Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
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cockney steve,
Ba goom, you're a bit far from home (I'm a Lancashire Lad myself - Liverpool, Wirral, Southport, School at Blackpool), but haven't been back for donkey's years.
Another Tannoy story: it falls to the lot of the ATC to give out the good news when a Night Flying programme is cancelled (usually on account of weather). I always liked to do it myself, for the sake of the great roar of relief and jubilation which erupted all round the Flights when I gave tongue on the Tannoy.
So it's called a Wylex unit (sounds exactly like mine). Nice thing is, you can pull out the fuse carrier for the circuit you're working on and put it in your pocket - then you're perfectly safe !
Your mod on the B&M system sounds much safer, I agree. What you describe is "spider wiring", I think. In my place (built '72) they have it for the lights only, the room power sockets are on two ring mains.
Don't like your tank chappie much. I never felt any resentment from the Germans from '60 to '62, and in return we treated them courteously. After all, they'd had to obey orders just as we had. As Kipling put it:
I do not love my country's foes
Nor call 'em 'eroes. Still -
Where is the sense in 'ating those
'Oom you are paid to kill ?
Of course , things might have been different in '53, and it was a NS lad speaking, and you know what we were all like at that age. He wouldn't have done it off his own bat. Perhaps it was in the course of some exercise, but even so I don't think the planners would have staged it over ripe crops.
Perhaps I'm wrong.
Glad you like the Thread, Cheers, Danny.
Ba goom, you're a bit far from home (I'm a Lancashire Lad myself - Liverpool, Wirral, Southport, School at Blackpool), but haven't been back for donkey's years.
Another Tannoy story: it falls to the lot of the ATC to give out the good news when a Night Flying programme is cancelled (usually on account of weather). I always liked to do it myself, for the sake of the great roar of relief and jubilation which erupted all round the Flights when I gave tongue on the Tannoy.
So it's called a Wylex unit (sounds exactly like mine). Nice thing is, you can pull out the fuse carrier for the circuit you're working on and put it in your pocket - then you're perfectly safe !
Your mod on the B&M system sounds much safer, I agree. What you describe is "spider wiring", I think. In my place (built '72) they have it for the lights only, the room power sockets are on two ring mains.
Don't like your tank chappie much. I never felt any resentment from the Germans from '60 to '62, and in return we treated them courteously. After all, they'd had to obey orders just as we had. As Kipling put it:
I do not love my country's foes
Nor call 'em 'eroes. Still -
Where is the sense in 'ating those
'Oom you are paid to kill ?
Of course , things might have been different in '53, and it was a NS lad speaking, and you know what we were all like at that age. He wouldn't have done it off his own bat. Perhaps it was in the course of some exercise, but even so I don't think the planners would have staged it over ripe crops.
Perhaps I'm wrong.
Glad you like the Thread, Cheers, Danny.
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Gentlemen. Please replace those fuses with Wylex plug-in breakers like these.
Toolstation > Electrical > Wylex Consumer Units > Wylex Plug in Breaker B Type
It's a two-minute job to swap them over. You can still put them in your pocket for safety's sake too.
Toolstation > Electrical > Wylex Consumer Units > Wylex Plug in Breaker B Type
It's a two-minute job to swap them over. You can still put them in your pocket for safety's sake too.
I changed ours to the trip type a few years ago when a tame electrician friend gave us a set but there's still a card of fuse wire tucked behind the tails.
The only drawback is every time a bulb blows the lighting circuit trips. A minor inconvenience but the consumer unit's above a doorway which is fine for 6'1" of me but not so good for my 5'3" lady.
The only drawback is every time a bulb blows the lighting circuit trips. A minor inconvenience but the consumer unit's above a doorway which is fine for 6'1" of me but not so good for my 5'3" lady.
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The only drawback is every time a bulb blows the lighting circuit trips.
Meanwhile ... is this 'PPRuNE' or "Electricians Are Us"???
Danny42C wrote:
Yes, I had to do this just this a few days ago. A light bulb blew upstairs (well, it had been there since 1984...), taking out the circuit fuse as well.
I managed to find a card of fuse wire in a local shop, but when I was paying for it, the assistant said "Oh, we've got some fuse wire in have we? Haven't had that for over a year now....."....
My worst offence regarding wiring was during the early days of 'square pin' plugs. Strip the red and black (as they were then) wires back to the copper, twist into a suitable shape to shove into the socket. Switch off the supply, poke the back of a teaspoon into the earth hole and push it down until the other 2 holes opened, then insert the wires. Carefully remove the teaspoon to trap the wires, wiggle them gently to check they've been trapped. Stand clear and switch the power back on.....
If there were no sparks, fire or fuses blown, I would count myself lucky! But when funds allowed, I'd buy a proper plug.
Do those Wylex devices fit inside a 'conventional' fuse box? They also seem quite expensive, when compared to the cost of a card of fuse wire...
Regarding dual voltage and AC/DC, when my late father lived in Menorca we had different voltages in the same room! I think that part was on something weird such as 127v AC and the rest was on 220v AC....
I note from some of the replies that the domestic fuse is assumed to be of cartridge-type. But earlier yet, you just had a bit of ceramic with a tiny hole at each end through which you threaded your fusewire, then clamped each end round a screw. All was in a two-prong carrier which you plugged back into the box.
This was by no means easy, if your only light source was a burning match. But surely these are things of the past ? Not so ! (I can assure you
This was by no means easy, if your only light source was a burning match. But surely these are things of the past ? Not so ! (I can assure you
I managed to find a card of fuse wire in a local shop, but when I was paying for it, the assistant said "Oh, we've got some fuse wire in have we? Haven't had that for over a year now....."....
My worst offence regarding wiring was during the early days of 'square pin' plugs. Strip the red and black (as they were then) wires back to the copper, twist into a suitable shape to shove into the socket. Switch off the supply, poke the back of a teaspoon into the earth hole and push it down until the other 2 holes opened, then insert the wires. Carefully remove the teaspoon to trap the wires, wiggle them gently to check they've been trapped. Stand clear and switch the power back on.....
If there were no sparks, fire or fuses blown, I would count myself lucky! But when funds allowed, I'd buy a proper plug.
Do those Wylex devices fit inside a 'conventional' fuse box? They also seem quite expensive, when compared to the cost of a card of fuse wire...
Regarding dual voltage and AC/DC, when my late father lived in Menorca we had different voltages in the same room! I think that part was on something weird such as 127v AC and the rest was on 220v AC....
Last edited by BEagle; 3rd Feb 2014 at 19:03.
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Beags,
Having fitted the replacement circuit breakers in my house and garage my experience was that I was not able to refit the covers on the Fuse Boxes as the breakers are taller. Still worth it though. However, Screwyou are selling new modern consumer units with all the trimmings for about the same as a set of plug in breakers. Just done that and to be recommended as the new unit provides a lot more safety.
ACW
Having fitted the replacement circuit breakers in my house and garage my experience was that I was not able to refit the covers on the Fuse Boxes as the breakers are taller. Still worth it though. However, Screwyou are selling new modern consumer units with all the trimmings for about the same as a set of plug in breakers. Just done that and to be recommended as the new unit provides a lot more safety.
ACW
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Don't worry BEagle, I've done that as well in my youth and I'm sure many others have as well.
Also I'll bet that because people were buying electrical goods and forgetting the plugs, they did this thereby causing many a fire and in turn that turned into law that all electrical goods must be fitted with a plug when sold.
Also I'll bet that because people were buying electrical goods and forgetting the plugs, they did this thereby causing many a fire and in turn that turned into law that all electrical goods must be fitted with a plug when sold.
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Sorry to intrude but when wiring up a 13 amp plug don't forget to dab a touch of solder on the tips of the bare wires to stop
stray strands which in time might well cause a short inside the plug.All of our teleprinter equipment came without any plugs
fitted we had to do it ourselves.
stray strands which in time might well cause a short inside the plug.All of our teleprinter equipment came without any plugs
fitted we had to do it ourselves.
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When working at AM London commcen in the 1960s I was in trouble when I moved the plug of a piece of equipment to another socket. Trouble was that all the kit was 3 pin round BUT some sockets were 240V AC mains and some sockets were 80-0-80V DC with no indication as to which was which. Good old Post Office technicians. I got away with it on Health & Safety grounds. Shortly after all plugs & sockets were changed to square pin 240V AC or round pin 80-0-80V DC round pin
Goldfinger
My dear old Dad (Halton intake 1936) told me that rings were banned on some stations as they could cause severe injury if they snagged on something. The worst case he knew was the corporal who was fitting new batteries into a trolley-acc (this ancient device comprised two or four high-capacity batteries in a two-wheeled trolley) when he bridged the output cables with his ring finger. All the current needed to turn a mighty Merlin surged through the ring, which turned to literally liquid gold. The luckless corporal lost his finger and received a rollicking for disobeying SSOs.
sua cuique voluptas
Yes, easy to snag a ring when working, but they are also a hazard when working in any RF intense area as it makes very effective single-turn step-down transformer. The induced current from transmitter sets, particularly at microwave frequencies, is one reason that I stopped wearing mine in the lab. On Open Days in the 60's my Eccentric Leader used to demonstrate how to cook a sausage on a set of Lecker bars fed by a carcinatron........
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Reader123,
Thanks for a really useful bit of 'gen'. Even at £8.67 (is that VAT-inc ?) it could be worth it, if you consider the hassle of the old way for those whose fingers are not as nimble as once they were !....D.
DHfan,
I'm no electrician, but I think that used to happen because the loose end of the broken filament fell back on the other pole and shorted out the circuit (but in my cases, these were bulbs wired to 3-pin plugs so only the plug fuse blew). Now we've got these (supposedly) everlasting low-wattage bulbs, I've had one or two die on me, but it hasn't happened - yet ! Why, oh why, didn't I lay in a big stock of these when you could pick them up for pennies ?
Your.... "but there's still a card of fuse wire tucked behind the tails".... (Belt'n Braces was always good policy !).....D.
MPN11,
Our wise Moderators (bless them) seem endlessly patient with us, realising that old soldiers like to natter (and, let's face it, anyone who got his Brevet in WWII is that by definition). But we always drift back (more or less) to the Thread, and Tomorrow is Also a Day.
Your: "Yup, did that an hour or two ago, just as we'd sat down to eat". Another demonstration of Sod's Law !...D.
BEagle,
My little card of fusewire must go back at least 20 years, but there is still plenty left. I can well believe that it may be difficult to find another today.
Your teaspoon handle (ex bike tyre lever ?) variant of the pencil point idea may have lessened the need for pencil sharpening, but I was always nervous about any uninsulated metal tool anywhere near the sparks - even though the earth hole should be harmless, you never know !
I would say that they'd certainly fit in a Wylex box, not sure about other makes.
127/220v might well cause problems unless you had different sockets or they were in different rooms (as was the case in the "Madrisa"). Or if, of course, you had a dual-voltage razor (as they mostly are now....D.
ACW418
Your: "Just done that and to be recommended as the new unit provides a lot more safety". Not if it was a DIY job ! (I'd get in a professional electrician !) ....D.
clicker and NervousSLF,
I've long believed that no child should leave school without demonstrating the ability to wire a plug, mend a fuse and washer a tap...D.
Geriaviator,
A sad story indeed. Another sad one (true). One of our WRAF Assistants at Leeming had, as a girl, been playing Hide and Seek. She'd shinned up a tree close to a park railings, and jumped (or fell) from a low branch. On one finger she had a loose ring, the hand brushed the spike on the railings, it caught the ring, the top two joints were torn off her finger...D.
Good Evening all, Danny.
Thanks for a really useful bit of 'gen'. Even at £8.67 (is that VAT-inc ?) it could be worth it, if you consider the hassle of the old way for those whose fingers are not as nimble as once they were !....D.
DHfan,
I'm no electrician, but I think that used to happen because the loose end of the broken filament fell back on the other pole and shorted out the circuit (but in my cases, these were bulbs wired to 3-pin plugs so only the plug fuse blew). Now we've got these (supposedly) everlasting low-wattage bulbs, I've had one or two die on me, but it hasn't happened - yet ! Why, oh why, didn't I lay in a big stock of these when you could pick them up for pennies ?
Your.... "but there's still a card of fuse wire tucked behind the tails".... (Belt'n Braces was always good policy !).....D.
MPN11,
Our wise Moderators (bless them) seem endlessly patient with us, realising that old soldiers like to natter (and, let's face it, anyone who got his Brevet in WWII is that by definition). But we always drift back (more or less) to the Thread, and Tomorrow is Also a Day.
Your: "Yup, did that an hour or two ago, just as we'd sat down to eat". Another demonstration of Sod's Law !...D.
BEagle,
My little card of fusewire must go back at least 20 years, but there is still plenty left. I can well believe that it may be difficult to find another today.
Your teaspoon handle (ex bike tyre lever ?) variant of the pencil point idea may have lessened the need for pencil sharpening, but I was always nervous about any uninsulated metal tool anywhere near the sparks - even though the earth hole should be harmless, you never know !
I would say that they'd certainly fit in a Wylex box, not sure about other makes.
127/220v might well cause problems unless you had different sockets or they were in different rooms (as was the case in the "Madrisa"). Or if, of course, you had a dual-voltage razor (as they mostly are now....D.
ACW418
Your: "Just done that and to be recommended as the new unit provides a lot more safety". Not if it was a DIY job ! (I'd get in a professional electrician !) ....D.
clicker and NervousSLF,
I've long believed that no child should leave school without demonstrating the ability to wire a plug, mend a fuse and washer a tap...D.
Geriaviator,
A sad story indeed. Another sad one (true). One of our WRAF Assistants at Leeming had, as a girl, been playing Hide and Seek. She'd shinned up a tree close to a park railings, and jumped (or fell) from a low branch. On one finger she had a loose ring, the hand brushed the spike on the railings, it caught the ring, the top two joints were torn off her finger...D.
Good Evening all, Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 5th Feb 2014 at 14:37. Reason: Typo.
On one finger she had a loose ring, the hand brushed the spike on the railings, it caught the ring, the top two joints were torn off her finger....
Which is precisely why sailors are discouraged from wearing rings whilst on board ship, for it's all too easy to slip, say, on a ladder between decks with a similar result to the unfortunate case above.
Jack
PS Well, it couldn't possibly be because some sailors are "geographical bachelors" - could it?
Which is precisely why sailors are discouraged from wearing rings whilst on board ship, for it's all too easy to slip, say, on a ladder between decks with a similar result to the unfortunate case above.
Jack
PS Well, it couldn't possibly be because some sailors are "geographical bachelors" - could it?
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Sorry to intrude but when wiring up a 13 amp plug don't forget to dab a touch of solder on the tips of the bare wires to stop
stray strands which in time might well cause a short inside the plug.All of our teleprinter equipment came without any plugs
fitted we had to do it ourselves.
stray strands which in time might well cause a short inside the plug.All of our teleprinter equipment came without any plugs
fitted we had to do it ourselves.
Therefore, if you buy something which has had the ends of the wires soldered - good old days, before sealed plugs were attached to everything - which they did in order to test it in the factory, you should cut off the soldered ends, and put the bare wires (suitably twisted) into the plug.
No, Danny, the breakers do not fit into the Wylex boxes, you'll have to leave the front off. Much safer than a fuse though, so worth the aesthetic issues.
And changing your own fusebox ('consumer unit') is illegal these days (unless you have it approved by the council's building regs department). Lucky they didn't have regs like this when they sent boys up in the air in the 1940s with no guarantee of ever finding their home station again. It's a wonder to me that any aeroplane ever managed to find its way home again.
As you'll probably need to fumble around in the dark to reset the trip no front's an advantage anyway.
Our local independent electrical shop usually has secondhand plug-in breakers for a couple of quid each which goes to charity.
I know the theory of the dead filament sorting out and blowing the trip but unless it defies gravity it shouldn't happen with a pendant bulb - and it happens every time without fail. Reset the trip and it's fine, although locally dark!
I did stock up on some low energy ones when Morrisons had a crate full of 60W and 75W equivalents for 10p apiece. I've still got 5 or 6 of each left.
Our local independent electrical shop usually has secondhand plug-in breakers for a couple of quid each which goes to charity.
I know the theory of the dead filament sorting out and blowing the trip but unless it defies gravity it shouldn't happen with a pendant bulb - and it happens every time without fail. Reset the trip and it's fine, although locally dark!
I did stock up on some low energy ones when Morrisons had a crate full of 60W and 75W equivalents for 10p apiece. I've still got 5 or 6 of each left.
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One purchases torches/flashlights to navigate a darkened house. Pound/Dollar shops have some very good LED ones these days 
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Lux Fiat !
Reader123,
Your: "It's a wonder to me that any aeroplane ever managed to find its way home again" . Boys in the '50s weren't always much good at it either - read Post #3742 p.188 !....D.
DHfan,
Your: "I did stock up on some low energy ones when Morrisons had a crate full of 60W and 75W equivalents for 10p apiece. I've still got 5 or 6 of each left". You were robbed ! Tesco up here were selling 100Ws at 1p (!) for a week or two, (And IIRC, there was a free issue of a dozen to every household in the land to start with)...D.
MPN11,
One buys the torches all right. Trouble is: one forgets where one has put them when everything goes black !....D.
Early night tonight. Cheers, Danny.
Your: "It's a wonder to me that any aeroplane ever managed to find its way home again" . Boys in the '50s weren't always much good at it either - read Post #3742 p.188 !....D.
DHfan,
Your: "I did stock up on some low energy ones when Morrisons had a crate full of 60W and 75W equivalents for 10p apiece. I've still got 5 or 6 of each left". You were robbed ! Tesco up here were selling 100Ws at 1p (!) for a week or two, (And IIRC, there was a free issue of a dozen to every household in the land to start with)...D.
MPN11,
One buys the torches all right. Trouble is: one forgets where one has put them when everything goes black !....D.
Early night tonight. Cheers, Danny.
Re forgetting where torches are, me too. Or ferreting around in the cupboard where I'm sure I put it/them last time...
Fumbling around in the dark's easier. I know where the consumer unit is - it's screwed to the wall.
Fumbling around in the dark's easier. I know where the consumer unit is - it's screwed to the wall.
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Reader 123
How interesting about the plugs, funny how British Telecom not only taught everyone to do that but they made it
a must do requirement. Ah well Reader 123 one British Telecom nil. ( Not really )
Sorry to thread drift but I had to answer.
a must do requirement. Ah well Reader 123 one British Telecom nil. ( Not really )
Sorry to thread drift but I had to answer.