9 replies to this topic

[johndawsonjune1955]

Just thinking about this topic "History Hollow" Why not we all arrange to meet up and talk about the past. It would be different and interesting. Come on lets do it. We are all history buffs. Just looking at some of the topics in History Hollow, we all got plenty in common.
"Our Heritage"
Lets know what you think.?

Edited by johndawsonjune1955, 06 February 2012 - 12:02 AM.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Don't ask anyone to meet at a boozer John..........everyone runs a mile terrified they will have to stand a round!

[johndawsonjune1955]

Haha now i know why no wants to meet up. Its a shame could have some good chat on our interests together

[bediesathome]

hears a little bit of history about elliotts garage from years gone by when i went to see my grand parents one of my duties was to carry an accumulater battery to get charged for the radio as there was no electric in the house as it only had gas for cooking and lights this was at murries yard at the top end you new you carried it when you finaly got back it seemed like a ton

[Malcolm Robinson]

Never heard of that bediesathome.........

accumulater battery......was that an early leisure battery?

[threegee]

Malcolm Robinson, on 12 February 2012 - 02:17 PM, said:

Never heard of that bediesathome.........

accumulater battery......was that an early leisure battery?

Curious that something got me thinking about this the other day. i.e. the High Tension (HT) and Low Tension (LT) batteries used by early valve, and indeed later portable valve radios. The ones I'm familiar with used dry batteries - not a million miles away from the transistor radio power packs (the PP7 PP9 etc.) you will certainly remember. Indeed I think you can still buy some of those at a horrendous price.

The HT batteries were quite expensive and lasted a good while if you didn't use the thing all the time. However the LT ones didn't last very long at all because they simply powered the heaters in the valves (the parts that glowed in the dark). Anyway, way back wet batteries (accumulators, like a modern car battery) were used for the LT supply instead of the later dry batteries, and that's what is involved here. They had the obvious advantage over dry batteries that you could recharge them, but you still needed an HT supply of around 120 volts, which is not at all easy with wet batteries; though I seem to remember the final generation of valve portables used quite compact 90 volt HT batteries. I'd have been very interested to see what they did for their HT supply.

[bediesathome]

sorry i cant help you regarding the accumulater battery i was to young to understand what a battery was all i did was to carry it to elliotts garage to get charged when it was charged it was connected to the radio so that it worked

[johndawsonjune1955]

taliking car batteries. i was disconnecting one about 35 years ago, using a 10 mm spanner and the spanner slipped and it got jammed between the positive and negative, tried to get the spanner free and it was red hot. burnt me bloody hand. Had some stupid mishaps in those days.

[Malcolm Robinson]

johndawsonjune1955, on 13 February 2012 - 11:02 PM, said:

taliking car batteries. i was disconnecting one about 35 years ago, using a 10 mm spanner and the spanner slipped and it got jammed between the positive and negative, tried to get the spanner free and it was red hot. burnt me bloody hand. Had some stupid mishaps in those days.

Bet it was a 7/16'' John!

[johndawsonjune1955]

Malcolm Robinson, on 14 February 2012 - 09:00 AM, said:

Bet it was a 7/16'' John!

probably was, but just the right length to jam between the poles