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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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23rd Dec 2010, 6:59 pm | #81 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 931
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hmm, I've got a set somewhere that must date back a good 30 years or so now that I think about it. Hasn't been used in a few years and is missing a couple of lamps as I recall - will dig it out when I get back home for Christmas tomorrow (IF I get home for Christmas tomorrow given the road conditions up here...) and get a few pics up...see if I can find some spare lamps in a box somewhere too.
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24th Dec 2010, 2:07 am | #82 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 81
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hi all
I have an interesting string of 20 red lights backed with "holly" They were rescued from the house of an elderly friend in her 80s. No idea how old, but the wiring is very thin - much thinner than the standard green wire of the 1950 sets ( like many of you I have also restored my boyhood Mazda set from the late parents home ). I also run these sets from a dimmer + a thermistor to avoid the inrush current. As others have pointed out they look fine at well under the maximum voltage. With the holly lights, given the thin wire, I have incorporated a .35 amp fuse which I hope would go before the wire! Anyone any ideas re the holly lights Happy Christmas all. Regards Trev |
24th Dec 2010, 10:34 am | #83 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Southport Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 3,233
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
They look more like somethat were around in the late 60s, early 70s. I think the standards of construction were at a low point then. I remember our first set of 20 having very thin wire and iffy soldering so thet they regularly came unsoldered and the wire was pushed in held in place with a match stick.
Paul |
24th Dec 2010, 12:39 pm | #84 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 163
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I remember my parents having a set just like that too .. also contained square lantern bulbs .. I think over the years odd bulbs had been replaced with a random selection .
Nice link with some lovely diagrams of the more unusual types of bulbs. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...light-history/ |
24th Dec 2010, 2:47 pm | #85 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 282
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I couldn't resist buying this a few years ago, and I later bought a set of ancient Osram lights which use these bulbs - I haven't needed to use any of the spares yet though!
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24th Dec 2010, 4:01 pm | #86 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,127
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Now all you need is six more bulbs to fill the gaps.
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24th Dec 2010, 11:17 pm | #87 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2006
Location: St Albans, Herts, UK.
Posts: 2,193
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Just got pipped at the post on a lovely old set using these bulbs on eBay tonight . Hopefully another set will come up soon. These were the first set of lights we had when I was a kiddie waaaay back when
PS. Thinking about it they were just like the ones in Simon's (Hybrid Tellies) post above.
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All the very best, Tas Last edited by Tazman1966; 24th Dec 2010 at 11:19 pm. Reason: Added a PS |
25th Dec 2010, 12:26 am | #88 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK.
Posts: 2,234
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I've never tried this but would one of those "voltstick" type non-contact voltage detectors which light up in the presence of mains power work on series connected light strings? In theory you could just run it along the wire until it didn't light up, therebeing the faulty bulb.
Alan. |
25th Dec 2010, 12:31 am | #89 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Hockley, Essex, UK.
Posts: 575
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hi All,
I bought the set of 4 lights including a old set of cones - I'll see what these are like when the finally arrive. Merry Christmas to all the forum members Regards Rob |
25th Dec 2010, 1:35 am | #90 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I reckon there's two sorts of bulb in there- or maybe different dates from the same maker. Some of them are the sort of straight edged tight pointed variety, the rest have a generally softer sort of outline. ISTR that generally the first sort were British made, Mazda or some such and the softer outline types were the "Empire Made" variety.
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26th Dec 2010, 9:04 pm | #91 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Derby, UK.
Posts: 7,735
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
@ Biggles -- it would work if the break was in the live wire. With both wires being the same colour at the plug end, it's even money which one it's actually in; the live could go all the way to the far end, and return to neutral via the filaments in series. No matter where you hold the voltstick, it will be in range of the (intact) live wire!
Or not, the other 50% of the time; in which case, there would be a point somewhere along the chain where the voltstick stopped reading.
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26th Dec 2010, 9:50 pm | #92 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Bromley, Kent, UK.
Posts: 332
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I have to say that all my christmas lighta are either on 5 amp 2 pin plugs or BC adaptors so when checking them out ite easy to make either side "live "
anyway , hope you all had a good christmas Peter |
26th Dec 2010, 10:02 pm | #93 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,127
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I seem to be missing something here. I was reading Biggles' post as saying that the volt stick would indicate what was live and what wasn't. If everything except the return lead is live, then the last bulb is O/C - or wherever else the break is it will be live one side but not the other. If there is more than one bulb out, this method would find the one nearest the live end.
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26th Dec 2010, 11:08 pm | #94 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I think this is referring to strings where all bulbs are connected in one leg of the cable and the return leg doubled back and run along it. If that is the live side then the part of the string between plug and fault will have one live core and that between fault and loopback two live cores, either section being capable of lighting the voltstick. However it is easy with a genuine Voltstick to identify whether one or both intertwined cores are live due to its small pickup area and predictable sensitivity.
Lucien |
27th Dec 2010, 1:47 pm | #95 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Totally agree these lights were bought by me as a schoolboy down in Cornwall and followed me through various house moves. And yes they do evoke some happy memories.
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Simon BVWS member |
28th Dec 2010, 2:29 pm | #96 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Hockley, Essex, UK.
Posts: 575
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
These are the lights that I recently purchased - can anyone take a stab at the make and what type of bulbs that these would use in particular the ones for the flower/fairy sets?
Thanks Rob |
28th Dec 2010, 8:56 pm | #97 |
Octode
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Ilkeston, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 1,398
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I struck gold today in a local hardware shop! When I mentioned old Christmas tree light bulbs, I was shown a display card with about 15 spare bulbs attached. These were packaged individually in little cellophane bags and priced at 59p each. I think they must be 1980s vintage as they are not the true cone shape, but the more rounded variety and the colours included a fairly vivid pink and quite a bright shade of green. Beggars can't be choosers of course and I'll nip back and buy the lot later in the week. The nice couple in the shop told me I could have the whole card for a special price, so it would be rude not to!
Meanwhile, here are a selection of my existing treasures: Some interestingly shaped bulbs, including a very large Santa head, a nice 60s set of Pifco lanterns and also a highly unusual and ornate set of 10 (yes 10) chinese style lanterns. These are flashers and the coloured bulbs are of a shape I've not come across before. I've removed a shade so you can see one. Incidentally, the printed shades are actually made of fabric, not paper as you may expect. Steve J |
2nd Jan 2011, 12:56 am | #98 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 90
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
These have been in the family since before my time. I put an additional holder in the chain 20+ years ago to preserve bulb life. This is the first year the set has not been on the tree - and only 'cos I was out when it was set up and nobody else dared touch these lights . I had to buy some spare bulbs last year for the first time I can recall - I found some on eBay. The solder conections are starting to deteriorate but that is easily fixed as and when needed.
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2nd Jan 2011, 1:38 am | #99 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Hockley, Essex, UK.
Posts: 575
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hi Simonsradio,
What a terrific set of lights, I imagine that you are very pleased with these. Regards Rob |
2nd Jan 2011, 1:44 am | #100 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Can't really see details, but the flower holders look like they might be LES (Lilliput Edison Screw) types. Count up the holders and divide the total into 240 to find what he bulb voltage should be- there should be something available to suit even if just ordinary clear bulbs.
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