1944 C-15A-Wire-5 Restoration

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends,

Made a battery tray today for the box. First i started with the base. I had the original 2 ' X 4 ' 's that were already in place. I added a platform. Then i made a sheet metal tray and primed it. Then added the battery boxes and voilà !

Was there just one battery tray in this box / installation ?

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Friends,

Made a battery tray today for the box. First i started with the base. I had the original 2 ' X 4 ' 's that were already in place. I added a platform. Then i made a sheet metal tray and primed it. Then added the battery boxes and voilà !

Was there just one battery tray in this box / installation ?

You certainly need two sets of batteries, I would have thought, since that's what the Switchboard No.5 is meant for: charge one set while the other set are supplying the equipment. (WW2 radio sets will not take kindly to being supplied by float-charged batteries - you can do it in an emergency but it seriously shortens the life of the valves/tubes. I think the figure is that a 10% overvoltage halves the lifespan.)

Regards,
Chris.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks Chris. Were would the other battery tray go ? Unless i parked four batteries sideways on the same tray ?

[David Dunlop]

Two square steel trays fit on the 2 x 4 's in that corner, Robert. Each tray holds two batteries. The front and rear edges of the tray have a bracket in the middle that takes a steel rod that is part of the hold down assembly for the batteries so they don't go crashing about when the vehicle is in motion. An upper hold down fits over the steel rods and is secured in place. There are stampings on the bottom of the tray to allow spilled acid to flow away from the bottom of the battery boxes. The tray I have seen were painted with a thin black tar like substance to reduce corrosion.

A fifth battery, called a Grant Battery, fits on the floor, dead centre on the front wall. below the Wireless Table.

David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Thanks Chris. Were would the other battery tray go ? Unless i parked four batteries sideways on the same tray ?

Park sideways on the same tray. There were two squares on the bottom made of 1x1x1/8" angle or maybe folded 18 gauge (?) (one square holding 2 batteries) and vertical rods topped with 1/2" threaded rod, wing nuts and a bar to clamp the battery boxes down. 1 pair to operate the wireless while the other pair charges then reverse, repeat.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks a lot Bruce and David . That information is really , really helpfull. 4 batteries sideways , their backs to the sidewall in the square trays . Holdown rods both sides like the battery box of the truck . Then a Grant battery between the legs of the wireless operator and under the table. David, What the heck does a Grant battery looks like ? Cheers . Robert

[David Dunlop]

You won't need to worry about tracking down a pair of Grant Batteries, Robert. They were only installed under the Wireless Table if that particular 2K1 Body was equipped with the Chorehorse/Onan Charger combination. They were part of the Onan System and quite separate from the 4 Wireless Batteries in the Chorehorse System. The wiring for the Grant Batteries was, however, installed in all 2K1 Bodies from the factory.


David

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks David, i think i got it now.

Four (4) batteries , two deep .

In the pictures, i only have two boxes for now but it gives you an idea,

Now i need to work on hold down brackets.

No Grant battery in my installation then.