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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, 10:20 pm | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Durham
Posts: 205
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1930s Vi-tan suntan lamp
This is working order sadly not the original plug, i had to replace the mains cord as it was crumbling. The plug is a female connector type and the male connector is located in the back of the unit, some old clothes irons were like this. This unit came with original leather goggles and was made in Wallsend Newcastle Upon Tyne by the Thermal Syndicate Ltd. The only other example i have seen was at the Gower centre in Parkmill near Swansea.
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8th Mar 2012, 11:24 pm | #2 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
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Re: 1930s Vi-tan suntan lamp
That's a very nice looking unit. I thought the name was familiar - turns out they were (are) makers of quartz products such as the arc tube (which has to be quartz or it would filter out the UV). Info and advert for it here: http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Thermal_Syndicate
The trouble with some of these discharge sunlamps is the amount of harmful shortwave UV-C present in their output. I have a much later model that looks quite different but is probably much the same technically. When running you can smell ozone being formed within its light beam indicating content below 250nm. Do you get the same effect with yours? As much as I like to bask in the glow of a mercury arc rectifier, you won't catch me standing in front of one of these for long! Lucien |
8th Mar 2012, 11:43 pm | #3 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Durham
Posts: 205
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Re: 1930s Vi-tan suntan lamp
Yes i get the same smell, i to never use UV lamps. this is just for show an when i use it to show people its only on a very short time. i shut my eyes to take the pic of it working. i just loved the old wooden case an the bulb. Its not a thing i would use though its for show only. i have seen other types from Pifco an Phillips that use a tube or a red bulb and have seen a few Pifco carbon lamps but these wooden ones i have only seen two of so far.
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9th Mar 2012, 12:12 pm | #4 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Ammanford, South Wales, UK.
Posts: 112
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Re: 1930s Vi-tan suntan lamp
Hi Michael: Thanks for putting the pictures up, that's the first time i've actually seen 1 of those.
Andy |
9th Mar 2012, 5:10 pm | #5 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Durham
Posts: 205
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Re: 1930s Vi-tan suntan lamp
No problem, i thought it was rare an still think this to be the case as its only the second one i have seen as i spotted one in a museum in Wales. Its local to me as well where it was made.
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