Ramsey Vintage Radio Battery Eliminator Kit

Recently a man asked for advice on how to resurrect a vintage piece of audio equipment. The device in question was a Sound Scriber, an item I am partially familiar with. One of his concerns was how to supply power to the unit. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much information about the power requirements of the Sound Scriber, or (more importantly) circuit schematics on the internet.

A few weeks after our conversations I received Ramsey Electronics 2010 catalog. Among the vast selection of electronics kits I came across Ramsey's new Vintage Radio Battery Eliminator Power Supply Kit. Though the battery eliminator kit may not help the gentleman I spoke with, it is certainly interesting.

This power supply is similar to other battery replacement options available from other manufacturers. The distinguishing characteristic is that Ramsey has made this type of device into a DIY kit.

Ramsey describes the kit best:

Many classic radios operated on batteries only, and in many cases a series of three batteries for each radio were required! The A battery provided power to the filament of a vacuum tube, the B battery provided the plate voltage for the tube, and the C battery provided bias to the control grid of the tube. The new ABCE1 Battery Eliminator gives you an easy way to replace all these batteries with a simple household AC power connection (choose between 120VAC or 240VAC with a simple jumper selector) and resurrect your vintage antique radios! The ABCE1 provides all the required operating voltages, and all supplies are isolated from each other and input line voltage. This allows easy interconnection for virtually any required configuration.

Searching a little farther I found some technical information:

"A" Filament Supply: Adjustable from 1.25VDC to 6.5VDC @ 2.5A max
* "B" Plate Supply: 22VDC, 45VDC, 67VDC, 90VDC, 135VDC fixed outputs @ maximum of 60ma total for all loads.
"C" Bias Supply: -3VDC, -4.5VDC, -9VDC, -22VDC fixed outputs @ maximum of 20ma total for all loads.
* The "A" filament supply + voltage is bonded to the AC input line equipment ground.

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This is the ARBE-III Universal Battery Eliminator made by Antique Radios Inc. It is yet another radio battery-replacement option, but unlike the Ramsey kit it arrives pre-assembled. The ARBE-III is even 40 dollars cheaper than the Ramsey kit.

The ARBE site states:

ARBE-III is a solid state, fully regulated, universal power supply designed specifically for use with pre 1930's battery operated radios. The latest version is now available with added improvements. We have added a new black anodized heat sink which improves the power handling capability. Notice also that a red neon lamp has been added to show when the unit is turned on. Three electrically isolated power sources are provided in one self contained unit. A custom wound power transformer provides maximum flexibility for the power requirements for many different types of older radios. The B & C voltages are regulated and short circuit proof. The unit comes fully assembled, tested and is warranted for five (5) full years from date of purchase. Bring that Atwater Kent, Crosley, Federal, Kennedy, RCA or other early battery radio back to life again. Comes complete with owner's manual, warranty, and wiring diagrams showing how to make the connections for many of the early battery operated radios.

Voltage specs:
"A" adjustable from 1.25 to 6.5 VDC and is capable of providing up to 3.0 Amperes continuously (3.25 Amperes intermittently).
"B" 5 fixed voltages; 135, 90, 67.5, 45 & 22.5 VDC @ 60 ma
"C" 3 fixed voltages; 4.5, 9 & 22.5 VDC @ 20 ma

For those who need similar power supply options for vintage equipment, either of these two options would be very useful.

-Andrew