Hi group, its been a while since I posted and with many new
members maybe someone has come across 32v dc radio
parts or even whole units. Am also on the lookout for console
cabinets/chassis that may have been 240v but also the same one that was used for 32v versions.
By the way what do members feel is a typical "Farm radio"
considering that the early coffin sets were all battery powered? 2v air cell ? 4v vibrator 6 v vibrator 32v 110v
?
Cheers Michael.

Afraid I have not come across any 32v dc radios in my travels about old farms although did come across the remnants of a 32v farm supply.
Broken 2 v wet cells, a motor generator charger on a hand trolley and the abandoned main distribution board still in place on the wall under a veranda.

From what I've seen on farms the radio powered by a large wet 2 volt cell, 3 x 45v "B" batteries plus a tapped grid bias battery were the most common I have found.

Later radios were the 1.5volt dry battery for filaments with "B" block H.T batteries.

135, 90 or 67.5 volt depending on the size of the radio.

These latter radios used automatic bias and did not need a separate tapped grid bias battery.

6 volt vibrator radios were pretty common as well.

I think the closest I have to a farm radio are a handful of 6 volt vibrator models. A Breville console, Healing table set and an Airzone Radiostar. I also have an AWA Radiola which is a 4 volt model.

There is actually the chassis of what I think is an Operatic 32V in my Shearing Shed. PSU is complete I believe?

Normally the "Farm", or radio designed to pick up signal from some distance, is characterised by the converter / mixer, being preceeded by a tuned RF amplifier.

Irrespective of it's power source.

Marc

I think the Airzone Radiostar I showed in an earlier forum qualifies as a farm radio. It started life out of Kalgoorlie WA.
It is a 6V vibrator set and has 2 IF stages, fairly unusual for a domestic receiver and was an excellent performer after restoration.
Harold

That is something I omitted to remark, most of those "farm" battery sets had a R.F amplifier stage before the converter.

They were no slouch as to picking up the far away radio stations.

Keep in mind that most of the earlier broadcast transmitters were nowhere as powerful the current ones.

A long wire aerial with insulators strung between the house and a nearby tree along with a good earth rod was the norm.

A past acquaintance whom as a boy in the 1950's lived on a farm way out in the Bourke area (if my memory is correct) listened every evening to his favourite serial story from a Sydney based broadcaster.

Praying that the batteries had not run down or there was a thunderstorm.

I have a few 32v radios, I like the unusual.
The best I have is an Operatic Mignon 32v
Operatic Mignon 32v

Peter

Thanks for the photos Airzone, I've not come across a 32v radio and not familiar with the Operatic brand either.

Nice looking radio as well.

I have a 32 volt Standard radiogram, made by Reg George in Adelaide around 1945,the radio works but I have not looked at the Garrard record player as yet..
He also traded under the Operatic, RWG Ernest and Vasco names pre war producing mainly vibrator models, post war Standard radios were HT models.Stephen