It's DAT again!

[Brigham]

...If for some reason you wanted to use a 13A plug on a string of Christmas lights...

[Refugee]

I have found that even filament lamps flicker with a series diode connected.

[Top Cap]

As a kid, my uncle who worked in the local telephone exchange, used to bring to our house some Christmas lights, not many on a string though. Now I realise they were in fact standard Post Office 50V wedge bulbs covered mostly in insulating tape!

[AC/HL]

My late Father in Law worked on the buses donkeys years ago. Guess what bulbs made up a string they once had!

[1100 man]

Well dad has spent the afternoon doing the Christmas tree lights, a job he has been doing since the dawn of time! (He is 90, so that may well be true!)
Not a BC adaptor in sight, just half a dozen wires jammed into a bit of terminal block covered in festive green insulating tape to match the tree! The feed to this is a piece of vintage single insulated clear twin flex, popular on table lamps in the '60s. This terminates in a non- shrouded pin mains plug plugged into the inevitable double adaptor with the table lamp.
This arrangement has been the same for as long as I can remember. The original set of Mazda 'party lights' (still in some of their original box) dates from the late '50's and still has two original bulbs moulded in Christmassy shapes. This was added to by two other odd sets I bought from a junk shop when I was a kid, hence the 6 wires to terminate!
Luckily there are no pets or kids in the house to interfere with the wiring and they don't leave it on when they go out. Still, at least there is no dodgy LED driver to set the curtains on fire
All the best
Nick

[1100 man]

Just thinking about that clear mains flex. For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's like figure 8 speaker cable but with clear plastic insulation and has no secondary outer sheath. Probably rated about 3-5 A I imagine.
Does anyone know when the rules changed and double insulated flex became a requirement?
All the examples I can find still seem to be very flexible and in good condition which says a lot for the plastic technology of the time.
Cheers

[robin0577]

Originally Posted by 1100 man

Does anyone know when the rules changed and double insulated flex became a requirement?

In the early 90s I think, when CE certification and marking of electrical goods became a requirement.

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by 1100 man

All the examples I can find still seem to be very flexible and in good condition which says a lot for the plastic technology of the time.

It's changes in regs again, this time on the amounts and types of plasticisers in PVC, I believe.

David

[Boater Sam]

My neighbour worked for a time at Ferranti's, strangely so did I later, and "made" a christmas tree light set by soldering the said clear twist flex to 48 6v MES bulbs.
Absolutely no insulation, no bulb holders, 13a plug ( and probably fuse ) into the mains after the tree was dressed.
No one died and she never had trouble finding out which bulb had blown, they lasted years.

[Rubberfingers]

Originally Posted by robin0577

In the early 90s I think, when CE certification and marking of electrical goods became a requirement.

I think it was earlier than this. The transparent stuff didn't seem to be around much into the 1970's, the white fig 8 single insulated flex disappeared from new lamps, clocks etc in the second half of the 1970's, probably as a result of the Electrical Equipment Safety regulations 1975/1976 which required appliances to be earthed or double insulated, outlawing things like lamps with brass bulbholders and 2 core flex.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Originally Posted by 1100 man

Well dad has spent the afternoon doing the Christmas tree lights, a job he has been doing since the dawn of time! (He is 90, so that may well be true!)
Not a BC adapter in sight, just half a dozen wires jammed into a bit of terminal block covered in festive green insulating tape to match the tree! The feed to this is a piece of vintage single insulated clear twin flex, popular on table lamps in the '60s. This terminates in a non- shrouded pin mains plug plugged into the inevitable double adapter with the table lamp.

I think the words 'He is 90' just about sums up our Christmas fun.

Regarding the twin clear flex. I appear to have rather more of this around the home than I thought.. The centre brown plug on the distribution board is connected to a length of original three core clear flat flex that supplies a 'Daisy' fan. The smaller one supplies the Christmas lights and a fantastic remote control colour changing LED lamp, details in another thread maybe.

Oh, and I don't want anyone snitching me to the Plug Police. If I get a knock at the door during the festive period I will know where the information came from.. Have fun with your rubberized insulation tape but remember it's only for joining wires. Ho ho ho, John.

[emeritus]

I saw what I thought was old-style twin clear flex on the lamps in our chalet at Warners last year, but on inspection,the twin cores were oversheathed with a transparent outer sheath. The twisted tinned copper conductors were clearly visible through the insulation, and I had to take the back off the plug to find out that there was in fact an overall sheath.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Just to keep it on a Christmas theme.
I discovered these lamps in an old Christmas box that has not been opened for a good number of years. They date from a long time ago. They came from the very first set of lights I guess purchased by my Dad around 1953.

F.W. Woolworth and Co used to sell the 12 light string of holders without bulbs and you could pick what you wanted from a vast collection under those glass topped display cabinets.

All British made and I guess hand finished.

Very frosty this morning and no! I am not installing an illuminated Father Christmas on top of that Pine tree I planted from seed 15 years ago, so don't even go there and if any pranksters think of planting a plastic or plaster Gnome anywhere in visible range..Forget it! John.

[Radio Wrangler]

Not me, John, but spores for gnomes lay quiescent in the ground for many years before they spontaneously sprout a fruiting body. Studies by the University of Neverland show that they tend to cluster near sources of 10.125kHz electromagnetic radiation.

David

[Heatercathodeshort]

Yes I know.
I should have known when a packet of pansy seeds arrived anonymously a few years back.

In my innocence I sprinkled them in a circular patch that I could see from my bedroom window.

You can imagine my horror when these tiny Gnomes appeared. It has been impossible to eradicate them. A local farmer gleefully informed me of the old saying, 'One year's weed is seven year's seed.'

Instead of the pretty pansies first thing in the morning I get these horrible little things smirking at me. Anyone up for buying me a flame gun for Christmas? John.

[Refugee]

You need some systemic gnomicide to clear that infestation up

[ms660]

I'd inform the Gnome Office

Or get the Gnome Ranger in

Alternatively You could get insurance, try Zurich

That's me done.

Lawrence.

[Boater Sam]

Massively off topic, are they the dwarf variety?

[Heatercathodeshort]

Oh please! No super size hybrid, or should I say mutant perennials.

Come on guys, don't be shy. let us see your Christmas clutter. John.

[Tazman1966]

So into the workshop I went to photograph this years not so extensive vintage display.

What about this beauty from China?!! It's three sets in three circles, each set with a flasher bulb. Very random and definitely of its time. What do you think John?

The little tree, aside from being replete with the appropriate tinsel and baubles, has a set of lights with the thinnest wire ever! At a guess, I'd say 1960s.

Around the shelves is my set of olive lights. There should be twelve but I added two extra lampholders. The difference in brightness is hardly noticeable and they'll certainly outlast me even though these are not taken down and put away after the festivities. (Pics in next post)

Merry Christmas to you all