13 Nov
2003
13 Nov
'03
10:39 a.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
Totally OT, but...
In the 1950s, one of the UK electronics magazines had a project for a
'combined radio and table lamp'. It was a conventional series-string
heater valve radio, but the heater dropping resistor was a light bulb in
a socket on top of the case. You could fit a normal lampshade to the bulb
if you wanted...
The power swtich had 3 positions. Off (obvious). Light (which
disconnected the radio HT (B+) supply and shorted out the heaters, so the
bulb was directly across the mains). And radio, which ran the bulb in
series with the heaters, so it wa a bit dimmer, but still gave out light.
Jerome Fine replies:
Then maybe this qualifies for some geek points - how many?
Around 1967, the old black and white TV blew the power
transformer. BUT, when I was unable to find a suitable
replacement, I used one that needed an extra dropping
resistor. Not being able to find a suitable HIGH wattage
resistor, I was able to locate one that solved the problem.
I screwed it into a socket held just underneath the TV
which had been wired into the output circuit of the power
transformer. What did I screw in - a 100 watt light bulb
that also was able to serve as a TV LIGHT!
The voltage was not quite 110 volts, probably around 80 volts,
so the output of the bulb was a bit less than normal. After it
was used for a few years, I think the bulb had to be replaced -
or of course the TV would not work.
It was so long ago (36 years!) that I almost completely forgot!
Sincerely yours,
Jerome Fine
--
If you attempted to send a reply and the original e-mail
address has been discontinued due a high volume of junk
e-mail, then the semi-permanent e-mail address can be
obtained by replacing the four characters preceding the
'at' with the four digits of the current year.