Who has run a radio in the T without changing to 12 volt system? My wife wants a radio for the longer rides and I want to retain the 6 volt system and not add a 12 volt battery either. All ideas appreciated.

I-Pod + headphones.

Doug,

Why not use modern technology. Buy her an ipod.

Thank you,

Orlando

If you can find spaces to put a radio without changing the car then you could put one of those little 12volt batterys from a searchlight or motercycle (searchlight ones are sealed so they do not spill acid) under the car somewhere & recharge it after each trip

I built a home made vacuum tube radio for my T but I designed it to run on 6V. The ignition interference isn't as bad as the naysayers proclaim, particularly with FM reception. Having said that, I haven't bothered to add any interference suppression (I use the stock Ford coils/timer). Anyway, the road noise masks most of it.
Just use a 6-12V converter if you want to use a modern solid state set. They often turn up at swap meets (especially VW swap meets) as they were popular in the 1970's. I've typically paid $2 - $10 for them. Some of the parts suppliers sell new ones but are of course somewhat more expensive.

A Model T with an antenna? Yuck. What next, an 8 track tape player? Go with the Ipod.

I will look for a convertor. No antenna outside. Thanks for the ideas.

This is what you need..

rd

Got a couple 8 tracks if you decide to get 1.
According to the Audel's radiomans guide I have antennas can be under the car frame on insolators.Hid from veiw.Also fine wire can be routed through the touring top or in the headliner.Not done any of this,just saw the pictures.

I used a 6 to 12 volt converter to put a radio and, yes, an 8 track in a 40 Buick (6 volt) back when I was in college (that was my car for a bit in college, in the late seventies).

I wonder if the mag will "generate" () any interference with a radio?

OK
This device method is guaranteed to receive any and all signals. Pictured is the child version. But all sizes are available. No messy wires or insulators to run or attach to your T. All material(s) are readily available at your local market.

I've never tried it, but I seem to recall a discussion here a year or to ago to the effect that most of what you hear on a radio in a T is static that goes up and down with the speed of the magneto... or am I misremembering?

On an AM radio, yes.

Then the thread I'm remembering must have been about period radios in Ts.

PERIOD radios in Ts? Wouldn't that have required about three extra generators with their third brushes set to max. output?

If you want to hear what it sounds like, get a portable radio and put it into a Model T while running. What you hear is what you will hear with one built into a Model T.
Norm

I have seen in old publications where the antenna was often placed under the running board. OK if the board is wood but steel would block the signal quite a bit.
Gary

Well if you can fiqure out a grounding method,you could use a cat wisker and headphones with about 200 foot of antenna!
No power required!

I would have to do some reading but I dont know that anything was really made to funcion in a car till the very late 20's,I may be off I dont know.

Seth,

And think of all those vacuum tubes....

It would be a nice and warm back seat - no aftermarket heater required...

My trusty old B-52 seat-set works like a charm! Oh, wait .... the racer's not runnin' ... darn! I'll have to try it in (or near) the racer sometime. If it doesn't like hash then there's another 1600+ sets to try here!

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_meteor_b_52.html

Here's a radio purpose-built for the Model T from down unda! He also has some other T related ideas about 3/4's down the page

http://cool386.tripod.com/tradio/tradio.htm

Homepage: http://cool386.tripod.com/index.html


Garnet

Noise cancelling headsets are as cheap as $35 nowadays, on up into $$$. They are worthwhile, whether in a T, or an airliner.

They are illegal for the driver in Calif, as are the little plug type.

rdr

It is to the point listing what is still legal in Cali would be easyer!

I once installed an 'era' radio in a Model A Ford for a customer, it was a 1934 Detrola with the antenna mounted under the running board (NOS unit). It worked really good and had a couple of resistor type devices built in to do away with Generator whine & distributor noise.

I'm not quite sure how well it'd work in a T, but if it was me I'd just carry a portable stereo and a stack of CD's....

If you can keep the wisker still on the galena,this may work.



I do have a new chunk of galena whenever I get some other radios finished I want to try to get this 1 working.

Mack,

Is that a "Crystal Radio"?

I built a crystal radio one time that I found in my grandfather's junk, seems to me it was a Heathkit or something or other. It looked very similar to your photo, but smaller & more modern looking.

The only thing I was able to get on my crystal radio was the local gospel station.

that would be the correct name for it.
I got this 1 while I was in Kentucky visiting with Ray Elkins and another T fellow that post on this forum.
I dont know any history on this 1.The coil windings are loose and alot of work needs to be done.
1 time I got a homemade unit to work.But not well.

Thanks for that website Garnet. You know that's the work of one of the regular posters to this forum, don't you?

Seth

Well,aint that something.I have been going to that website all week trying to fiqure out how to get the schematic off there for a 15-20E Crosley radio chassis I wish I had never seen.
I found it after relizeing a poster here on the forum sent me some cds with schematics on them.So i printed it off and have been useing it.Sometimes I take on things for folkes I wish I didnt.This particular radio has been 1 of them.

I have a CIBA 750cc Crosley engine modified for midget racing that you can have to go along with that radio.

Free! Just get the damned thing out of my garage

Ipod+headphone, shut up and ride!

Satellite Radio has an I-pod sized unit that wouldn't take up much space.

you could put the antenna on top