hi i have an old 32 volt mantola that i haven't had time to look at yet but i was wondering since it looks like its from the the wincharger storage bat. days would it be hard to power it with a couple of my 18 v. nicad bats. i know they would be 36 v. so would i have to have a power res. or is there some variance on the 32 v. where it could be a few v. higher or lower? butch

Unless the set uses a vibrator, the only things that may be harmed by more voltage are the tube filaments. If this radio does not have a vibrator and transformer, but uses standard AC tubes wired in series (AC-DC configuration), you may simply add more resistance to the filaments and add a solid state rectifier under the chassis, allowing you to operate the radio from 120 volts AC. Add some electrolytics and make sure that all other condensers in the set are rated for above 200 volts. You'd have to give the model number of the set for me to know for sure if this can be done. This CANNOT be done with all 32 volt sets. Furthermore, depending on the tubes used, you may be better off using a filament transformer, if possible. Say all 6.3 volt tubes were used...then a transformer would allow you to omit hot ballast resistors. If tubes of different voltages are used, though, then it is better to leave them in series unless you want to substitute tubes...say substitute a 25L6 with a 6V6.

Many of the 32 volt sets I have seen, though, were just underpowered AC-DC sets that lacked a rectifier and had the tubes strung to operate at 32 volts. These sets are the ones that can easily be converted to a 120 volt AC-DC set.

Thomas

There are essentially three types of 32V sets:

1) Vibrator Type, which use a vibrator, power transformer, rectifier, and often have the filments in series, or series-parallel. To indentify one of these, look for a vibrator and power tranformerm and tubes in series or parallel that add up to 32, or sometimes 25 volt tubes in series with a dropping resistor.

2) Non-Vibrator Type, that use many AC/DC tubes. A good giveaway will be no power transformer, and the audio section having push-pull, or even push-pull parallel output. Note here, that this is nessecary because these run only 32V on the tube plates. A high number of 25L6 or 35L6 tubes, with parallel filaments, or a high number of 6V output tubes is a good giveaway, with the fillaments in series or series parallel is a good giveaway. Additionally, there will be no rectifier tube.

3) The other 32V configuration I have seen schematics of, is ones that use low-voltage tubes such as 12AF6, 28D7, 14J7, 14H7, etc. Often the fillaments will be in series-parallel, and these will run 32V on the plates, and use a push-pull output to drive the speaker.

:Unless the set uses a vibrator, the only things that may be harmed by more voltage are the tube filaments. If this radio does not have a vibrator and transformer, but uses standard AC tubes wired in series (AC-DC configuration), you may simply add more resistance to the filaments and add a solid state rectifier under the chassis, allowing you to operate the radio from 120 volts AC. Add some electrolytics and make sure that all other condensers in the set are rated for above 200 volts. You'd have to give the model number of the set for me to know for sure if this can be done. This CANNOT be done with all 32 volt sets. Furthermore, depending on the tubes used, you may be better off using a filament transformer, if possible. Say all 6.3 volt tubes were used...then a transformer would allow you to omit hot ballast resistors. If tubes of different voltages are used, though, then it is better to leave them in series unless you want to substitute tubes...say substitute a 25L6 with a 6V6.
:
:Many of the 32 volt sets I have seen, though, were just underpowered AC-DC sets that lacked a rectifier and had the tubes strung to operate at 32 volts. These sets are the ones that can easily be converted to a 120 volt AC-DC set.
:
:Thomas

:There are essentially three types of 32V sets:
:
:1) Vibrator Type, which use a vibrator, power transformer, rectifier, and often have the filments in series, or series-parallel. To indentify one of these, look for a vibrator and power tranformerm and tubes in series or parallel that add up to 32, or sometimes 25 volt tubes in series with a dropping resistor.
:
:2) Non-Vibrator Type, that use many AC/DC tubes. A good giveaway will be no power transformer, and the audio section having push-pull, or even push-pull parallel output. Note here, that this is nessecary because these run only 32V on the tube plates. A high number of 25L6 or 35L6 tubes, with parallel filaments, or a high number of 6V output tubes is a good giveaway, with the fillaments in series or series parallel is a good giveaway. Additionally, there will be no rectifier tube.
:
:3) The other 32V configuration I have seen schematics of, is ones that use low-voltage tubes such as 12AF6, 28D7, 14J7, 14H7, etc. Often the fillaments will be in series-parallel, and these will run 32V on the plates, and use a push-pull output to drive the speaker.
:
::Unless the set uses a vibrator, the only things that may be harmed by more voltage are the tube filaments. If this radio does not have a vibrator and transformer, but uses standard AC tubes wired in series (AC-DC configuration), you may simply add more resistance to the filaments and add a solid state rectifier under the chassis, allowing you to operate the radio from 120 volts AC. Add some electrolytics and make sure that all other condensers in the set are rated for above 200 volts. You'd have to give the model number of the set for me to know for sure if this can be done. This CANNOT be done with all 32 volt sets. Furthermore, depending on the tubes used, you may be better off using a filament transformer, if possible. Say all 6.3 volt tubes were used...then a transformer would allow you to omit hot ballast resistors. If tubes of different voltages are used, though, then it is better to leave them in series unless you want to substitute tubes...say substitute a 25L6 with a 6V6.
::
::Many of the 32 volt sets I have seen, though, were just underpowered AC-DC sets that lacked a rectifier and had the tubes strung to operate at 32 volts. These sets are the ones that can easily be converted to a 120 volt AC-DC set.
::
::Thomas

hi and i screwed up i hadn't really looked at the set so i don't know where i came up with the 32 volts other than it had instrutions for hooking to a windcharger and i thought these were 32 v. i got to looking it over today it is a model 422 mantola with a double power supply it runs off 115v. or 6v. it does have a vibrater but its not what i thought it was.i was hoping to run it off of 2 18 v. batteries because i have a lot of 18 v. tools i use in my work and thought it would be fun to have it portable sitting out somewhere with batteries and a tuned loop ant. oh well next time i'd better check before making posts sorry about that and thanks for trying to help me out. butch

No worries anyway. You can operate the radio on 115 volts, or you can purchase a 6 volt battery. A 600 c.c. amp. battery, like the one used in my car, costs only $45 at Batteries Plus (should you have a Batteries Plus in your neighborhood). This battery will last you a long time before needing a re-charge if used at room temperature. I know...I accidently hit the on button on the radio in my car (8 tube) and came back the next morning to blaring music. The car smelled like hot tubes, so I knew that it had been on all night. Still, to my amazement on a 20 degree day, the car started! I was late for work, so I was in luck! The ammeter read charge for the rest of the day, though. Guess the battery got drained low.

Thomas