The video should say it all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_o_eDyciWM.

Cheers, Art.

Not quite steampunk enough so:

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I did the ferrite loop modification posted by Wa2ise:
http://vintage-radio.com.au/default.asp?f=2&th=247.

It works
In my case it replaces a can and I have ditched the inductive antenna coupling:
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The extra tuning gang riveted to the side of the chassis
is normally a small trimmer connected between one side
of the coil and ground, it can still be aligned best for one particular station.

New YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnErlKFDMmo.

One magic eye tuning indicator (6E5)

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Have to say I like where you are going with this.

For real steam punk, I've toyed with the idea of actually powering a valve radio from a real steam engine - those little toy engines we used to call Donkey Engines, running on methylated spirits burners - should be able to drive a dynamo with enough watts to power a portable valve radio via a batterycircuit. (would need an upconverter for B+).

Another challenge is to be able to present the radio with glowing valves as visible as possible. Typical chassis tends to hide the valves behind tuning dials and mounting plates. A fully transparent dial or plate might be needed - perspex??.

Probably will remain just a thought though...

Maven

Hi Maven, thanks for the comment

If you couldn't get away from putting the valves at the back you could still
see them with a overhead mirror tilted 45 degrees.
The excuse for the mirror's existence (functional value)
could be simply to check the valves are working

Up at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains there is a clock on display that is powered by a miniature steam engine. The clock has steam whistles which blast out the Westminster "chimes" as well.

A steam powered radio is feasible but probably inefficient. For novelty value though it would attract a lot of interest if put on display whilst working.

Extremely inefficient! I think steam engines are considered about 10% energy efficient, dynamos maybe 30%, then with the voltage conversion/control say another 30% loss - in theory perhaps 2% energy efficiency? A proper engineer (not me) could do the sums.

But then, everything we do here is about obsolete technology, and on top of that steam punk celebrates the obsolete in an ironic or nostalgic way.

There have been a good number of clockwork radios on the market recently, but they are solid-state devices with tiny power requirements.

Maven

The thing with mine is I didn't consult a steampunk forum until a lot of it was done.

One idea I toyed with in heating up some water in a sealed copper tube until it activated a pressure switch.
So that way it can turn itself off is by heating the backs of some transistors until there was a small pressure in the tube.
Obviously the tube would need a rubber bung in case it all failed

Steam power.. this is supposed to end up a bedside radio!
I just want an effective sleep timer, though I think I've done ok,
I don't trust the thing to run close to my head all night.

That radio is something that Heath Robinson would appreciate:

http://um-insight.net/downloads/606/download/heath_robinson_pancake.jpg

http://bellasemplicita.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/william-heath-robinson-part-1/