A quiz, old time colour codes.

[Boater Sam]

That's where Kalee gets the orange screen grid from, not the same colours as the UK ones, its not as comprehensive list as the one I have.

[ms660]

Originally Posted by Boater Sam

That's where Kalee gets the orange screen grid from, not the same colours as the UK ones, its not as comprehensive list as the one I have.

As said earlier, I think RECMF fixed the UK colour codes but eventually the manufactures went their own way:

https://www.americanradiohistory.com...%22transformer winding code%22

Lawrence.

[Boater Sam]

Sorry, explain for a tired oldy what RECMF is please.

Anyone worked out which book I have yet? Clue, Iliffe is the publisher.

[ms660]

So far as I know:

https://www.allacronyms.com/RECMF/Ra...ers_Federation

Wireless Servicing Manual....Cocking:

https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet....h/colour+codes

Pies?

Lawrence.

[Boater Sam]

Pasties at the next Adlington auction if you wish Lawrence, well done. Do you come north ever?
Or I have 2 sets of Admiralty books you could have to use as a reference source.

[ms660]

Haven't been up North for a few years now Sam, not likely to, donate any prizes to a worthy cause or whatever.

Lawrence.

[vidjoman]

AS requested by Boater Sam - the list I have of US lamp numbers and bead colours.

[Boater Sam]

Ahh So, Tung Sol Lamp Co.
Thanks, that may be useful.

Is there anyone without the Cocking book who cares to have a crack at the transformer leads code?
Sam.

[John M0GLN]

Originally Posted by turretslug

10mA fuse? Wow, what wire gauge was that in, how would you see if it was blown or not, and how long before it just oxidised through anyway?!

I'd like to know that as well, a quick look at the tables in,

https://www.powerstream.com/wire-fusing-currents.htm

and the lowest I can see is 40AWG Tin wire which is only 0-.0031" dia has a fusing current of 280mA.

John

[David Simpson]

Must dash, due to forthcoming rain & PVC roofing to finish sealing. Just a quick jolt of memory for valve voltages - Twin Brown = heaters straight from Sec winding, but Brown & Black(Earth) if one leg of the heater winding is earthed. Yellow = Cathode, Green = Grid, Red = Screen, & Blue = Anode. These include associated circuitry. This was just a basic code taught in passing during early RAF training. Cant remember if it was a UK or American code.

Regards, David

[G6Tanuki]

I always associate brown with 'balanced' heater-windings [centre-tap on transformer secondary connected to earth] and green for single-ended heaters (chassis return).

[Boater Sam]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

I always associate brown with 'balanced' heater-windings [centre-tap on transformer secondary connected to earth] and green for single-ended heaters (chassis return).

Spot on, brown is valve heaters with brown & yellow centre tap,
green for rectifier heaters with green & yellow centre tap.

But how many sets were wired strictly in accord with this code?

That leaves the HT, the primary and screen and the Additional LT windings, carry on........

Then there are more to identify, starting with the colours for all the various battery leads 11 of those, and then on to the moving coil loud speaker leads, 10 of those believe it or not.

Sam.

[G6Tanuki]

When did Pink wires everywhere [or clear-jacketed-with-pink-sleeves-and-numbers] become the standard for UK Aviation/Military stuff?

[G6Tanuki]

My [ American] transformer-reference says:

Primary:
Black [start], Black/Yellow [tap], Black/red [finish]

Secondary:
Yellow for rectifier filament [yellow/blue if it's center-tapped]
Red for HT winding [Red/yellow for center-tap]
Green for filament-winding 1 [green/yellow for center-tap]
Brown for filament-winding 2 [brown/yellow for center-tap]
Slate for filament winding 3 [slate/yellow for center-tap]

For IFTs:

Primary - Blue (plate) and Red (HT)
Secondary: Green (grid or diode), Black (grid or diode return), Green/black for center-tap)

Audio transformers:

Primary - Blue (finish, plate)
Red (start, B+)
If center-tapped (push-pull) then the ends are blue and brown or blue, with red as the center-tap.


For energised-field loudspeakers:
Voice-coil: Black (start), Green (finish)
Field: Black/Red (start), Yellow/red (finish), Slate/Red (tap, if any).

Source: "Radio Servicing, Theory and Practice" by Abraham Marcus (1950).

[emeritus]

Pink wire plus number and letter markers for military equipment was already in use when I joined Plessey in 1969.

[Boater Sam]

Some variations there with my reference, from 1936, revised 1948.

My Cocking book gives, Transformer primary , black 0v, black & red is 230v tap, there is a also 10v, 210v &250v taps.

Rectifier heaters are green with green & yellow centre tap. Additional LT winding blue with blue & yellow centre tap. I suppose slate may be considered blue.
HT is the same, red with yellow & red centre tap.

No listing for IF transformers.

Audio transformer is red for HT connection. All the others are different.

Energised speakers are totally different.

We need another reference to compare with these two.

I remember pink wiring from my apprentice days with printed Hellaman sleeves.

[joebog1]

Its not that "old time" as such, but may add to the knowledge base.
Its from " Audiocyclopedia by Howard M. Tremain. Copyright 1959 and 1969.

[TonyDuell]

I am not sure how universal it is, but I have come across a number of mains transformers in HP equipment with 2 115V primary windings that are connected in parallel for 115V mains and in series for 230V mains.

The colour code is :

Black --- Black/Yellow
Black/Green -- Black/Red

So for 115V, link black to black/green to one side of the mains ; black/yellow to black/red to the other side of the mains

For 230V, link black/yellow to black/green; black to one side of the mains; black/red to the other side of the mains.

[broadgage]

Does anyone have a link or a list of OLD mains wiring colour codes in different countries ?
We are all no doubt familiar with current UK colours and with the previous colours, which are still in widespread use, but what about longer ago?

Black for earth "went out with the war" as did green for one phase of a three phase supply.
White for neutral on 3 wire DC may never have been official but was used in premises that also had an AC supply.

[Tim]

60mA...Black
100 mA...Grey
150mA...Red
250mA...Brown
500mA...Yellow
750mA...Green
1A...Blue
1.5A...Light Blue
2A...Purple
2.5A...Yellow and Purple
3A...White
5A...Black and White.

GPO/BT still uses that code.