I picked up a Tela-Verta portable battery operated AM Broadcast valve receiver at the last Trash & Treasure.  The radio is not in very good condition, however got it going with a bit of TLC!  It distorsions a bit, but I don’t have any circuit diagram for it, this is the only reference I could find about the radio https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/telaverta_144p.html  There is a layout printed on the back panel showing where the batteries and valve go.

I made up a 63v battery by assembling 7 x 9v batteries ($5 for 4 at Target Australia).  Since there was room, I decided to add an on/off switch on the battery pack so I don’t have to disconnect the battery.  The 457 terminals were pretty corroded, so I changed them for standard 9v battery clips.  Someone on the net advertises a nice 7 x 9 battery casing for around $30 USD, including the cardboard cover, which would be a nice addition … if I can make the radio look as good as the battery!

The radio has been through few modifications in its life.  I’ll work on finishing the package including a new carry strap.  The 2 knobs are stuck in place and can’t be removed without risking of breaking them or the front panel, which means the front panel can’t be removed for restauration or changing some of the components if required.

You can see on the video how the tuning works, there are 2 sliding coils, only one is shown, the other one is on the other side.