Quote:
Originally Posted by dieseljeep
On a side note and slightly OOT, it always amazed me that anyone would buy a battery only tube radio. "B" batteries were never cheap!
I'm referring to the time when most homes had electricity. Portable, battery only radios were made until about 1956.
Three way portables were only about $5 to $8 dollars more and you can use them all year.  |
The 1st one I fixed was my Dad's farm set before they had electric. Its a 1949 I think. Airline model. My Dad told me even back then the batteries were expensive. They used it until quite a while after they got electric then gave it to an Uncle who had electric but no radio and he used it until around 1960 I think.
It needed and needs a decent antenna run to pick up much, maybe 10 foot minimum so isnt much of a portable. It only has a screw to attach an antenna wire to it. A built in antenna would have been better. My Dad ran an antenna around the outside of the house and stapled it on so they could listen to the Grand Ole Opry on the weekends, plus local stations during the week.
All that said, I agree, anyone with electric was better off with a plug in electric option.