Build a Cigar Box Battery Box for Tube Radios

If you are into building and playing around with tube radios like I am, you have probably have a similar problem as I do with powering them. Most of the old circuits were designed to run on high voltage b batteries which are no longer available. So I decided to make a universal battery box to run my radios on. To stick with the old school DIY radio builder style I decided to use an empty cigar box to make it in. You can buy or get for free empty boxes at drug stores and tobacco shops. DON'T SMOKE! Also beware this thing well produce high voltage current, probably not enough to kill you but it might give you a good jolt or even burn you, so take the appropriate precautions when building and using this device.

Step 1 Materials

Materials:

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1- Cigar box, larger one big enough to hold all of the batteries.
1- 4x D-cell battery tray
4- d-cell batteries
8- 9volt batteries
6- spring clips(fahnstock clips)*
6- #6 machine screws*
6- #6 nuts*
6- solder terminals*
- 22 gauge solid copper wire
- glue
- electrical tape
- double sided foam tape

*These parts can be replaced with 6 binding posts if you like, I already had the clips so I used them*

Tools:

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- Wire cutter and striper
- Soldering iron and solder
- Drill and bits
- Screw driver and pliers

Comments

[MEMJIM]

i have an old Philco floor model tube radio. it comes on but omits a loud Humming sound. can ya' tell me how to eliminate the noise? thanx

[blackcorvo]

its a really nice project!

i wish it was as easy to find these boxes here in Brazil as it is there... i'd built a tube amp inside one of these!

[fender-electric-guitar]

may i suggest rechargable battries though they are twice as much there better in the long run also this way uses snap connectors

[Xellers]

Can you please post schematics for this? I found a free PDF of the book you were talking about, but it only had a wiring diagram, and not detailed schematics. I would like to try this while I wait for the output transformer for my other tube amp to come. Please post something. Thank you.

[Ohm]

The battery box? Or the little two stage amp that I show it powering?

[Normjr]

Hey there Ohm! That wouldn't be a bad Idea! Why not an instructable for the two tube amplifier in a cabinet that matches the Antique Chrystal Radio Instructable? You might have to add a fan, but that wouldn't be hard. Besides, don't you think that the power box needs a 12v supply as there are tubes out there with 12v heaters / filaments? You might have two inputs for the amp, one Hi-Z the other Low-Z, that way one could run the output of the Chrystal Set into the Amplifier. You might also produce an instructable for a matching power box.

[tinkernaut]

Very nice! I always wanted to do this to build a higher voltage portable supply. I am curious, though. In step 3, could you use 9 volt snap-on battery terminals with their leads shorted to join adjacent battery terminals (rather than soldering wires)? I think I have tried this way back when and it worked: The distance between adjacent battery terminals is the same as each battery's own terminals, and so, the snap-on terminals will fit. No? How long would a battery like this last? What is the typical draw for the B+ of tubes?

[Ohm]

Yes you could certainly use snaps instead, I just decided to solder them as they were not going to be used for anything else. As for battery life, the 9 volt batteries well out last the D-cells used for the A supply. The tubes in the little amplifier I am showing with it the plate current is only about 5mA at idle, so not much at all. It works good for powering single tube radios ect.

[Wyle_E]

It's possible to daisy-chain 9-volt batteries to make a series string of any length. It's not as compact as two rows, but it's quicker than soldering. A dc-dc converter powered by D cells would be cheaper in the long run, but that's another project.

[Ohm]

Unfortunately I didn't that any photos or anything when I made the amp. The amp comes from the book "The Boys Second Book of Radio and Electronics" by Alfred P. Morgan, if this guy was still around he would probably make some good Instructables, his projects are very well described with some great line and pencil drawings. The only thing wrong with the circuit is it needs a 2k ohm resistor across input to load the output of a crystal set or regenerative radio. If you are into crystal radios and such like that I would highly recommend getting the book as it has quit few other cool radios and even a Geiger Counter too, you can usually find one on Amazon. Just don't pay the $100 for one that some people seem to think they are worth, I got all the ones in my set for less then $40 each.

[thewoodcarver]

Very Nice work ! I have a few home brew radios and always have a power supply problem ....maybe you can do one on the amp next since I need one to go with some of my crystal sets that look like they have come from the same era

[GorillazMiko]

Okay, this is one of the most coolest looking things I have ever seen! Looks amazing, +1 rating. (added to favorites)