Try a Radio Shack digital, or any digital cheapie at any hardware store. Harbor Freight has a good meter for under $10, they even give it away free periodicallly if you buy something else.
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12 years ago
Help finding replacement bulbs for 80 year old doll house
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12 years ago
If each switch controls one light they are not in series. If each switch controls more than one light, and the same number per switch they MAY be in series. I would guess you have E10 base bulbs (10mm edison screw base). Being round globes they are most likel #14 bulbs. Longer envelope would make them more likely #41 (which are also usually .5 amp instead of .3 - or 1.2 watt instead of 0-.7 watt). Commonly used in older equipment as "dial lights" and "pilot lights".
As for the power supply - if ANY are still lighting it is likely OK. The shack bulb would likely work, but it is the #41 style, with the power of the #14.
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12 years ago
Those look like the standard #14 bulb that I mentioned. I would go with them.
MOST likely the power supply is a simple transformer, as there is no need to have DC for the lights. I would check the transformer first to see if it is putting out power. If not, I would replace it with a
12 volt unit and switch the bulbs to the 12 volt #52 bulb.- Vote on answer
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12 years ago
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12 years ago
If they are separately switched they are NOT in series - check the voltage at the socket anyway - expect to see something around 3 volts open circuit.
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12 years ago
Rewiring would not be required, other than the power supply and you would need either different sockets, or to solder the LEDs into the old bulb bases. I would not bother, since the correct bulbs are readilly available. (and the historic authenticity will be retained).
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12 years ago
That makes sense. I think they had one for about $20 with a dial with settings like 200v, 100v, 50v, 10v. It didn't opccur to me that that was the range (duh).
The thing is, I asked the clerk in that department and was told that they do not sell a voltmeter that will go down to 2.5 volts. I guess he knew even less that I do. ;-(
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12 years ago
And that's a surprise???
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12 years ago
If there is a Harbor Freight store nearby, you can purchase an inexpensive multimeter for five dollars.
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Girls can fix stuff too. I expect you are looking upon this as a learning experience which is a good thing. If you can get some help from a knowledgeable friend, it could keep you from breaking something. If I had an heirloom like your dollhouse, I would want to restore it rather than add space age items to it. ^_^
TDD
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12 years ago
Yup, I agree with the "replace the bulbs" comment, also, you may want to look into how to use your multimeter before actually using it. A cheap one - which is all you need - actually has more special instructions than, say, a new Fluke, if you don't have it set on the correct range you can blow the fuse inside or burn it up, and we don't want that. (don't feel bad, my Simpson 260 has the same special instructions and that is a fine precision instrument. It's just the nature of the old school meters.) I think someone already posted a link to a basic how-to, but if you can't find it let us know and we'll try to dig out a tutorial for it.
good luck,
nate
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12 years ago
How about this one:
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or
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I can have it on Tuesday or Wednesday.
If there is a better one on Amazon, please advise.
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12 years ago
There are 9 lights and 4 on/off buttons. No labels. Since none of them work, I don't know how they are grouped.
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12 years ago
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That's a nice little meter with a big display and it would appear to have a good set of instructions included along with tech support which is invaluable for someone not familiar with such equipment. The price is incredible for the value. The built in battery tester is a wonderful item for a anyone to have. I may have to add one to my inventory.
TDD
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12 years ago
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Thanks
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12 years ago
On 12/18/2011 6:41 PM, Jennifer Murphy wrote: ...
"Better" in what way? :)
It's fine your purposes, go on.
But, I'll reiterate the advice I gave earlier...
Follow the cord in--it'll lead you to the transformer or you'll discover indeed it is wired in series (highly unlikely I'd think given the description of being switched). Then you can start from discovering whether there's any output there and work down the line.
Or, maybe there isn't a transformer anymore or there's a fuse or who knows what...but start at the beginning.
--
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12 years ago
This is an old radio pilot light bulb
#50 is a 6 volt... May have been run from a battery or a transformer Look here for a chart
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12 years ago
It's a lot like model railroading. God knows how much balsa would I bought back then - and lichen and those teeny bottles of enamel paint. I used to be glued to the TV as a kid during Christmas because they had a feed from the NYC model railroad club that had layouts that just boggled the mind.
-- Bobby G.
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12 years ago
Dufas the wise has spoken! (-; If it ain't broke . . .
I think the first thing to do is see what happens with a packet of new bulbs.
-- Bobby G.
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12 years ago
With at least 20 and possibly 30 meters in the house, cars and garage, I finally feel I can pass up all but the free and very cheap meters from HF, which do the job quite nicely. One is permanently mounted to monitor the battery charger connected to the very infrequently used car we have. Even has a nice bright backlite. I'll take every one they give me and even pay $2 for them so I can give one away to some deserving person when the need arises.
-- Bobby G.
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12 years ago
Think that would be a good SECOND thing to do.
FIRST good thing to do is to DETERMINE which bulbs should be used. I got frustrated reading the autoranging meter thread and this one, so may have missed something. IIRC, The bulbs were #14(2.5V), then they were #50(7.5V) then there was the autoranging meter that was purchased, but we still have no idea the voltage measured. Been lots of people jousting over conjecture.
Where's the damn voltage measurement?????
Putting 3A worth of 2.5V lamps on a 70 year old 7.5V transformer that fits in a 1" cavity in the dollhouse is unlikely to result in a happy ending.
Data provided so far is incomplete, inconclusive and contradictory.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.