In a Nutshell
just plug in - then tune in

Introduction:
Up to 1925 radios had to be powered by several batteries each, the most powerful one being needed for the tubes' heaters. It was Canadian Edward Samuel Rogers (Ted Rogers Sr., [1900-1939], a short timeline of his life and work can be found in ref.1), who only 24 years old in 1924 got the Canadian license from Frederick S. McCullough for his newly developed indirectly heated AC tubes, and improved the tubes so they could be used in radios, powered by AC household current. He had already developed a rectifier tube used in his battery eliminators. In May 1925 Ted founded the Standard Radio Manufacturing Corporation Ltd. and started to manufacture the Rogers Batteryless radio. The earliest Rogers triodes used in this radio, type AC-20 and AC-32, had filament connections at a top bakelite cap (overhead filament supply, like the McCullough/Kellogg tubes) and only 3 of the 4 base pins were used, in order to be compatible with the old 01-type tubes. The very first true batteryless (no C batteries) radios were the 1926 models 120S and 150, but both had still 3 uncoupled tuning condensers. The late 1926 models 200, 200A and 220 were the first AC powered one-dial TRFs, sold with the slogan "Just plug in - then tune in", where the plug is a home's electric light socket. The chassis has 3 parts, the new power supply using the heaterless Raytheon gaseous rectifier tube type BH, the 3-stage RF tuner and the transformer coupled audio amplifier. The top view is dominated by the distribution system for the overhead filament voltage of 2.8 Volt at 6 Amperes, which is controlled by a line voltage adapter and monitored by an AC voltmeter. The R-220 was sold less speaker, but often combined with the horn speaker shown here, the reproducer of which is the "Concert Grand" horn reproducer made by the company Newcombe Hawley in St. Charles, Illinois, that is also used in model R-200A (ref.7). The "Air Column" speaker consists of a 86" long folded exponential horn from paper fibre with a magnetic driver unit by Nathaniel Baldwin, and plugs into the rear earphone jack of the radio.

Additional information:
ref.1:    http://www.ieee.ca/millennium/alternating_current/ac_recollections.html
ref.2:    "The Early Development Of Radio In Canada, 1901-1930: An Illustrated History Of Canada's Radio Pioneers, Broadcast Receiver Manufacturers, And Their Products" by Robert P. Murray (Editor)
ref.3:    http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rogerstube_rogers_220.html
ref.4:    http://www3.telus.net/radiomuseum/projects/RogersTube/index.html
ref.5:    http://www.antique67.com/articles.php?article=25
ref.6:    http://torontoist.com/2012/12/toronto-invents-the-batteryless-radio/
ref.7:    http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rogerstube_rogers_200a.html
ref.8:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqJQPFrcV6c

About my Radio:
The set is in very good condition. The radio has its original finish, only a few spots having been retouched. The speakers top had to be refinished. The chassis is in mint condition, with no corrosion whatsoever, no laquer damage and no replaced parts (has still the 3 grid leak resistors). The 6 tubes all work; I could not test them for gain, but assume that they are ok, since the radio works fine. All filaments glow and the Raytheon gas rectifier BH works fine too, since the B+ voltages are ok. Both audio transformers have good coils, as does the speakers auto transformer. The voice coil of the Baldwin driver is good too. The radio works fine as shown in a youtube video (ref.8 or click on thumbnail 75). There are more 1920's radios in the waiting line. Please e-mail me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.

Here are the specifications:

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