|
Back in the 'old days' rechargeable batteries were a luxury. Of course there were automobile batteries, 6V, an assembly of three 2V cells. You could buy a 2V rechargeable cell and there were vibrators made for that voltage so you could run radios from that but they were expensive. And probably unreliable. Further, the capacity wasn't all that much. You had to keep the electrolyte level above the plates, of course.
Six volt battery chargers often used a Tungar bulb as a rectifier, and no filtering or regulation other than a rheostat. Incredibly crude by today's standards, but that's all they had then. No transistors, no diodes of sufficient current rating. No zener diodes. And so on.
|