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Old 1st Dec 2014, 11:20 pm   #301
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Ha ha! I was thinking, maybe, of some hot-wire technique.
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Old 2nd Dec 2014, 12:58 am   #302
alanworland
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Must admit I had thought about cutting the holder part off with a view to installing a modern filament!

Alan
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Old 12th Dec 2014, 12:09 pm   #303
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

@alanworland Probably have done so already but have you looked at Ebay UK? I have on the rare occasion seen sets like yours with spare bulbs.
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Old 13th Dec 2014, 8:56 am   #304
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Here are some of my lights.
One set,I now have three, was bought for my first Christmas by my uncle and I am now in my 62nd year. My mother always said that when my uncle bought them they were 2nd hand. There was always some under breath cursing when my dad had to find the bulb that had gone.One out all out. I run them off a light dimmer these days to help the bulbs last longer. I have tried the diode in the circuit with another set and must admit I can't see any flicker
Steve
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Old 13th Dec 2014, 7:07 pm   #305
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

My 1971 Christmas tree has been installed complete with BC lamp adaptor on top of the Ekco TC196 television in my winter 'snug'. The lights are actually coloured but their beauty alas, similar to all living things has faded as the years have passed.
Before anyone suggests touching them up with nail varnish.....I'm not going down that route! Happy Christmas 2014 to all our friends. John.
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Old 14th Dec 2014, 5:22 pm   #306
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Here's our winter vintage set up this year in the kitchen/diner and we've gone all Japanese! My Teleton C18BS, an nice olive green Roberts R505 but of more interest and relevance to this thread is the tree complete with a set of 20 screw in lights from the 60s.

The first pic shows the whole set up including a festive BBC2 test card, the second and third show a couple of the lights in close up, both on and off and meanwhile over on the other side there's a rather famous music video playing!

Merry Christmas to you all from Mr and Mrs S
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Old 15th Dec 2014, 1:04 pm   #307
pifcolights
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Pictures of Noma 'Snowman' Lights
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 8:00 pm   #308
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Most of my Christmas lighting is LED in the interests of energy saving and easy operation at safe low voltages.

Inspired by this forum I have however gone 100% vintage, or at least vintage style in one room.
Two very small Christmas trees each with a series wired set of 13*coloured lamps, each 20 volt 3 watt.
One slightly larger tree with 20 series wired lamps each 14 volt, 3 watt. The lamps are new but of a style that has been popular in Europe for decades, clear bulbs with an attractive ridged or corrugated finish. And yes I know that 20 times 14 is 280 volts, not 220,230,or 240 volts but it seems that they are usually used 20 in series.

And a load of cheap £ shop series wired 20 light sets that although brand new have been made to essentially the same design for decades.

The total loading is however approaching 1KW, whilst the thousands of LEDs are only about 100 watts in total.

*meant to be 12 in series but I added another to increase lamp life.
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 8:19 pm   #309
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by broadgage View Post
*meant to be 12 in series but I added another to increase lamp life.
I remember doing the same to a parental string of twelve 20-volt Pifco christmas-tree bulbs. In retrospect this was dangerous because I used a batten-mount LES bulbholder which had exposed terminals - and the figure-of-eight green flex feeding the bulb-string gave a 50% chance that the exposed terminals were connected to the live side of the supply.

Somehow, we survived!
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 8:26 pm   #310
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I appreciate the points made re 20x12v bulbs in series. I use these, they don't seem to get over hot to the point of fire risk but full loading [12v each] makes them prone to failure. I never have the lights on unsupervised but most people aren't that diligent. If it was a chain of twenty four I suspect the bulbs would be more durable on 10v or so.

A long time ago I linked two problematic chains to see how many bulbs could be included and remain bright. It was about 30 in the end on around 8 volts or so each They shone bright, ran cool, lasted 22 years!

Dave W

I'm more concerned re the type of device eg a floor lamp where the plugged in transformer is on all the time and a lower voltage is switched at the bulb end. I always switch off at the socket.

After a four year run and over 300 posts I wonder if this thread represents a particularly British idiosyncrasity. Peter's comment in his initial post is that he's sure other Forum members must share an interest in this subject is now quite amusing in retrospect!

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Old 20th Dec 2014, 11:07 pm   #311
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by broadgage View Post
And a load of cheap £ shop series wired 20 light sets that although brand new have been made to essentially the same design for decades.
I have a couple of Poundland 20 bulb sets, one clear and one coloured. They look almost identical to a 30 year old Pifco set I inherited from my parents, except that there isn't as much cable. They're ideal for my little 4' tall artificial tree though. For £1 you also get two spare bulbs and a spare fuse bulb, but none have failed yet. This is the third Christmas they've been in use.
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 12:55 am   #312
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I am letting the side down this year. I am down to my last spare bulb on my miniature olive set which uses miniature screw fitting and rated at 20v 2w. So will not be putting them up this year but hopefully next year if I can source more spares.
All our other lights are LED sets apart from an older 1980's Noma 20 lantern set which uses the W1 type push in type bulb.
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 10:07 am   #313
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I have such a thing for vintage lights, I alternate between my favourites which are the Osram candles and the Pifcos with a few others thrown in. I remember trying LEDs but I could not get on with them at all.

I am not worried by how much energy they use as they are so beautiful and to me they have earned there "eco" credentials by lasting as long as they have

Gary
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 12:34 pm   #314
Tazman1966
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies View Post
...I am down to my last spare bulb on my miniature olive set which uses miniature screw fitting and rated at 20v 2w. So will not be putting them up this year but hopefully next year if I can source more spares...
I've used these in the past and found them to be very suitable. No connection with seller and other sellers are available (though less than before!) etc
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 2:01 pm   #315
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Thanks Tas but they are the slightly larger MES screw fitting. I have loads of these which I bought by mistake if anyone is interested.
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 2:34 pm   #316
eric8650
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Hi All

Pictures of my Pifco bubble lights. I keep them connected to a light dimmer and never run them at full voltage. Always switch on very slowly and bring up the voltage over a period of several minutes.

Happy Christmas to all.

Dave
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 6:59 pm   #317
sp10mk11
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Dave
These bubble lights are good fun, certainly something else to add to the tree ;-)

Gary
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 7:58 pm   #318
eric8650
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Yes Gary.

Admired by everybody who sees them and over 50+ years old.

Dave
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Old 21st Dec 2014, 10:52 pm   #319
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I just think it's nice to see a tree with a good mix of decorations on it. Too often nowadays, you see a tree with all identical size and colour baubles and all white lights, and I think that looks terrible.
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Old 23rd Dec 2014, 10:12 am   #320
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AJS
Yes I think that its all a bit corporate looking to me, the lifestyle gurus at work.........:-(
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