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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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20th May 2019, 4:58 pm | #41 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
I remember the self-service electrical counter. Dozens of plugs (not just BS1363 13A ones of course), sockets, adapters, BC plugs and lampholders, those 2-way adapters to fit a BC socket (and run a bulb and some other device) -- some with pushbutton switches and at least one with a pull cord, etc, etc, etc. There was a Woolies just round the corner from my grandmother's house and plenty of things in said house were repaired (by me, aged about 7) and my parents with bits from said counter.
Incidentally, those MES batten lampholders (now called 'E10' rather than MES) are still sold by RS, but not cheap. About 25 quid for a box of 10. |
20th May 2019, 5:01 pm | #42 |
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
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20th May 2019, 5:07 pm | #43 | |
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Quote:
My wife and her uncle were in the store a mere half-hour before the incident. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...-fire-16214759
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20th May 2019, 5:33 pm | #44 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Stafford, Staffs. UK.
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Well my memories were of the Nuneaton branch. Working in the electrical department on Saturdays. Biggest job was looking after the light fitting display, but also fetched fittings down for customers, and measured / cut flex and cable. Somewhere on one of my soldering irons I have a plug with a built in neon, that I am 99% siure is a W&G I got from the same shop. My parents first colour TV was bought from there, getting a discount with my vouchers. Small 14" or 16" portable. Can't remember the brand (probably Fidelity or Ferguson) but I had to fix it when the repairman came and was completely useless.
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20th May 2019, 7:56 pm | #45 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
I've got one of those, too.
Not in use, but I've plugged it in to show it still works.
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21st May 2019, 1:31 am | #46 |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Washington DC, USA
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Brings back some memories for me too, especially Pifco, and all the plug adapters. I had a two way light bulb adapter that I converted into a ray gun.
When I was a kid, along long time ago,I always thought Empire Made, was the Japanese Empire and It puzzled me for a while. I don't remember hearing much about the about the British Empire, but I did read lots about the Japanese Empire after the war.
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David |
21st May 2019, 7:40 am | #47 |
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
What were those flat batteries with two long brass contacts and what were they intended to fit?
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Paul |
21st May 2019, 7:59 am | #48 |
Rest in Peace
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
IIRC, those 4.5v flat batteries were used in torches(flashlights). Oddly enough there is a thread about a Nordmende transistor radio which mentions two flat batteries, which may well have been the same types, being used to power this portable.
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21st May 2019, 8:33 am | #49 |
Dekatron
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Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
That would be what is now known as a 3LR12 or MN1203 (widely available, this is shown simply as an eaxmple).
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21st May 2019, 9:01 am | #50 |
Dekatron
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
This all sounds like great fun. Sadly, being born in 1973, I must have just missed out on this.
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21st May 2019, 12:32 pm | #51 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: St Jean d'Angely, Charente-Maritime, France
Posts: 81
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
I remember as a lad in the fifties buying ten yards of twisted 'bell wire' which had a reddish colour to the insulation to set up an intercom between my bedroom and my mate's who lived next door in our terrace using two earphones.
I think it cost threepence (3d!) a yard. I also remember buying one of those three-tap bell transformers and all sorts of 5 amp and 2 amp, three and two-pin plugs and sockets. There were also some strangely shaped 'rocker' light switches which I suspect were made in France. |
21st May 2019, 12:34 pm | #52 | |
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Quote:
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21st May 2019, 12:40 pm | #53 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
The flat 4.5 volt batteries are IME becoming more popular. They are used in a popular brand of headtorch.
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21st May 2019, 2:22 pm | #54 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Northampton, Northants, UK.
Posts: 380
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Didn't we use those 4.5V batteries with the flat brass strip contacts for cycle lamps? Or am I imagining things?
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21st May 2019, 2:27 pm | #55 |
Dekatron
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
You could be right - before the ones that took U2 cells. Ones with a screw down switch.
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Paul |
21st May 2019, 2:37 pm | #56 | |
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Quote:
See the Ladybird book 'Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries' for plenty of pictures of them. That battery has not been (easily?) available for some time. The flat 4.5V battery will always be a '1289' to me. I can remember buying both types in Woolies and Boots... |
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21st May 2019, 2:44 pm | #57 |
Dekatron
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Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Those flat 4.5 batteries were very much a Continental thing. They were commonly used on imported bike lights in the 1980s ("Ucar" brand??). They are still available in supermarkets etc. abroad.
Nick. |
21st May 2019, 2:59 pm | #58 | |
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Quote:
They also used to sell batteries with screw terminals. When I first got an electric train set the controller took two or three of them - and they only seemed to last for a few minutes. Were they actually bell batteries?
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21st May 2019, 3:09 pm | #59 | |
Nonode
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
Quote:
British cycle lamps usually took a single 3 volt battery that consisted of a pair of F cells side by side. The larger 4.5 volt batteries with screw terminals were primarily intended for door bells but had many other uses including three in series for model trains, and also three in series to power a small 12 volt fluorescent light for camping etc. Last edited by broadgage; 21st May 2019 at 3:15 pm. |
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21st May 2019, 3:22 pm | #60 |
Dekatron
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Re: Woolworths Electrical Counter
The 4½V batteries (or at least the Ever Ready ones) were known as 126 - not to be confused with the B126 (which was a 90V HT battery).
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