My Dear MR. Pipe : I must be some what older than you ! The batteries we used were" WWII "surplus! 1940's & 50's . Back then the only thing we had was the wire. Geranium(Germanium) that was a flower my grandma had in her flower box back in Iowa. The old Arden, O & R, & Champion plugs were pretty tough! MAX H. P.S. I to am a single stick nut starting with a Orbit 6-12 in 1969.