all illustrated. I wish I could copy the whole lot but here's one example below. Battery manufacturers included are: Drydex (Exide Batteries) Ever Ready Grosvenor (selling a 'mercury' HT battery) Hellesen GEC Marconiphone Lion Oldham Pertrix Siemens TEC (The ?? Company Wolverhampton) Gordon. Attached Thumbnails

18th Oct 2008, 9:03 am	#15
russell_w_b Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK. Posts: 3,687	Re: Battery brands available in the UK. There's the 'Delta' dry-cell, as purveyed by Messrs. Falk, Stadelmann and Company (electric bells and accessories) in 1921, and there's an early 'own-brand' cell made by 'Sunco' (the Sun Electrical Company), which, I'm told, is one of the forerunners of 'Rexel Senate' electrical wholesalers. Note that the 'Sunco' cell claims to be made to 'Sunco's' own standards by: '...a firm of battery manufacturers of international repute...' and does not actually claim to be made in Britain, despite having London, Leeds and Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the label! The 'Delta', on the other hand, claims boldly to be 'London-made'. Other batteries available at that time (1920's) are made by 'Dania' (country of origin unknown) and 'Hellesens' (Copenhagen). Attached Thumbnails __________________ Regds, Russell W. B. G4YLI.