|
General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
|
Thread Tools |
9th Jun 2018, 7:45 pm | #1 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
A quiz, old time colour codes.
Bought a box of old books at Adlington last Sunday, some interesting items, older than me!
Reading through I discovered a few things that I had heard about and some I had never considered. So as a light relief a few questions for consideration. I bet there not many of us old times even that remember these. Firstly three from a small book first published in May 1936, last impression of the seventh edition, 1948. I will withhold the title and author till later. No cheating and searching please, I doubt you will find these on the internet even. 1 The colour code for Wander Plugs? 9 different listed, purpose and colour used? 2 Colour code for fuses, from 60mA to 5A? 12 in all. 3 Colour code for the lead outs of mains transformers, Primary, HT secondary and 3 valve heater windings? 17 in all. If this is popular I can find some more, even more obscure! I might even put up a prize for the best answers. Sam. Last edited by Boater Sam; 9th Jun 2018 at 7:56 pm. Reason: added |
9th Jun 2018, 7:50 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,130
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
re no. 2, given that the range is from 60mA, I assume that the 5A is NOT the BS1362 coding.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) |
9th Jun 2018, 7:58 pm | #3 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Correct Dave, this predates BS1362 by a long, long way. There is some similarity in the colour though but it is misleading.
|
9th Jun 2018, 8:08 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
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. Lawrence. |
9th Jun 2018, 8:21 pm | #5 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Ah, got that the first time, well done Lawrence, from memory? Or do you have the book too?
1A is officially dark blue but we will not quibble as there is no mid blue. Also there is no 2.5A fuse in my list, its another point for you. I wonder if you can still buy colour coded fuses in this range? One down, 2 to go. Last edited by Boater Sam; 9th Jun 2018 at 8:24 pm. Reason: correction |
9th Jun 2018, 8:24 pm | #6 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Quote:
It also gives the colour codes down to 10mA and up to 10A Lawrence. |
|
9th Jun 2018, 8:34 pm | #7 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Which year would that be Lawrence? I used to have a Newnes Pocket Book from the '60s but it went in the noughties sadly along with most of my other stuff.
|
9th Jun 2018, 8:38 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,130
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Go on then, why not complete the list?
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) |
9th Jun 2018, 8:40 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Wander plugs:
Red...Highest Positive HT Yellow...2nd " " Green...3rd " " Blue...4th " " Pink...LT Positive Black...LT Negative, HT Negative, Grid Bias Positive. Brown...Highest Grid Bias Negative Grey...2nd " " White...3rd " " Lawrence. |
9th Jun 2018, 8:41 pm | #10 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
|
9th Jun 2018, 8:45 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
|
9th Jun 2018, 9:20 pm | #12 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Lawrence has been swotting up on old time colour codes, hopefully. If it's all from memory it's better than mine.
Anyone else care to contribute before Lawrence wins all the pies? |
9th Jun 2018, 9:42 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Surrey, UK.
Posts: 4,400
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
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?!
|
9th Jun 2018, 9:44 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Lynton, N. Devon, UK.
Posts: 7,088
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Interesting convention for wander plugs! I seem to recall the Radio Designers Handbook listed a convention for wire colours - and brown was listed as LT or heater supply. Can't remember the others though I am sure red is HT+ and screen-grid is orange.
This would make the wire colour different from the plug colour, of course! |
9th Jun 2018, 10:07 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
RDH4 lists transformer colour codes for US but not for UK, I think the old UK one was set by the R.E.C.M.F
Lawrence. |
9th Jun 2018, 10:17 pm | #16 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Correct, red is HT.
But brown is a high potential loudspeaker lead. Strangely I can find no orange used but you may be correct. Sam |
9th Jun 2018, 10:17 pm | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,326
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
What about the US colour codes used in small pilot lamps (bulbs). Rather than stamp the bulbs with the voltage and current they used a number code but also coloured the small glass bead that inside the lamp that holds the filament support wires.
|
9th Jun 2018, 10:18 pm | #18 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
What do you have for the US transformer colours Lawrence?
|
9th Jun 2018, 10:21 pm | #19 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
Apologies Kalee, brown is a heater winding transformer colour too, you are correct.
Vidjoman, that's one I had forgotten, do you know the colours? Sam. |
9th Jun 2018, 10:34 pm | #20 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
|
Re: A quiz, old time colour codes.
|