I am looking for small bulbs, low wattage, both 12v and 24v. 12v are easy, and cheap at 20p each, but I'm having problems locating 24v ones, because I don't know what they are called. I thought they were BES, but could be MES? The type and size of thread is what you would expect to find in a torch, or, for the old'uns like me , behind the dash panel in any car from the 60s, be it indicator bulb, high beam warning light etc., they were all the same physical size, and thread. If I know what they are called, I can search for the 24v equivalent of the 12v ones I have.
Also known as E10 or E10/13 (10mm diameter, 13mm long base).
The 24V (and 28V) ones were quite fragile. I presume this is used so the lamp is dim on a 12V supply and doesn't dazzle you? An alternative would be to use a 12V lamp with an appropriate series resistor.
Excellent - thanks. I'm actually looking for bulbs to run on two separate circuits, one 12v dc, which isn't a problem, and the other 20 -
24v ac, which isn't so easy (or cheap). The 12v bulbs are readily available at 20p each, but 24v are more expensive. The 'fragile' comment causes concern. The 24v bulbs are for the front of old O gauge electric locos :
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bulbs are readily available in the US, but I'm hoping to find a UK supplier, as there are many others apart from me who are looking for such things.
Trucks use 24v but don't know about the fittings, these days automotive stuff is done as cheap as possible so expnsive bits of carefully shaped metal are probably out.
Interesting. My father has an old model railway (I can't tell you what guage it is, but it's a Hornby with a 3-rail track, centre rail carrying power). I think the power is 20VAC, but I could be wrong. The front lamp on that train is MES, but it's a special. Rather than being a spherical bulb, it is flattened (as though the train ran into something and flattened it, although being glass, it was obviously made this way). The glass is silvered at the back to form a reflector. Your picture looks like your train is supposed to take that same type of bulb.
I've never seen these for sale through electrical/electronic outlets; I would imagine you would have to go to a model shop, but I've no idea if they would be obtainable at all now. Seems like it might be an FAQ in a model railway group though.
There is another method, which allows some amount of 12v/24v intermixing, a square wave regulator. When runing a 12v bulb off 24v it gives a duty cycle of apx 25% to the bulb. This way you can run your 12v lighting on 24v.
Probably O gauge? Width of track about 1 1/4 inches. Possibly OO or HO (literally Half O) which would be 5/8th inch. O gauge electric Hornby would be pre war, and should have a little gold emblem saying Hornby Series, Meccano Limited, Liverpool, or words to that effect.
Perfect description :-)
Indeed it is, but bulbs like that are like the proverbial hen's teeth. There are (or were) all sorts of weird and wonderful bulbs for various applications, and I have a few, but don't like to keep using them, as they'll blow eventually. I'm happy to substitute any modern replacement for everyday running.
12v bulbs are very common, even in the age of white LEDs, but other voltages are less popular. Special bulbs are available to order, but expensive, which is why I'm looking for 'everyday' bulbs that will be fairly cheap. Thanks to both Daves for suggesting lorry bulbs - I have investigated, and they tend to be expensive, or too high a wattage, or both, although my local garage may have just been trying to get rid of me
Bob's suggestion (CPC) seems to be the jackpot - both 12 and 24v, at 23p per PAIR, which is wonderful. I've ordered some of each, and will report back.
One thing I have seen done by a friend with similar attention to detail with his models is to take a glass envelope from a failed real bulb by carefully removing the wires or screw cap. He then fits into place using a clear epoxy a microminiature white LED, but because it is too white compared with tungsten, an amber one as well driven through a higher value resistor to drop the output a bit.
The result is pretty good and virtually indistinguishable from the real thing unless you look extremely carefully into the bulb itself. On the actual locos it is extremely good and certainly looks the part.
The bulbs have arrived, and are exactly as required - and cheaper than I have previously paid.
That is amazing. Are you saying that he manages to fit the globe, with the LEDs, back in to the original brass screw part of the bulb, such that the assembly can be used in place of a normal bulb?
Yep. He scribes around the globe near the base with a fine glass cutter, taps and the globe comes away. The LED/resistor assemblies are then fitted in. This is done by digging out the base material and drilling through the bottom and the side of the base using a dental drill. The assembly is then soldered and epoxied into place using an epoxy of fairly liquid consistency, fitting the pieces together at just the right moment during the curing stage.
I should add that he is a dentist who specialises in root canal work. There is quite a similarity between the two exercises.
I would have thought he wouldn't have wanted to do fine work as a hobby as well as a job but he views his model railway hobby with as much perfection.
Many years ago, I made some discharge lamps using the outer bulb from 300W and 500W mains filament lamps. I removed the outer bulb by filing a line around the base using the edge of a needle file, and then touched the line with the tip of a soldering iron with a blob of solder hanging on it. Usually, but not always, a clean crack would propagate along the filed line. I had already released the vacuum by breaking the seal, although that won't be so important with a tiny bulb.
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