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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 2013, 12:13 pm | #241 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,129
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I have just purchased a large supply of new but vintage style Christmas bulbs, M.E.S. 14 volt, 3 watt, clear with a ridged or corrugated finish.
I dont think that these were ever very popular in the UK, more continental I believe. Similar style lamps in higher voltages are widely used in candle arch lights, 55 volt lamps, 5 in series or 34 volt, 7 in series. I forsee several uses for these lamps, either 18 in series on 240 volt mains, or in candle arch fittings from an external transformer. Another application would be for internally illuminated Christmas decorations that consist of model buildings arranged as a street scene. These seem to be designed for lighting with a real candle placed within at considerable fire risk. The candle or any substitute miniature electric lamp is seen through the windows and these lamps should look better than the MES 12 volt pilot lamps used last year. |
1st Apr 2013, 11:14 am | #242 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Welling, Kent, UK.
Posts: 4
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Ian E. You have missed the whole point of the fuse bulb. When one blows it has to be replaced. The replacement is in a pack of usually three bulb, one fuse and two colours. The colours last a long time, the fuse not so long, but don't worry, they can be obtained in a pack of three. One fuse, two colours!
Cheers, Weedy. |
28th Sep 2013, 5:37 pm | #243 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 59
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
The Christmas lamps website no longer works so I assume the company no longer trades.
Regarding shaded lights are they considered more traditional and for Christmas than the plain lights we see today? |
4th Oct 2013, 2:15 pm | #244 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wimbledon, London, UK.
Posts: 1,465
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Quote:
Colin. |
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4th Oct 2013, 3:06 pm | #245 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,843
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
This page says that they're AKA AJ Hill Electronics:
http://urlm.co.uk/www.christmaslamps.co.uk And this page tells you their address and phone number: http://www.192.com/atoz/business/gra...263db610f3/ml/ Maybe someone could give them a ring? Nick |
4th Oct 2013, 4:14 pm | #246 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wimbledon, London, UK.
Posts: 1,465
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
A brilliant (pun intended) bit of detective work, Nick!
Colin. |
13th Oct 2013, 11:44 pm | #247 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hi guys new to this forum, I see some are looking for a stockist of replacement lamps. I use Brewsters in Plymouth, still very much trading and very helpful. I've only ever bought in store but looks as though they do a postal service. Had a quick look at their web site, they don't mention much about spare Christmas lamps but they have loads. www.brewstersbatteries.co.uk. I live in London but from down that way the store has operated for years.
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14th Oct 2013, 6:57 pm | #248 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,270
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
__________________
Kevin |
19th Oct 2013, 8:24 pm | #249 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Thought I would share some of the vintage lights that I've managed to collect over the years. I seem to have been lucky with my finds. This is a set of Mazda Bell-Star lights, has anyone else seen a set of these? These are complete with original spare bulb and a reversible 2 pin/bayonet plug fitting, straight line construction, cloth flex and wooded red fixing bead. Only issue is some of the stars have come away from the metal holders.
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16th Nov 2013, 12:08 am | #250 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 59
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Don't suppose anyone could help but are the Wilko Christmas lights made by Premier? I bought a set of 35 Berry lights and they look the same as the Premier Cherry lights. Just wondered if they were good quality lighting?
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16th Nov 2013, 6:34 pm | #251 |
Octode
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saltburn-East, Cleveland, UK.
Posts: 1,786
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hi,
We have a set of Wilko 35 Berry lights and they look similar to the Premier ones that I have seen, we have a had them around three years and have had a few blown bulbs including the fuse one for no apparent reason (i.e. no other bulbs had failed) but other than that they are of reasonable build quality for today's offerings. Andrew |
24th Nov 2013, 9:36 am | #252 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Leicester
Posts: 1
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hi all
I've just joined as I picked up this thread on google after looking for vintage Christmas tree light spare bulbs. I have a set of Kingston Crystalites (Stockden above has posted a pic) which require spare bulbs. They are small screw in types that have a small flat head which the oil bubble tube sits on to heat it up. Can anyone help me get these lights lit again? Many thanks in advance for any help Hayley |
28th Nov 2013, 9:29 pm | #253 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 59
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Hello Hayley J the only screw in type bulbs I ever remember using were the E5 liliput bulbs but not 100% certain those would fit the Kingston Crystalites. Hope you get them sorted
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28th Nov 2013, 9:32 pm | #254 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 59
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
How does one find the quality of the Noma and Premier fairy light shades compared to Pifco? I have broken 2 'Pickwick' shades and Noma inform me they are out of stock which is infuriating as I now have a set which will look incomplete. I wish light manufacturers would use metal, felt or tin instead as it all costs a lot having to replace shades made of plastic. I don't fancy getting them off Ebay as had broken things like that off there in the past.
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29th Nov 2013, 1:47 pm | #255 |
No Longer a Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tavistock, Devon, UK.
Posts: 147
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Are your lights the screw in ones or the later push in type?? I've got loads of spares for these if you need a few.
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29th Nov 2013, 5:18 pm | #256 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 59
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Mine are the W1 push in bulbs. Well would be handy yes as I have been told by Noma that 'Pickwick' maybe discontinued. A shame as I use them around my windows and don't really want to look at plain bulbs. They have zilch stock of any shades this year left so must of been popular.
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30th Nov 2013, 9:05 pm | #257 | |
Pentode
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Byfield, Northamptonshire UK.
Posts: 112
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Quote:
There are other ways of making bubble-lights usable again. LED lamps are used to provide the light and resistors to produce enough heat to make the tubes bubble. Here's an example in a YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkP-7JCeOtU |
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4th Dec 2013, 12:18 pm | #258 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,116
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Fitting a small filament lamp to each tube might have supplied both the heat and the light together. Far simpler.
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8th Dec 2013, 2:12 am | #259 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Haarlem, Netherlands
Posts: 4,199
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
The heat transfer possibly wouldn't be sufficient if the bulb shape is anyhting other than flat.
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9th Dec 2013, 10:00 pm | #260 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 59
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
To anyone who has led lights how do you rate them compared to the filament type and do you think they are as long lasting in durability compared to filament?
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