late 50's-early 60's RCA color TV remote control battery

[drh4683]

Does anyone know where to find the proper battery for the early RCA remote controls? Ive got a '61 CTC-11 remote set. Its one of those remotes with the clear buttons. I never was able to locate a battery for it. Not sure if one still exists. I don't want to hack the remote to make it work with a modern battery. I don't believe its a cylindrical 9volt. It should use an RCA battery VS 163 which is a 4.2 volt if Im not mistaken. I could go with 3 AAA's, but would like to find the proper one if its still available. Any help is appriciated.

[andy]

...

[JB5pro]

There are many voltages available in different grades. It would be great to make one that won't alter such a precious item as an original remote.

[kbmuri]

I think you're talking about the same battery that goes into a 1957 Magnavox AM-2 transistor radio. If so, I went down this road a couple of years ago and came up dry. Camera shops and Batteries Plus said "sorry". I built a 3-by-AAA holder just like you suggested, instead. Worked so-so. Since then I've found that a lot of the super-bright LED flashlights have a cylindrical 3-AAA battery holder that could probably be more easily modified than starting from scratch. I never got around to trying one of them though. I would consider that route though...


OK, I asked Google. This one:
http://www.radiolaguy.com/info/4.2volt_MercBat.htm

He did a better job than me...

[kbmuri]

Oops, I thought he stuffed the original can. I did a better job than him...

[kx250rider]

Last time I asked at Sandy's Electronics, I was told it's a felony in California to sell those. It's a silver-mercury battery. Most people convert to a camera battery of a similar size, but I forget which one. I think I Have one (dead, naturally), but it looks clean for display.

Charles

[batterymaker]

There is a guy from Holland named Loek who DID make a stuffed version of that battery--used a C cell shell. Here's how he did it:

http://tips-en-trucs.verdijk.info/voeding/

Scroll down to the Replica batterij Eveready E233 section.

Bill

PS--Actually, Doug, your remote uses an Eveready E163--lemme look that one up in the stacks and see what it looks like.

[batterymaker]

Found it--intro'd in the 1961 Eveready Catalog. Info as follows:


Now, they say a modern equivalent of the E133N is a substitute, though I can't see how it can. The E163 is a good centimeter shorter than the 133.

So, best result is to chain three silver oxide batteries together. I'll see what's available.

Bill

[batterymaker]

I'm not having much luck finding substitutes. You may wind up going to Batteries plus and see if they can assemble a custom battery for you, spot-welded together and plastic-wrapped.

Bill

Best solution: Daisy-chain three A640 batteries. These are the thick button-cell types used in micro-sized transistor radios like the Standard Micronic Ruby. Final product will be a little shorter than an original E163, but it will fit and should work.

[Adam]

I still haven't gotten around to looking for a replacement battery for mine, but here's a picture of what the original battery looked like. Just to test the remote control receiver I tried a Zenith SC600 remote on the CTC-10, and the "channel higher" button changes the channel lower, and the "off-on" button turns the color control up.

[Steve McVoy]

Check these guys to see if it is the right battery:

http://www.tpub.com/content/logistic...0-998-5884.htm

[frenchy]

I stacked up 3 "A640" button batteries and taped around them to make a battery for my ctc10's remote, fits perfect and works great.
Frenchy

[batterymaker]

I figured it would. How much wiggle room did you have with the final product?

[frenchy]

I may have had to tweak one of the terminals out a little to hold the stacked A640s better, but it doesn't look like I did. Unit has a spring under the battery to hold in there nicely. (This is the remote that drove me nuts when I was testing it outside of the housing - till I figured out that the frame also served as a ground connection between two points on the circuit board, arghh!)

[Adam]

Here's a pic of the 2 batteries I wound up taping together 3v + 1.5v. It's what they had 4 blocks down at the local radio shack, so they can't be too hard to find. It fits right in there, didn't have to bend either of the terminals at all.