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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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14th May 2021, 7:52 am | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 354
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Nettle electrical
I recently came across some of the Nettle type electrical fittings in a house renovation were these any good and were they around very long?
Regards Robin |
14th May 2021, 9:31 am | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Morden, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 1,561
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Re: Nettle electrical
Fairly average as I remember - not in the same league as MK or Crabtree.
I have only seen fifties / sixties 13amp plugs so no idea if they were long established. |
14th May 2021, 10:02 am | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Surbiton, SW London, UK.
Posts: 2,801
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Re: Nettle electrical
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14th May 2021, 10:02 am | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 740
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Re: Nettle electrical
Like this?
They were as good as MK, this adapter has been in use since the 60's. |
14th May 2021, 12:12 pm | #5 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: Nettle electrical
I remember being greatly excited as a child (mid 1970s) when Dad bought a Nettle Roverpoint extension lead (see pic)
I'd never seen anything like it before, and, as with anything electrical, I was desperate to know how it 'worked'. So, of course, I dismantled it one day to see what was inside. Luckily I managed to put it back together again before anyone found out. It's long gone now, but I'm sure I've still got the original Nettle plug somewhere...
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Best Regards, Peter. |
14th May 2021, 12:55 pm | #6 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,453
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Re: Nettle electrical
I've got one of those Roverpoints and still use it. I bought it with Christmas money for £10 from Halford's back in the early-'80s.
Interestingly the socket was quite poor and I later changed it for an MK one. I knew a couple of other people who had them and they'd changed the sockets too. |
14th May 2021, 2:52 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,724
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Re: Nettle electrical
My childhood home was a new build in 1953 and had a one single brown Nettle socket in each room. A Nettle double adapter allowed the table-lamp and the TV to be used together, but presumably we had to unplug the TV to use the radiogram.
All the plugs were Nettle to begin with, suggesting they were supplied with the installation.
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14th May 2021, 6:25 pm | #8 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,118
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Re: Nettle electrical
The TV would blot out the radiogram anyway!
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14th May 2021, 7:56 pm | #9 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 682
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Re: Nettle electrical
As far as I’m aware Or can remember.probably I the late 70s Some if not all Nettle Products became Delta After a few years out of the domestic accessories market MEM returned with the name Delta MEM. Eventually dropping the Delta name and just MEM . Well unto being taken over by Eaton .
They were not to bad a product. Some of the earth terminals were a bit flimsy. Their plug tops were very good and almost up to mk standards. Andy
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I bet that car doesn't have a suppressor. |
14th May 2021, 8:10 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 682
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Re: Nettle electrical
Here’s a picture of the Nettle plug top on the left and the Delta on the right
Andy
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I bet that car doesn't have a suppressor. |
14th May 2021, 9:39 pm | #11 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 1,876
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Re: Nettle electrical
When I worked in an electrical shop in the late 70's we sold Nettle plug tops for low current devices (like radios and TV's) but MK Safetyplugs for high current devices. We had a Nettle one on a heater at home and it certainly got warm in use.
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14th May 2021, 10:35 pm | #12 |
Pentode
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Weymouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 135
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Re: Nettle electrical
I remember seeing a socketan extension lead like that it had some liquid in it and I was told it was liquid cooled im not sure if this was a real thing or if my dads mate was taking the you no what
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15th May 2021, 2:34 pm | #13 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 682
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Re: Nettle electrical
Just got a couple pictures of the last generation plug tops .Basically it’s the original Nettle design but the Delta MEM version. The grey ones were a special . Originally supplied to Habitat and other specialist stores. The quality of these were excellent as the pins were nice and rigid ,so little movement on the wires and fuse holders . Ideal for high current items
One other point Nettle sockets in the very late 70s were double pole switched.At the time frowned upon by several electricians as they were worried the neutral side of the switch could fail leaving the appliance live . How times have changed Andy
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I bet that car doesn't have a suppressor. |
15th May 2021, 3:37 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,865
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Re: Nettle electrical
Ah yes. I have one of those in green thermosetting plastic. As you say, I think I persuaded mum to buy it for me on a boring trip to Habitat in Croydon c. 1980
Apart from the colour, the other notable feature was the window to check what colour fuse was fitted. |
15th May 2021, 9:20 pm | #15 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 354
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Re: Nettle electrical
The fittings I found were pull light switches and ceiling roses, I have never heard of the make before I presume as this was an ex council property built in the 1930's. It was rewired by them in the late 1970's with whatever the got issued with at the time.
Regards, Robin. |
16th May 2021, 11:13 pm | #16 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 682
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Re: Nettle electrical
I believe round about 1980 Nettle became Delta . I don’t know why the name change. We were In fact rewiring council houses about 1981 82 . We were using Delta fittings. The reason was all down to cost. At the time they were not too bad for the price . Heavily discounted by wholesalers. The biggest criticism Was tiny earth terminals. It’s was also easy to snap the earth screw off. Later they upgraded the earth terminals. Andy
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I bet that car doesn't have a suppressor. |
17th May 2021, 10:34 pm | #17 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,004
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Re: Nettle electrical
I remember the family of one of my friends had some Nettle plugs on their appliances.
It used to be common for households to buy a job lot of plugs & keep recycling them, my Gran had Ashley plugs on most of her electrical devices.
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17th May 2021, 11:08 pm | #18 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Portland, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 874
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Re: Nettle electrical
We acquired one of the Nettle extension reels at work, uses .75mm cable so only rated for 5A (in theory 6A would also be fine but try finding 6A plug fuses!), I know someone must have overloaded it once as it wasn't working and needed the fuse replacing.
The plug did get changed, however, for a modern type with partially insulated L/N pins as it's required (I believe) for appliances in a work setting. |
18th May 2021, 10:55 pm | #19 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,457
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Re: Nettle electrical
We currently have a Nettle cooker switch & socket unit in our kitchen, the cooker switch is for the dishwasher and the socket for the kettle, it was fitted in the early 70's when the extension was built, the only fault it has is an iffy earth, the socket tester keeps showing no earth till I wiggle it around, then it works, it will be binned in the near future as it's on the verge of murdering someone.
Two other sockets are Ashley, they work but plugs have a habit of trying to fall out, these may go back to the 60's but I can't be sure of that, one piece of cabling is defo 60's, it's silver multistrand. Our house needs rewiring, the fuse box is a 50's Wylex wood backed thing, the HSE would love this place!
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