Fuse-type dial lamps

[yesnaby]

Hello,

Does anyone know if these can still be obtained? They are for a Sony record player (1980s). About 27 mm long by 6.5 mm diameter with pointed ends, but I imagine square ends would do as well.

I have no idea of the voltage or current, but the voltage across the lamp holders is 10 V.

Hope someone can help!

Michael

[Nickthedentist]

Seme-Nedis used to do them, but I've no idea if they even exist any more.

Otherwise, try eBay but you will have to be creative and patient with your search terms. A quick look showed that item 130495370747 might do, but you'd have to buy from the States.

Nick.

[yesnaby]

Thanks Nick,

The only ones I found so far were indeed on eBay from the USA, but you had to buy 10. They were 8 V 250 mA ones, I guess they would be OK?

Michael

[Nickthedentist]

Guess they would, but hard to be sure!

8V at 250mA equates to 32 ohms, so you could try connecting 33R 2W (or more) resistors across the lamp holders and measuring the voltage to see if it's 8V or a little under, and also check to see that nothing gets too hot or any fuses blow.

Are the originals completely unmarked?

Nick.

[yesnaby]

Nick,

Great minds etc! I saw that one too.

There are some 8 V ones in the UK for 'Friedland door chimes' but they do not quote the current.

I wonder what the current might be in the Sony? Measuring across the lamp holders shows an AC voltage, perhaps it is tapped off somewhere (like the motor?). In which case it might not be too critical.

I wish I had the circuit!

PS no markings whatsoever on the originals.

PPS found on German eBay, the Friedland ones are 100 mA.

Michael

[Nickthedentist]

The Friedland D70 lamps are rated "8-15V" so might run a bit dimly, I suppose. I would be tempted to pick a couple up just to try them as they're cheap.

Friedland's website is useless in this respect - the page for D70 is blank as far as I can tell.

Nick

[yesnaby]

Hello again Nick,

I have made some measurements and I am afraid the figures I gave before are incorrect. Apologies for using a 44-year-old meter last time.

Voltage across bulb holder 12.10 V

With 33 ohm across 11.58 V

With 16.5 ohm across 11.24V

So it seems a 12 V bulb would be about right? I don't think an 8 V one would last long! But as you say the Friedland one might do as it is 8-15 V.

Michael

[Nickthedentist]

Well, at least 12V is used for cars, so you might find something in an automotive catalogue. It would obviously need to be fairly low wattage though, which most car "festoon" lamps aren't.

I see that 12V 0.3A "fuse style" lamps are available on eBay, this time only from Canada

However, there are some pointy-ended/festoon ones rated at 3W [so about 250mA], "type 257", available from UK sellers.

Keep up the detective work, Michael...

['LIVEWIRE?']

SEME-Nedis(or, more correctly Nedis UK) do still exist. They've moved from Melton Mowbray, and can be contacted viahttp://www.nedis-uk.comI haven't checked their website to see if those festoon bulbs are still available, and Nedis UK may well be Trade Only now, since their retail sitewww.allourparts.comseems to have closed down.
Finally I have found that car-type festoon bulbs are either too large in diameter or the wrong length to fit most vintage audio gear, though there may be exceptions, of course
(N.B. clicking http://www.allourparts.combrings up thewww.4ourhouse.co.ukwebsite. They may stock suitable bulbs, but I haven't checked.

[yesnaby]

Hello,

I have ordered two of the Friedland 8-15 v bulbs and will see whether they work or not! They are only about 1 W so I am hoping to avoid any burn-ups.

Michael

(Nedis are trade only and allourparts list them as obsolete, thanks anyway.)

[Top Cap]

Cricklewood?

http://www.cricklewoodelectronics.co...me.php?cat=334

[Nickthedentist]

Great selection there, well done

[FrankB]

I have purchased many types of them from MCM Electronics here in the US.

There used to be several companies that carried various types of them, but alas, they are no more.

The 12V ones come in at many different current ranges I found over the years, and at least 2 ranges in the 6-8V ones.

The common currrent ranges of fuse lamps I have found here are 150, 200, 225, 250, 300 & 350 MA.

Sony might still have them in stock, as well as Kenwood and possibly Pioneer.

Knowing the current range is important, as they are typically wired in parallel, (Although I have found some wired in series and used 6V-8V bulbs, fed from a 12 V rail); and you do not want to overtax an old power transformer.
If I have a choice on the parallel wired lamps, I'll use the lower current bulbs, with minimal difference in brightness on the dial.

[FrankB]

They come in at least 2 configurations. One is a sealed glass bulb and the other is a non-sealed glass bulb with a smaller lamp inside it.
I have replaced the latter types with lead lamps from automotive stereo detachable control heads.

[ppppenguin]

These bulbs are often known as "Festoon Bulbs" Google that and you get lots of hits including this: http://www.bltdirect.co.uk/festoon.htm

[Nickthedentist]

Nice selection there too Jeffrey.

When I Googled "festoon" (see post 8), I seemed to get mainly car interior lamps, which are too fat and power-hungry for this application.

Nick.

[yesnaby]

Hello,

Well, guess what? I fitted two Friedland ones as best I could (see below) and they are quite bright, but the tuning scale is not! Hardly worth the effort ....

But, both bulb holders are badly fractured (which I had not noticed before) and the two metal parts are flopping about loose - looks like a major job to get to these and fit new ones.

Michael

[yesnaby]

Addition to last post:

The next question, where to get suitable fuse or bulb holders? Bulbs are 28 mm long by 6.5 mm diameter and the holder should be a thin flat piece made of something like paxolin as I will have to cut it to fit into the case. I haven't found any yet.

Michael