I think I have two Philco"A" storage diamond grid batteries

[xH3LLZx]

I have searched high and low online to get a better idea of what I have, and I have had no luck finding anything. My real question here is what exactly could they be worth or fetch at auction? I have two of them and they are in very good condition Any knowledge or advice would be much appreciative, ill post pics when I get home. thanks 

[Rusty_OToole]

Are you talking about radio A batteries?

[Bloo]

Radio "A" batteries, at least any described as "storage batteries", should be 6 volt car batteries.

[xH3LLZx]

I do believe they are car batteries, they have green glass outer shell, model A batteries, and they are heavy.

[Bloo]

Glass huh? Interesting. I would have expected hard rubber with some sort of cast-in finger loops at the ends. I would love to see pictures when you get around to it.

[61polara]

Many farms used these for power before electricity was brought into the area.  At my Grandfathers farm there was a small building next to the chicken coop that was always called the "light house".  As a small child, I couldn't imagine why they would need to guide ships so far inland and there was no light on top.  Later, I found out that that's were where the batteries were to light the house.  Only one jar remained (there may have been only one) and no evidence of how it was charged.

Here's a link to an earlier discussion on Battery Jars.  Also try Google.

http://forums.aaca.org/forum/64-general-discussion/

 

[TerryB]

Glass jar batteries were also part of the Delco Light system of rural electrification for farms and places that were not served by conventional AC power.  I have a few items from this era with the glass jar as one of the stand out items.  The Federal government’s rural electrification act provided the funding necessary to extend power to rural customers where it had not been financially worthwhile to run power lines.  The glass jars are a neat piece of history.

[Bhigdog]

3 hours ago, TerryB said:

Glass jar batteries were also part of the Delco Light system of rural electrification for farms and places that were not served by conventional AC power.  I have a few items from this era with the glass jar as one of the stand out items.  The Federal government’s rural electrification act provided the funding necessary to extend power to rural customers where it had not been financially worthwhile to run power lines.  The glass jars are a neat piece of history.

 

Also used early on by telephone companies in their main operations centers. Those batteries were fairly large, maybe 18 X 24 X 24. I have a Western Electric generator set used to charge them. One cylinder engine turning a 32 volt DC generator. Engine and generator all one unit with a slate control panel.

As an aside, as late as 1965 we had 3 large dry cell batteries in the cellar to power the phone system. Phone company would replace them once a year...................Bob

Edited July 29, 2018 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

Philco branding tells me they're for battery operated home radios, which were very common in years before rural electrification. I have a 1942 Philco "Farm Set" console that uses such batteries (an "A" and a "B") and they are FAR more than 6 volts. Try 90v on the "B"... Most "A" were 1.5v IIRC. Go on some antique radio forums and they can probably tell you exactly what you have.

 

Some of these type batteries were also used on master synchronous clock systems, in which a "master" clock sent signals to all other clocks in a building to ensure they were all set to same time. Fascinating what they accomplished with (at the time cutting-edge) technology.

[Restorer32]

I have one of the 1 cylinder generators as well as several of the glass storage batteries. These still turn up now at then at farm auctions.

[JimKB1MCV]

In the radio world 'B+' voltage can be as low as ~70v ('20s and early '30s) to ~300vdc on tube type receivers. Transmitter B+ can run to several thousand volts.

Tube filaments in battery receivers (including automobile radios) usually require  6v.  at a relatively high amperage and the 6v. batteries that supply this are called  'A' batteries.

I think this nomenclature dates back to the dawn of radios, which is roughly the same as the automotive dawn. 

Most battery radios also require a 'C' voltage, negative in polarity to the B+. 'C' voltage requirements vary with radio design.

[28 Chrysler]

4 hours ago, JimKB1MCV said:

In the radio world 'B+' voltage can be as low as ~70v ('20s and early '30s) to ~300vdc on tube type receivers. Transmitter B+ can run to several thousand volts.

Tube filaments in battery receivers (including automobile radios) usually require  6v.  at a relatively high amperage and the 6v. batteries that supply this are called  'A' batteries.

I think this nomenclature dates back to the dawn of radios, which is roughly the same as the automotive dawn. 

Most battery radios also require a 'C' voltage, negative in polarity to the B+. 'C' voltage requirements vary with radio design.

Some filament or heaters were as low as 1 1/2 volts in the very early radios.

here is the setup for a 1927 Thermiodyne, the 45V batteries fit inside the case and the  large storage battery elsewhere.

[rocketraider]

I took the '42 Philco and a glass battery jar to the local history museum a couple years ago when they wanted a display on early communications in the county. I had placards explaining both the radio and the battery-generator sets and was told that those two items garnered more interest than anything else in that display over its 3-month duration. Keep in mind a lot of folks in rural southern Virginia didn't get electricity till the mid-to-late 50s and people were stunned and amazed by the battery radio and the farm battery.

 

If I ever get around to it I guess I'll have to get a 90v power supply made for the Philco. Unfortunately my good friend who kept my tube equipment going died of pancreatic cancer in June 2016. 

[Bhigdog]

Life was simpler then. An hour or two listening to the radio at night was savored as a treat and a reward for the day's work....................Bob

[Rusty_OToole]

I knew an old timer who had a set of glass batteries. They were from a lighting set he used on the farm from the 1920s until they got hydro in the forties.

 

The power system was 24 or 36 volts which would mean 4 or 6 of the glass batteries. If you only used a couple of light bulbs they would last for several days, then you had to crank up the generator.

 

He told me some time in the early 30s he took a big generator off a 1913 Cadillac and carved a wooden propeller about  5 feet long. Mounted it on a tall pole and had wind power.

 

One night they had the neighbors over for supper and a game of cards. The batteries were going flat so the lights got dimmer and dimmer, they were hunched over the cards closer and closer but he didn't want to stop the game to go outside and start the gas generator. Then the wind came up, the home made wind power plant started spinning and the light slowly came up.

[TerryB]

Example of the Delco Light electric system with glass battery jars

 

 

[Bhigdog]

The genset shown is very similar to mine. Very heavy, guessing 800+ pounds. Governed to maybe 500 RPM. The "box" at the upper right side of the engine is the fuel pump. Brass piston with ball bearing check valves. For regulation there is a stand pipe in the "box" and excess fuel simply drains back to the fuel tank. It's a hoot to watch it run..........Bob