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Battery Eliminator for Vintage Battery Sets

In designRadioPower suppliesRestoration
Last updated 30 September 2026

Battery receivers need a 2 V (or 1.4 V) filament supply, several HT taps and grid bias, and the original batteries are long gone. This eliminator provides all three, regulated and protected.

The portable version runs from a 6 V or 12 V battery through a slow 100 Hz 'solid-state vibrator', so there's no switching interference on long and medium wave. The mains bench version adds a Pico and OLED showing every rail at once, adjustable current trips, and a slow reform ramp for sets with long-stored electrolytics.

At a glance

LT1.8 – 2.3 V or 1.2 – 1.45 V, up to 2 A, crowbar protected
HT3 taps, 30 – 150 V, current limited
Grid bias2 taps, 0 to −18 V
Supply6/12 V battery, or mains (bench version)

Block diagram

Click a drawing to open it full size.

Documentation

The full design report, schematics and parts list will be published here once the project has been built, tested and filmed.

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