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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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8th Mar 2012, 5:34 pm | #181 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
As posted above, some vintage fluorescent light fittings use a filament lamp in series with the tube, these are no longer readily available.
The exact voltage of lamp required would be appreciably less than 230/240 volt mains, and appreciably more than the readily available 110/120 volt lamps. I believe that I may have located a source of 196 volt, 60 watt GLS lamps, these might be more suitable than the 230/240 lamps that some members have tried. I do not know if these are NOS, "when its gone, its gone" or if they are still manufactured for some odd application. |
9th Apr 2012, 8:10 pm | #182 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I once looked in a book at tech college library and found a circuit in it for a British Rail Ballast that drove a 5 foot tube that ran from 24V. It used something like two OC35 transistors and relied on the "overshoot" spikes to strike the tube. It was just a multi-vibrator with a center tapped transformer. I have no idea what frequency it ran at though.
Last edited by Refugee; 9th Apr 2012 at 8:16 pm. |
9th Apr 2012, 8:42 pm | #183 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Hi Plenty of designs for these about, after germanium types Silicon planers (low Vce) were popular, now it would be FETs. Typically operated at 20 to 35Khz, where luminious efficiency increases over that at 50Hz and is also not audible.
I've built many of these for camping lights operating off a car battery in years gone by. Ed |
9th Apr 2012, 10:47 pm | #184 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
Posts: 1,214
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I picked up a rather nice twin (32 + 40 Watt) circular fitting a while ago for my lounge as I wanted a very bright light for when fiddling with the hi fi but it buzzed annoyingly having two large chokes. As an experiment I picked up a "high frequency" ballast unit designed to work two lamps of approximately the same wattages (although the modern "thinner" types) and it works a treat. Completely silent, lamps both strike virtually straight away and together, and seems marginally brighter. Good "marriage" of "retro" fitting with "modern" innards. I also have a few of those Japanese desk lamps (one particularly nice one made by "National") with perspex shades but again they were buzzing annoyingly. They don't use a starter: the mains switch has momentary break contacts that you hold down briefly and let go which mimics the action of the starter and strikes the 15 watt tube - if it isn't too cold that is. Found a really small HF ballast unit that fits where the old choke went and now instant, silent light!!
Robert |
9th Apr 2012, 11:37 pm | #185 |
Dekatron
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Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
From what I remember as a youngster, early inverter driven fluorescents in public transport tended to run in that painfully annoying frequency range between about 10kHz and too high to hear.
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10th Apr 2012, 9:33 am | #186 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I think you might be right there Chris, remember the London Underground trains from the '60's ("C" stock perhaps) that had a very obvious "whine" in the carriages...
Robert |
10th Apr 2012, 8:22 pm | #187 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2006
Location: St Albans, Herts, UK.
Posts: 2,193
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
And so did the MCW Metrobuses that had all the inverters for the saloon lighting for both decks in a cupboard at the top of the stairs. There'd be a veritable cacophony of whistles and whines if some of the tubes were spent. They still managed to light to an extent though which meant that they didn't get replaced straight away. They were wired in pairs with one inverter driving two 20W T12 tubes. The original colour was Warm White but as they were replaced, eventually scant regard was paid and all manner of colours from "White", "Natural", "Cool White" and "Daylight" fitted. There was also a blue one fitted above the first seat by the entrance doors.
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10th Apr 2012, 9:54 pm | #188 | |
Rest in Peace
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Quote:
Kind regards, |
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10th Apr 2012, 10:50 pm | #189 |
Dekatron
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Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Wasn't it less likely to upset the driver's night vision?
They also seemed to make book pages fluoresce a bit (presumably higher UV content), so even though the light was dim, you could still read by it!
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11th Apr 2012, 8:24 am | #190 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,129
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Quote:
I dont believe that blue was significant in itself, but the blue lamps tended to be much dimmer. Some modern buses use LED lighting, the lights near the driver are blue, but being LED they are as bright as the white ones used elswhere in the vehicle and seem a bit pointless. |
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11th Apr 2012, 1:14 pm | #191 |
Dekatron
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Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I'd always assumed it was to allow the driver/conducter to spot forged notes and passes, or for stopping the dodgier passengers injecting drugs (this trick is widely used in public loos where there's perceived to be a problem). I really do learn something new here every day.
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11th Apr 2012, 5:31 pm | #192 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Durham
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
The toilets in Durham indoor market have those large UV tubes. I have a lamp with a blue tube in an it shows up white colours very bright, they put them in toilets to stop folk doing things they should not in there, that said the ones in Durham don't seem to work that well as there is too much daylight in there anyway so what is the point?
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11th Apr 2012, 5:36 pm | #193 | |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2006
Location: St Albans, Herts, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Quote:
As others have said, it was less likely to cause reflections on the windscreen and disturb our vision
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11th Apr 2012, 5:51 pm | #194 |
Retired Dormant Member
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Location: Durham
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I don't have much in the way of Flourescent (fluorescent) lamps but love the retro look of them, the only ones I have are the battery ones but I have an old GEC starter.
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11th Apr 2012, 9:31 pm | #195 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London 90% , Northwest England 10%
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
This thing buzzes at, I think, the mains of 50 Hz. New tube fitted yesterday, though the fault was the starter, which I have also replaced, leaving the choke or capacitor faulty or is that the design?
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11th Apr 2012, 10:00 pm | #196 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I would have thought that the choke would be the most likely cause of buzzing.
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12th Apr 2012, 2:41 pm | #197 |
Dekatron
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Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
So would I.
You might be lucky and find it's just loosely mounted, but more likely it'll be loose laminations. Replace it or live with it- it's not likely to fail any time soon.
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13th Apr 2012, 4:08 pm | #198 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London 90% , Northwest England 10%
Posts: 386
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Seems to have settled down now the new starter (and tube) is in place. Nothing noticable although the 50Hz rattle from the fridge-freezer now sounds louder in sympathy or replacement.
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14th Apr 2012, 12:23 am | #199 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Coventry, Warwickshire, UK
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
I have the same thorn fitting in my parents shed. It makes a lot of noise when its cold. After a while it settles down.
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3rd May 2012, 5:11 pm | #200 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
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Re: Obsolete fluorescent light fittings
Re post 181.
I have now received these lamps, I was mistaken about the wattage, they are 100 watt, 196 volt. Should run OK in series with a 4 foot 40 watt lamp. The filament lamp would be somwhat underun, but less so than using a 240 volt lamp in series with a flourescent tube. |