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Vintage Telephony and Telecomms Vintage Telephones, Telephony and Telecomms Equipment |
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2nd Mar 2010, 3:38 pm | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 315
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Trimphone illuminated dial.
Has anyone ever tried replacing the spent luminescent tube with a bit of rubber tubbing painted with luminescent paint? would it work?
If collective wisdom doesn't think it's a stupid idea, I might just give it a try. |
2nd Mar 2010, 4:04 pm | #2 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 80
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
Never heard of it done that way but hey! Give it a bash, what's the worst that can happen, you will have wasted a bit of time. Sorry I can't give any better advice but I haven't worked on many trimphones (706 746 are my thing). Hopefully somebody on here will have more useful input. Good luck.
Rich |
2nd Mar 2010, 6:52 pm | #3 |
Retired Dormant Member
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Location: Manchester, UK
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
I don't know that it's been tried before but as Rich says, give it a go! Provided you can get the tube out in one piece you can always put it back if it doesn't work.
Mine's still glowing - faintly - after 40 odd years! Best Wishes, Lee. |
2nd Mar 2010, 6:56 pm | #4 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 315
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
What is the glow colour Lee? is it a green hue?
I've been thinking, it's a rather lonely thought but its definitely there perhaps this could work? http://www.glow.co.uk/acatalog/EL_Wire_Glow_Wire.html |
2nd Mar 2010, 8:33 pm | #5 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Manchester, UK
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
Yes, it's a luminous watch green if that makes sense.
I don't know if it's worth spending 15 pounds on making the dial glow - where would you fit the battery? |
2nd Mar 2010, 8:57 pm | #6 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 315
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
You are correct it's not really worth £15 to do a conversion, but it could be fun!
Locking at the specificationsIi could take an AC feed direct off the line when it is off hook its current draw is only 120mA I think. |
2nd Mar 2010, 9:12 pm | #7 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Burton upon Trent, East Staffordshire, UK.
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
Errrrrr.
I didn't understand that at all. Where would you get 120mA from? BT feed is normally limited to 40mA, and you couldn't get that much from ringing. Anyway, you want the glow when it's on hook so you can find it. Alan |
2nd Mar 2010, 9:24 pm | #8 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 315
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
Sorry Alan, I'm not that clever at these things and just thinking aloud really.
I do think that it's fine if it's not illuminated when on hook, power source though could be from a power supply. |
2nd Mar 2010, 10:33 pm | #9 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Burton upon Trent, East Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,686
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
Millay,
I have one, although its 'light' has long since expired. I also had one about 40 years ago when they were new. That was the days when you had one phone, typically in a dark hall. The 'glow' was wonderful. An external PSU is a possibility, although it really should be a legal one. I'd love to see one glowing properly again. Perhaps someone will crack the problem for us all Alan |
2nd Mar 2010, 11:03 pm | #10 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 315
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
I would like one that glows as it would look so great, having read about tritium (the old glow making forumla), it's pretty safe when you don't eat it or mix it with water.
I'm certainly going to try watch hand paint although I'm not sure this will work too well, theplus is it requires no changes to the case or external power. The other option is to run it off a 6V DC transformer and use the EL wire. There would be enough space inside the case of the trimphone to put the inverter. |
20th Nov 2011, 3:27 am | #11 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Deal, Kent, UK.
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
I have recently painted some white card with luminous green paint which I cut to fit inside the recess which houses the tritium tube behind the transluscent dial back on my 1974 Trimphone.
The overall effect of the luminous dial is very similar to the ones I remember from the 1970s. Exposure to ambient light during the day has so far proved sufficient to maintain the glow during the night. The use of luminous painted card means that the historical integrity of the components of the telephone have not been compromised in any way and it would be very simple to renew or remove the luminous card should it prove necessary in the future. |
20th Nov 2011, 3:58 pm | #12 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
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Re: Trimphone illuminated dial.
What a good idea, where did you get the paint from?
Robert |
21st Nov 2011, 1:51 am | #13 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Deal, Kent, UK.
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Re: Trimphone illuminated dial.
The paint I used was Starglow Glow-in-the-Dark (green) please see http://www.glowtec.co.uk
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21st Nov 2011, 11:25 pm | #14 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
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Re: Trimphone illuminated dial.
Cheers!
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25th Dec 2011, 12:01 pm | #15 | |
Retired Dormant Member
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Location: Edinburgh, UK.
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Re: trimphone Illuminated dial
Quote:
Got 4 of these (3 work), and I'm now going to see all the dials glow in the dark. Many thanks. |
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29th Dec 2011, 10:33 pm | #16 |
Triode
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Southampton, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 30
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Re: Trimphone illuminated dial.
I will add my voice to the 'paint a card with luminous paint' group. It keeps the originality of the (now barely functional) tritium capsule
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