3 amp 12 volt agm battery for radio use

[Frank46]

Didn't know where to post this so if the mods wish to move it ok by me. I just got a 3 amp 12 glass mat battery for my hit and miss engine. But started thinking on something. Have an old zenith transoceanic radio bought many years ago for my dad. No one else wanted it when he passed so I got it. Can I use this battery to power this radio or would I have to worry about frying it?. From what I remember it cost some bucks back in the day and wouldn't want to damage it. I'd have to go look but seem to remember it took either 6 or 8 D cells. Thanks,Frank

[bangerjim]

12 vdc is 12 vdc. If that is the DC voltage the radio uses you will be OK. I have powered 12 vdc stuff from using solar panels to D cells to car batteries to deep discahrge gel cells to filtered AC/DC power supplies with no problems.

Life of your new battery will depend on the draw of the radio. Most solid state radios draw in the 15-30ma range (without dial lights). If it it an old tube type vibrator/converter, a whole lot more!

bangerjim

[lawdog941]

Be careful, the FCC has a problem with people using marine radios for land use. Its not illegal until you get caught.

[kfarm]

zenith transoceanic radio is an old tube type shortwave receiver. Got a friend that restored one and to watch him bend over and listen to it is a picture from the past. Don't remember but didn't it use a weird battery with taps at different voltages up to 90 volts, not sure been too long ago had one in my bedroom in the 60's.

[bangerjim]

zenith transoceanic radio is an old tube type shortwave receiver. Got a friend that restored one and to watch him bend over and listen to it is a picture from the past. Don't remember but didn't it use a weird battery with taps at different voltages up to 90 volts, not sure been too long ago had one in my bedroom in the 60's.

Yes that is a really old one......if it used battery power for a tube radio. Those used A, B, and C batteries to provide filiment, grid, and plate voltages......very common with early radios and farm radios. Early car radios used vibrators to make AC from 6V car battery to power the tubes high votabe needs and 6V for the filaments.

If the OP said it ran on 8 D cells, probably not THAT old. But he will have to provide more info that in the 1st post. We are just guessing right now.

Old radios are fun! I have several, ranging from reeeeeely old tube-type ones (in the huge black wooden boxes with all the knobs) to early transistor collectables.

bangerjim - preserving history.......one piece at a time!

[3leggedturtle]

Be careful, the FCC has a problem with people using marine radios for land use. Its not illegal until you get caught.

Just curious, why is that?

[beagle]

Had one in VN and it's a pretty good radio. It's a receiver only so I see no problem with the FCC in using it. My security systems uses a 12V rechargeable B/U battery and they keep replacing them on a time basis and giving me the old ones. The batteries are still good so you may search around and find some of these from your local ADT techs and use them./beagle

[bangerjim]

Just curious, why is that?

That would only be applicable IF........it was a transceiver AND......you transmitted with it. Listening is free!

I think the one he is referencing in the OP is simply a multi-band standard shortwave receiver.

Hopefully he will check back in tonight and give us more info to work with.

banger

[MaryB]

3A/H means you have about 1.5A/H available to use. Never take a battery below 50% if you want long life. If it is a Zenith r-7000 in very good condition you have a $200++++ collectors item on your hands. I can toss together a small voltage regulator to drop the voltage if it is needed but 8 d cells is 12 volts. If you have the original box and all accessories it could go for the $2k range or more!

There are a lot of decent small shortwave radios available on Amazon if you want to preserve that one. I have a Grundig/Eton Satellite 750 next to my bed and a Tecsun PL880 in the observatory for listening to shortwave when I am not near my desk and the ham gear.

[popper]

Good radio, not a hammerlaud, Collins or National, but good.

[MaryB]

To bad shortwave broadcast is dying out, nights I can't sleep I often tune around the bands.

[Frank46]

Dad used to spend hours listening to this radio. Will dig it out and check how and what batteries it used. Still has the see through plastic cover. Thanks all for your info. Frank

[bangerjim]

The internet, smart phones, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and such are gradually killing off all the old shortwave broadcasting stations. I used to spend hours as a kid scanning the dials for remote countries and stations. Kept a log of my listening and had several radio magazines I used for guides.

Memories of a by-gone age. On a bitter cold clear night in Iowa, I could listen to the world and heat my bedroom with the shortwave tube radio!!!!!!

banger

[MaryB]

The old tube type radio's are still out there. I am trying to find one for a winter project.

[bangerjim]

If any of you radio guys & gals out there need a good circuit for an ABC battery eliminator, PM me.

banger

[kfarm]

Best place to find old radios (junk) is at a ham fest. Saw some really nice stuff at the last one I went to but wasn't looking for a receiver. 73's WB5VOF.

[Outpost75]

Be careful, the FCC has a problem with people using marine radios for land use. Its not illegal until you get caught.

Our Auxiliary Communications unit routinely tracks and reports illegal users of marine, aviation or business radio spectrum. In particular we liked to go after taxicabs using unlicensed radios, because both the cabs and the radios would be seized and the unit would get a "piece" of the public auction proceeds after the case went to court.

Our served agency used their share of the proceed to offset the cost of obtaining and maintaining the computerized RDF equipment. which was co-located on 16 public safety communications towers located in three states with whom they had mutual aid agreements. Our equipment could cover a radius of 300 miles, and get a quick triangulation within 30 seconds and coordinate with mobile DF units in real time by voice, data and TV imaging. Post 9/11 this capablity has been extended to most large urban areas. If you are not operating close to a potential terrorist "target" you might get away with it, but an oscilloscope trace of your transmitter will be recorded and Uncle Charlie will have you on his radar and watch where you go. He has bigger fish to fry than hunters, but if you want to remain The Gray Man you should go back to smoke signals because they know everybody who uses RF spectrum, licensed or not.

ACS volunteers were deputized by the county and were encouraged to vigorously pursue violators. We have 24/7/365 contact with our Coast Guard liaison and the Department of Homeland Security, working in cooperation with the FCC, State and local police. Our unit was trained to operate professional grade equipment provided by our served agency.

Radio amateurs frequently use "fox hunting" as a game. Many of our operators are former military ELINT and SIGNT personnel or work professionally in the telecom industry. Among routine tasks are help detect, locate, track and recover instrumentation from weather balloons for the National Weather Service, LOJACK transmitters, etc.

Some general information to get started can be found at http://www.kn2c.us/

To report violations of Marine Radio Spectrum use, see the FCC Investigations and Hearings Division web page at http://www.fcc.gov/eb/ihd/ or
the FCC Technical and Public Safety Division web page at http://www.fcc.gov/eb/tpsd/.
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