Here is the schematic with the second tube removed.

First off does the outputs make sense based on the schematics I posted at the top of this thread to go from a 2 tube to a 1 tube circuit?

On the schematic from the 20's a line was scribbled in hooking A- to ground. I have cleaned that up. I have seen on other radios that the B+ and A- are usually tied together. Not so here.

I just don't see a path to ground for the B+ to get drained except in the tube the grid is tied to ground thru T1 and T3.

Brian

Grid is biased to negative filament wire. If grid returns to positive filament side tubes will draw more plate current. This will happen if the A battery connections are reversed.

They're designated pin 1 filament+ and pin 4 filament-.

I wondered why the tube sockets had + and - on them - now I know.

I knew 1 and 4 were for filaments but did not know about the +/- . Thanks

I should probably explain myself better. When I made the comment about 'even if the filaments were reversed' I was referring to the A and B bat connection, as Norm Leal mentioned. The filament end connected to B- will be the 'ground' end (or B bat 'return') and the other, then acts as a 'bias'. I.E. If A- is connected to B- then the other side of the filament is positive with respect to B- and vice versa. Datasheet grid bias numbers are based on filament - at 'ground'.

I was simply making the case it did not seem like the tubes could be pulling enough current to kill B+ 'even if wired wrong'.

DC filaments, like on the 01, are polarity marked but whether that affects bias I am nore sure because I have always observed the marked polarity. The conventional visualization of a 'filament' is it being simply a wire, coated or not, that gets hot so it would not seem to matter which end one picks as '-', but I'm also not sure that is, in fact, the practical reality of things. I mean, since one end 'must' be -, with emission and current distribution not constant across the filament, one can imagine the tube designer might do something 'special' because of it but that level of manufacturing nuance exceeds my expertise. Observing the marked polarity, however, eliminates the doubt.

I just redid all the connections and spotted a frayed strand touching the case of the metal audio transformer. Playing strong now on one tube and B+ is solid and not moving. The only signal it can pick up is my home transmitter though. The nearest AM station is 100 miles away in Toronto.
Should I be able to pick up other stations?
Thanks to all who chimed in. I will now move onto the second stage amplification.

That depends on your antenna. Also, you may find that you can hear more stations at night.

Rich

I have a 100 ft inverted L far feed - will try tonight.

ME = IDIOT!!!

I have read that this radio was a super performer. Mine was not working well, little sensitivity and even less selectivity. I have been going over the coils per the original design and my coils as I built using the coil winding data for 26 gauge wire and forms I had used.

Got to the verification of my T1 primary, took a photo of it and enlarged on the computer screen to count the turns. TOO MANY!!!

I had wired up my T2 in place of T1.

Switched T1 and T2 and now have better sensitivity and selectivity. Looks like I can now cover the full MW band. Using headphones I can hear stations at both ends of the band.

Again ME = IDIOT.

In this mess is a working radio. I have been building a radio based on a 1923/1924 schematic in a publication called Radio Broadcast. It actually works. I have new variable condensers coming and hopefully here next week and will house this in an mid 20's homebrew cabinet. Once I do the final install I think I will use brazing rod for the connections as i don't have a easy source for the square uninsulated bus wire that would have been used. Or maybe just black insulated wires as it is not going in any museum. I would really like to get matching transformers but just used what was on hand. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY.