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Old 2nd Jan 2011, 3:16 pm   #101
trevwgb
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Question Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Hi all
I am sure that one / some of you collectors are lucky enough to own a set of those old Disney lights i.e. the ones with the large shades and the bakelite bulb holders. These obviously take olive cone bulbs but can someone tell me if they used coloured or plain bulbs?
Many thanks
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Trev
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Old 4th Jan 2011, 6:20 pm   #102
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Trevwgb, Disney lights originally used clear glass lamps.

Simonsradio, a great set of lights. The cotton-covered flex suggests they are from the late 1930s.
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Old 5th Jan 2011, 12:45 am   #103
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Thanks Ian E.

Quote:
Later on 'permanent contact' lamps were introduced. They contain an 'anti-fuse' which does the opposite of a fuse. A fuse fails open-circuit and an anti-fuse fails short-circuit. If you examine the base of a bulb closely, and in order to do this you'll have to remove the cap, you can see what looks like three or four turns of wire around the two wire pins where they come through the glass envelope. This is the anti-fuse.
I was wondering what this wire was for when repairing the dead angel for next year....... I have 18 duff bulbs and was wondering why there were so many casualties. Great idea, one filament goes and the remainder deal with the extra voltage until a cascade failure occurs !
Next time a bulb goes out I will ensure that it is replaced pronto.
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Old 5th Jan 2011, 3:14 pm   #104
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Hi
My late Dad used to own an electrical shop in Gatley in the late Fifties and when he moved to Wales brought an expensive set of lights with him (also a Bush television and Bendix automatic washer!).
I think they were made by Pifco and consisted of around twelve coloured frosted plastic stars with one bulb at the centre and several radiating out to each of the five points of each star. When switched on the bulbs would flash from the centre outwards. I never knew how they worked, but they certainly were admired! Do these ring a bell with anyone?
Not sure what happened to them, but I should have a look in the cupboard - like me he never threw anything away!
Glyn
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Old 5th Jan 2011, 7:49 pm   #105
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Oooh, my mum has one of those Santa ones.(Post #99)
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Old 9th Jan 2011, 1:47 pm   #106
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

These bubble lights belonged to my wife's family. All the bulbs are original (including the spare) but sadly one of the bubble tubes is missing (presumed broken!).

Hugh
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Old 9th Jan 2011, 5:33 pm   #107
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Talking of bubble lights, have a look at this, a clever way of combining old style bubble lights with LEDs for illumination and resistors to warm the methylene chloride (dichloromethane) in the tubes to make it bubble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkP-7...eature=related

Ian
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Old 13th Jan 2011, 11:30 pm   #108
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

So then, mini fun quiz!!

Who can tell me how many different types of lamp there were in the L.E.S. range? I'm looking for their voltage, wattage and the amount in the string?

I know of:-

12v 1.1w for 20 light sets

7.5v ??w for 32 light sets

6v 0.75w for 40 light sets

Cheers
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Old 14th Jan 2011, 8:12 pm   #109
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I seem to remember Pifco 35 light sets with the petals moulded to the bulb holders and in transparent coloured plastic.
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Old 14th Jan 2011, 8:33 pm   #110
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hunts smoothing bomb View Post
So then, mini fun quiz!!
I can recall all three of the above, similarly I am unable to recall the wattage of the 7.5V/35 set lamps.

I can also recall 20 Volt 3 Watt lamps for 12 light sets (MES fitting, but may have also seen LES versions of these bulbs many years ago) and 30 Volt ? Watt lamps for 8 light sets once again MES fitting; Many bubble light sets were 8 lamp sets to give enough heat to begin the bubbling process.

I have also seen some 16 Lamp sets with fittings, just slightly larger than LES but nowhere near as big as MES, sold by Woolworths I think, my calculations suggest that these would be 15 Volt bulbs, once again I have no idea of the wattage.

Andrew
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Old 16th Jan 2011, 8:42 pm   #111
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tazman1966 View Post
I seem to remember Pifco 35 light sets with the petals moulded to the bulb holders and in transparent coloured plastic.
Here's a picture...
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Old 16th Jan 2011, 11:02 pm   #112
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Hi,
Quite by chance we found some modern replacement bulbs for 35 light sets over the weekend, these are marked at 7 Volts (not 7.2 as the earlier ones were) and 0.98W.

I currently have a set of Pifco Jewel lites, which are a 35 light set and once owned a set of Pifco candle lites which were also of the 35 light variety.
I recall that only some of the Pifco range were produced in both 20 and 35 light versions, and there was a 10 or 12 light variety of the (much sought after) Ciderella lites.

Andrew
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Old 19th Jan 2011, 10:21 pm   #113
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Very interesting stuff chaps, Tas, are they your lights in the picture?

Cheers
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Old 19th Jan 2011, 11:09 pm   #114
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

No Lee but one of my aunts had a set exactly like this for ages and ages.
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Old 21st Jan 2011, 3:09 pm   #115
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Hi,
There's a set of lights identical to the ones in Taz's picture on eBay at the moment, they are Pifco Merrylites.

Andrew
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Old 26th Feb 2011, 2:55 am   #116
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I never thought Id find a thread about vintage christmas light. I have a few sets which Ive had from various places. I got them because I remember seeing them at home every christmas wen my Dad got the box down - there were all these old lights that he never got out. I especially remember the bubble lights. So one year I decided it was my turn to get them all out - a little earlier than usual. The bubble lights and the mazda stars worked, the plain olives didn't. After much persuasion I managed to get Dad to take me shopping for bulbs and that christmas we had them all going. The bubble lights casing soon melted and to this day Ive no idea what happened to the rest!
I now have a replacement set of the bubbles - Kingston lights, the Mazda Stars, with perspex coloured stars, and the oddest set has to be the Mazda Noel lights which consists of different shape characters that clip over the bulbs onto a metal clasp. There are angels, snowmen, santas and then rabbits, ducks and buggies!!
Last year I picked up from eBay some bulbs shaped like toadstools!!
I will have to put on some pictures.

AndiiT. I would be interested to know where you managed to get your bulbs for the 35 sets.

Steve
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Old 26th Feb 2011, 7:29 pm   #117
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Hi Steve,
For my original 35 light sets, the Pifco ones mentioned earlier, I obtained replacement bulbs from our local electrical retailers, back in the day, as it were.
As the supplies of 7.2 Volt bulbs ran out I just replaced them with 12 Volt bulbs which, of course, ran a little dimmer once there were 35 of them in a lighting string.

If you are referring to the 7.2 Volt/35 light bulbs that I have currently, these were replacement bulbs that came with a set of Wilkinson's "Cherry Lights" purchased around three years ago.

Regards
Andrew
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Old 1st Mar 2011, 12:48 am   #118
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Andy

Thanks for the info. I thought you meant you had found someone selling them now. I probably didn't read the post properly, it was quite late.
I shall replace mine with 20v bulbs when i need to. I bought them by the bucket load when Woolworths closed down a couple of years ago.

Regards

Steve
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Old 7th May 2011, 3:47 pm   #119
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I am not sure if this is the correct thread for this posting , mods , please feel free to move it if it would be more helpful as it might be better in
success stories or the last entry in the (now closed) threat in the for sale section

last week I was lucky to be able to buy 2 sets of vintage christmas lights , one from the 1950s/1960s and one from the 1970s from another forum member Antlong ,
anyway I spent an hour on the lights this morning , fitted a selection of new lamps and a proper 1950 vintage christmas tree light plug and I have attached a photo below
I cannot wait to Christmas
thanks again
Peter
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Old 7th May 2011, 5:29 pm   #120
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

wow those are cool, i have ones similar to each, but dont have that cool plug on the end
-Chris
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