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Old 19th Dec 2016, 8:06 pm   #401
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

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Originally Posted by AC/HL View Post
...we've joined the LED world. They've matured nowadays, not overbright like they were once.
I have to say that I've seen some really nice LED sets around this year, which to all intents and purposes, look just like plain (white) incandescent lamps. Quite different from the horrid blue/grey LEDs which were standard issue a few years ago.
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Old 19th Dec 2016, 10:47 pm   #402
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I have some warm white LEDs round my gazebo as a permanent fixture. They replaced incandescent ones, and are almost indistinguishable from them.
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Old 20th Dec 2016, 2:36 pm   #403
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

The proliferation of LED colours throughout the spectrum is now very impressive. As regards 'whites' they have cracked 2700k and 6500K but i have not seen anything inbetween yet. The 2700k tend to have a bit of a yellowish cast to them, but i am nitpicking really. The big GLS replicas are quite adequate for a bedside lamp and very cool running. Dead impressive.
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Old 23rd Dec 2016, 6:45 pm   #404
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Inspired by this thread, I had a dig around the loft and unearthed this Pifco set.
They worked! Tho' I had to read the instructions on the box about SCREWING in the bulbs...so used to push-fit ones, I'd clean forgotten about screw ones. Anyway, they're now gracing the tree, all 20 of them......less is more!
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Old 23rd Dec 2016, 8:59 pm   #405
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Those screw-in Pifcos are what I remember from being a kid in the 70's. Just bought a very similar set for a fiver 'for spares or repair' and it was just a case of two bulbs having blown and the internal shunts in them having gone o/c. Sometimes it happens that the bulb seems to be 'home' but has just jammed slightly and can go up another 1/2 turn and then make good contact. A lot of them have hit the bin from this, I imagine.
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Old 24th Dec 2016, 2:40 pm   #406
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I've succumbed to an LED set of outdoor lights - a set of white icicles that are just the right length to span the width of my modest abode - non-twinkling and a tenner from Wilko's.

The set that I used to hang in the hall window date from 1985 and are draped in the lounge where I can keep an eye on them. I am sure they were from Woolworth's and I am very fond of this set as the colours are pleasant. The bulbs are push-in but I haven't been able to find suitable spares for years. I used the last spare a few years ago.

I have the remains of a couple of sets of similar vintage that came from Sainsbury's - salvaged from the workplace - and although the bulbs look similar they do not fit. Sadly, there is no longer enough left of the two of these to make up one set. They certainly were not as robust as the Woolies set. Perhaps that was (and remains) the wonder of Woolworth?
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Old 24th Dec 2016, 3:38 pm   #407
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

At this point spares for MOST of the variations in voltage/wattage are still available on eBay.

Nick, if you are talking about Woolies 50 bulb sets (5 volt) then NOS packets of them are certainly available; I have just bought a packet.

There are about 900 entries on there but you can save time if you add the appropriate voltage in the search box. (2.5v, 5v, etc)
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Old 24th Dec 2016, 4:54 pm   #408
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I miss Woolworths at Christmas the decorations were really special compared to today's. I can remember late 80s early 90s the only lights you could buy were shaded whereas most today are just bulbs.
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Old 24th Dec 2016, 8:16 pm   #409
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

There are 20 bulbs in the string so according to my shaky arithmetic they're 12v versions.

I've had a look on ebay and there are coloured bulbs that look like the item. Some are listed as Pifco/Woolworths so perhaps these are Pifco badged as Woolworth/Winfield.

I should have said that I couldn't find replacements in the High Street. Frankly, I'd not considered online - obvious really given the other stuff regularly I find on ebay - DOH!

(In mitigation Christmas decorations are always last minute here - the LEDs went up yesterday - though they do remain lit until Epiphany.)

I'd love a set like the ones when I was a kid. I remember they were big MES screw-in ones with a Santa Heads, lanterns and other shapes. (I haven't looked through the entire thread so I have a scan back - they're probably referenced.) When they were scrapped I remember Dad showing me that one could be lit using a few U2 batteries - this was the magic of electricity and probably where it all started...
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Old 25th Dec 2016, 11:22 am   #410
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

With the push-ins there is a cunning plan when a bulb blows- straighten the copper tails and see if the glass is glued in or merely pushed in. If the latter the plastic base can be salvaged and reused if it is an unobtainable size/shape, but the right rating of bulb can be found elsewhere.

If any kids are watching- try not to crush the glass!
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Old 25th Dec 2016, 11:25 am   #411
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

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With the push-ins there is a cunning plan when a bulb blows- straighten the copper tails and see if the glass is glued in or merely pushed in. If the latter the plastic base can be salvaged and reused if it is an unobtainable size/shape, but the right rating of bulb can be found elsewhere.
Yes, I have been using this technique for some years now, as the original push-in bulbs 12V 1.1W long-ish envelope bulbs for our Woolworths set are NLA. The original wire ended lamps were glued into the plastic base, but gently compressing the base, near where the glass bulb emerges, crushes the glass and breaks up the adhesive, allowing the debris to fall out and the remnants of the bulb to be pulled out with pliers.
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 4:24 am   #412
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Family heirloom Disney tree lights from the 60s..shades with pictures, but daren't try them as fabric covered cable might be iffy! To plug in might mean all blow!
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 12:00 pm   #413
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Well yes, might be rubber insulation under that cloth. Better used than just looked at though- rewire it, power it up and post a picture! Those sets are much sought after.

(PS How do you stay awake till oh-three-thirty..!? It's as much as i can do to reach twenty two hundred hours!)
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 6:31 pm   #414
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Regarding my earlier post referring to Homebase and Noma lights quality, my grans packed up on day 1. The whole set went and she tried all 160 bulbs and checked the fuse but nothing worked. Pretty poor really don't you think. I bought a set of Homebase led lights so I hope they won't pack up on me.
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Old 31st Dec 2016, 4:26 pm   #415
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

23 posts moved to a new thread here:-

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=132628
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Old 13th Feb 2017, 1:17 pm   #416
DianeDavies
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

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Originally Posted by The Philpott View Post
Well yes, might be rubber insulation under that cloth. Better used than just looked at though- rewire it, power it up and post a picture! Those sets are much sought after.

(PS How do you stay awake till oh-three-thirty..!? It's as much as i can do to reach twenty two hundred hours!)
I was in Tasmania over Christmas and my tablet was still running UK time! Also reason why I didn't rewire the lights yet!

When it comes to rewiring I have the same issue with a Morphy Richards fan heater I got in the same job lot from my mother's loft as the Hoover junior vacuum cleaner. That's now in a museum. Seriously!
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Old 6th Dec 2018, 11:29 pm   #417
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Thread reopened.
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Old 7th Dec 2018, 12:21 am   #418
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

I some times used to decorate a large pot plant with lights.
It did not take kindly to this and used to drop branches.
I tried a plasma ball for it to last about an hour before emitting a loud click and going to air.
I fixed it with a bit of foam with holes drilled in it and the tools from one of those violet snake oil dispensers.
The plasma ball genny works a treat with the tools sticking out of the base.
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Old 7th Dec 2018, 1:25 pm   #419
The Philpott
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Amongst our spares there are two push-in lamps that stand out because of the red bases (normally green.) They are the bi-metal strip random flashers. From what I'm told these were quite unreliable. I do wonder how they were wired- was there a shunt in the base of the lamp? I don't imagine there's many left, building up a set is something I pondered briefly but I think they're too scarce.

Another thing- it's amusing how one or more of the Pifco miniature ES lamps manage to loosen in their sockets from year to year, despite the string of 20 just sitting in a box. This having been said I much prefer them to push-ins, and will continue to persevere for as long as the supply of spare lamps lasts.

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Old 7th Dec 2018, 1:36 pm   #420
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Good to see this thread is up and running again, I will be watching with great interest

I've got a drawer full of new/second hand bulbs, so if anybody is stuck I might be able to help
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