To battery or not to use a battery. What is the difference between a hot shot and a battery?

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: To battery or not to use a battery. What is the difference between a hot shot and a battery?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Poane on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 02:44 pm:

To battery or not to use a battery. What is the difference between a hot shot and a battery?

The engine /trans is an older but never run restoration. New mag. Rebuilt new coils never used since rebuild.

Engine was rebuilt to accept a battery. I just came back from buying a 6 volt, but maybe I do not need one. I always had a battery so that is all I know.

Is a hot shot worth using and what is it?

Thanks, Bob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 02:52 pm:

Others will chime in but I'm pretty sure "hot shot" is just a term for a battery used to start the car (power the ignition system) when hand cranking. Originally dry cell batteries. Any modern batt will do. Don't know if "hot shot" was a trade name or not.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Dufault on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 03:06 pm:

Robert,

Are you thinking of this product?

http://www.funprojects.com/products/hsbck1.aspx


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Poane on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 03:21 pm:

Dave, that appears to be it. I do not understand all this but I'm le3arning. Thanks for your help.

I might just stay with the 6 volt starter system, but crank it for the fun of it. Crank on bat and switch to mag.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 03:28 pm:

Your car was built without a starter or generator, but since the engine is built to have a starter and generator, you can use a 6 volt battery. Whether or not you use the starter or the hand crank is up to you. It is very convenient to have a starter especially if your back hurts or you have arthritis. It is also much easier to start if you should accidentally kill the engine in traffic. Your passenger doesn't have to get out so you can get out in traffic to turn the crank.

Anyway, my understanding of "hot shot" is a low amp battery which is large enough to buzz the coils, but not enough for the starter. Also if you drive at night you could convert all the lights to 6 volt and drive quite a ways on the 6 volt battery. They will be more dependable than mag lights which dim if you go too slow and burn out if you go too fast.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 04:10 pm:

A Hot Shot battery is actually three and sometimes four one and a half volt dry cells each about the size of a pint thermos bottle. They were bound together and put into an oblong can. So they were huge D cells. Many cars with large engines and six volt batteries had too much voltage drop when cranking with the electric starter so these were sold to provide energy for the coil or coils for starting. Our 1913 Cadillac had a drawer for the Hot Shot and it was used to power the coil while the storage battery cranked the engine. The engine had 366 cubic inches with its 4 1/2" by 5 3/" bore and stroke. Battery voltage dropped to about four volts during cranking and so Cadillac provided a drawer to store the Hot Shot in for starting. Once running the switch was moved over to run on the storage battery.


hot shot


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 07:13 pm:

Early cars like my Autocar had no magneto and used dry cells to operate the coils. They usually had two sets and were set up with a one/two switch so you could switch over to the second set when the first set was discharged. One later application was the use of a hot shot battery to power the glow plug on model airplanes. They are getting hard to find these days and there is no good reason not to use a wet cell battery. My Autocar will run for days on a wet cell battery but has trouble going for a day tour on both sets of dry cells. I use lawn mower or motorcycle batteries in all my cars now. If you keep them charged they will last for years.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 08:26 pm:

Bob, you can buy a 6 volt battery that is made up of 4 D Cell flashlight batteries, but it will not crank your car.

A 6 Volt lantern battery Dry Cell will start your car for a whole season, if only used to power the coils, an you remember to immediately switch to Mag.

You will need a 6 Volt, Group 1, Wet Cell battery to start the engine using your starter.

Your engine will start on Mag very easily when warm, but will require more work to start cold on Mag.

The extra compression from the recent rebuild will make hand cranking more difficult.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Sunday, May 25, 2014 - 10:27 am:

First of all, a hot shot is a battery. They are usually either 6v or 12v. I used them for years in my '13, but now use a small Optima type battery that is about the same size as a Model T coil, and lasts forever almost. I like the 12 volt version, as it gives the coils a little more kick.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R. S. Cruickshank on Monday, May 26, 2014 - 12:40 am:

Go to a computer geek and see if he has server batteries that are no longer in use. They are 12v and provide excellent long term power. I have run on tour for about 300 miles just using this battery when my mag quit.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Menzies on Monday, May 26, 2014 - 10:26 am:

HOTSHOT was a brand of battery many years ago used primarily for old hotel fire alarm systems and electric fences. I used to in my other life inspect old fire alarm systems and many had HOTSHOT batteries in them. They were adopted for other uses such as a starting aid for Model T cars. They were a cell not a battery it took 4 cells to make a battery each cell was 1.5 volts. Most fire alarm systems were 6 volt systems. As time progressed the battery companies made a 6 and 12 volt battery in one unit. Some 1.5 volt HOTSHOT cell units may be found in antique stores, most of them are however rotted completely away.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Townsend ; ^ ) Gresham, Orygun on Monday, May 26, 2014 - 11:21 am:

Robert-
I have used an 8v lantern battery in my 1911 for a couple of years now. I use it to start the car then switch right over to MAG.

Does your 1912 have a starter? If so, you'd need either a 6v or 12v car battery. If all you are doing is powering is the coils for ignition, it does not make a lot of difference.

One advantage for 12v is a power-port for things like a GPS or phone charger.

I have a friend who used an old 9v battery from a Maketa cordless drill. He made an adapter to hook up the terminals and simply plugs it into his charger unit when he need to charge it.

: ^ )


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - 11:24 am:

They used to use those old dry cell batteries in magneto telephones too.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - 06:36 pm:

The magneto in the old telephone was to power the "ringer" in the phone. Once the other end heard the ringer they then picked up the ear piece and that off hook then hooked the dry cell batteries in series with the phones and phone line. The established connection was then DC powered so that the carbon microphone would work. Carbon microphone was really tremendously efficient and gave off a large signal that carried the conversation without any amplification on local calls. Thomas Edison is the one who put the carbon microphone into Mr. Bells phone. Before that the Bell phone was largely a parlor toy with no real value since it was very difficult to hear the other end unless things were super quiet. With the "new" carbon microphone the phone was a practical tool that worked. Since Alexander didn't really invent the phone it is no wonder he couldn't improve it either. Most historians (include me in this group) seem to agree that the real inventor was the other guy in the law suite since he clearly knew how it all worked. That happens a lot in science and patents. The guy that should be given most if not all of the credit was Tom Edison's lab since he improved the microphone by orders of magnitude over the patented Bell design.


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration