About Ed's Antique Radios











Following my retirement in 2000, Linda, my wife, and I worked the arts & crafts circuit in the mid-Atlantic selling my landscape and scenic photography. When the wall art market collapsed following the recession of 2008 and thousands of homes were in foreclosure, I looked for some other way to use my knowledge and photographic printing equipment.

In 2006 I had started restoring old tube radios as a new hobby, and in 2008 I acquired my first Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio, a B600. I made a working battery for it, and downloaded a scan of Everyeady 752 battery labels. The resolution of the scan was terrible, and I ended up recreating the labels in Photoshop. The high resolution labels were stunning and the battery box looked just like an original. It occurred to me that other collectors of Zenith Trans-Oceanic radios might want high quality reproduction battery boxes.

I made up a couple boxes and offered them on eBay, and they quickly sold. So instead of printing landscape photographs and framing them, I print photographs of vintage battery labels and glue them to boxes. I began searching for other vintage battery boxes to scan for labels. In some cases I could only find photographs of old battery boxes and had to work from those. I now have reproduction labels for many brands of vintage battery boxes. These labels are printed on Epson Ultra Premium Presentation paper with Epson Ultrachome archival inks. I no longer sell on eBay, but everything I produce can be purchased here on this website through PayPal's secure portal.

Our product line has expanded to include battery connectors, reproduction Z-1 batteries for the 8G005 and 600 series Trans-Oceanics, farm battery boxes, and special audio cables to play a modern digital audio device through vintage radios that have a factory installed phono input. We also offer a variety of battery holder kits and connectors, which can be purchased as kits or fully assembled in your battery box.

I also continue to collect and restore select radios and record players when I have time. I have also created and posted a number of restoration guides which can be found on the Resources page of this website. I also encourage you to read the FAQs page if you have any interest in our products. I generally do not accept restoration projects as I don't have the time. I do make an exception for RCA Victor Special Model record players from 1938-39.

Here are some comments from customers:

  • Got the battery pack and the Z1. Everything works great! My trans oceanic works great and the dial lights up, Money well spent. Thank you!
    J.C., Monroe, MI

  • Got the battery box today--very impressed with the quality of your work. Nobody could ask for any better! Thanks again!
    M.A., Olympia, WA

  • Ed,
    Just wanted to let you know the     [Zenith 1000/3000 replacement] boxes arrived and the radio works perfectly! I wanted to thank you for making an old guy happy! Now dad can use his radio again! Thanks again,
    S.G. Miami, FL

  • Hello Ed - Thank you for your fast service and excellent product! I am very impressed with the battery box and connector. I must admit that after ordering, I found the YouTube videos that show the work required to make a nice battery replica. I fully appreciate the effort and attention to detail. I will be ordering a Z-1 replica now, because I cannot justify just putting a standard D-cell battery holder in the radio next to the nice replica AB battery box!
    S.M., Royal Oak, MI

  • I was looking for battery operation info for my ZTO when I ran across a pair of YouTube videos by edsantiqueradios.com. After watching I went to the website and ordered a battery box and connector. They arrived well packed and in perfect condition by priority mail. Everything I needed to install batteries in the new box was included, right down to the heat shrink tubing for the connector and a ribbon to ease getting the box out of the radio when needed. Clear printed instructions with photos were in the box. As promised on his website, any excess shipping costs were refunded when the shipment was made. I am a happy customer!
    L.W., Iowa

  • Thank you for making the (Royal 1000/3000) battery pack. It is impressive! Right down to the proper 3D printer connector - the screws to the base plate!!! Thank you again as my packs were cracked and taped.
    E.D., Maryland

  • The battery arrived in fine shape on Thursday. I purchased this for a customers radio and am really impressed with the build of the battery.
    S.B., Missouri

  • The battery box and plug look great! Thanks for taking the time to design, develop and market something that is so badly needed in this hobby.
    M.K., Michigan

  • The box and connector arrived today. I put it all together this afternoon. I am very pleased with the quality. Thank you very much.
    S.D., Pennsylvania

  • Got the cable and plugged my iPod into my RCA 15X radio - works great. Much easier and much better performance than using my small AM transmitter for "period" music and radio programs. I tried using a modern iPod / RCA connector before but couldn't get it to work. Many thanks for getting my vintage radio back into action!
    J.S., San Francisco

  • The battery kit came in today's mail and looks great. I filled it with batteries, voltage tested it, slid it into the T600 Transoceanic, hooked it up and it worked like a charm! Nice product and appreciated by a new TO listener.
    D.B., Pennsylvania

  • Ed, it arrived safe and sound today, many thanks, it's a work of art. Now I'm motivated to start cleaning up the G500 and start playing it.
    M.O., Westland, MI

  • Ed--The battery arrived today in perfect condition. I am amazed with the quality, I am very, very happy with it.
    D.K., Hillsboro, OR

  • Hello Ed, The General battery looks fantastic, I can hardly believe I will end up with one of those.
    D.K., Hillsboro, OR

  • Thanks for getting the boxes out so quickly. I will be looking forward to getting them. You are a good reputable person...wish everyone was like that!
    G.C., Yulee, FL

  • I got the boxes and that z 59 is a beauty. That is a nice job...When I compare it to the pictures it looks like an original.
    TB, California

  • The battery arrived yesterday. What a sweet addition to my ZTO!! Thanks for a great product and the excellent service.
    RB, Minnesota

  • I've been wanting to purchase your product for a long time. I'm using ten 9 volt batteries for the 90 and two more for the 9 volt supply. Your plug will make my cobbled up wiring at the connection point much safer
    JE, Grandville, MI

  • Enjoying your website and videos
    CM, Cookeville, TN

  • Ed, thank you. Received it yesterday. Beautiful piece of work. It will look great albeit inside. :) My ZTO A600 looks almost new so I am very pleased. Thanks again,
    GW, Sarasota, FL

  • Thank you for your quick response, and the refund of excess shipping !! Looking forward to do business again in the near future.
    MB, Norristown, PA

  • I just got back from work and opened the box. I can't believe how nice this looks! Very nice professional job. I didn't tell you this earlier but this radio is being restored for its original owner who is now 90 years old. His son who works with me is secretly having me fix it back up so he can listen to it again. Anyways just wanted to say glad I found your website and purchased this battery.
    JB, Raleigh, NC

  • I received my set yesterday and the battery kit fits perfectly as well as the connector. It is fantastic!! Thank you so much for everything...
    MF, Palm Harbor, FL

  • Thanks so much for your wonderful products! The workmanship and your email communications are first class! The AB battery pack is now happily powering my 600 series Zenith, and will soon be transferred over to my 8G005 for a trial run after I get it cleaned up and checked out.
    GH, Los Altos, CA

  • Hi Ed - the Zenith AB battery box looks great. I am installing it in my Zenith Global. Thanks!
    JM, Minneapolis, MN

  • Thank you Ed. I really enjoy listening to my 1958 Transoceanic over a cup of coffee early in the morning. You have helped me take the radio up to my cabin so I can listen to it via battery power! Appreciate what you do.

    WA, Minnetonka, MN