My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:55:07 -0800, mike wrote:

Jennifer Murphy wrote:
My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

First problem is that you ignored advice and bought an autoranging meter.
TURN OFF THE AUTORANGING.
Dig around in the manual and look for range hold or range lock or
something similar. Set it to the 20V range (maybe 40V depending on the
meter) and leave it there while measuring voltage. You'll have to lock
it again if you change modes.

You've given few details, but some assumptions can be made.
There are always exceptions, but usually...

Where does the power come from?
If it's a battery, it's DC.
If it's a transformer, it's AC.

How are they connected?
If you can get one light to work in a socket, it's parallel.

2.5 vac 0.3a #14 flashlight bulbs x 12 = 3.6 amps.

11 ohms cold seems about 5x too high for that bulb. You sure you've
got #14 bulbs?

Short the meter leads and measure resistance of the leads. It's never
zero and sometimes a lot more if the probes are defective or just cheap
or connections are corroded. Subtract that number from your bulb
measurement.

#14 MINIATURE BULB E10 BASE - 2.47 Volt 0.30 Amp Miniature Screw (E10)
Base 0.50 MSCP, C-2R Filament Design, 15 Average Rated Hours, 0.94"
Maximum Overall Length #14 Miniature Bulb

NOTE that it's rated for 15 hours average life. Might wanna change
to a different bulb. Then you'll need a different transformer, but
12V bulbs on a 12V surplus laptop power supply works well. Cheap
non-regulated wall warts have small transformers and have serious
regulation problems as noted below.

If it's a battery, it won't last long. If it's AC, the transformer
should be as big as your fist. If it's much smaller, it's gonna have
a lot of secondary impedance. What that means is that it's sized
for max load. Designed properly, the lamps will work fine. Problem
is that one burns out reducing the load and the voltage goes up increasing
the stress on the others. Like dominoes, they start failing at
an increasing rate. That's why you've got one left that works.
There's another more subtle problem. About 70 years ago, the line
voltage increased from 110 to 120V. The life of a bulb goes down
MUCH faster than the voltage goes up. That can be a problem
for a bulb with a design life (at proper voltage) of 15 hours.

Your problem is likely bad connections in the circuit.
This can be corroded connections at the socket or corrosion
inside the socket where the lamp contacts it or corrosion on the
bulb itself. Sometimes, people just twist wires together to
make connections. After 70 years, corrosion causes the connection
to fail. You might measure unloaded voltage at the end of the lamp
string, but a bulb won't light in that socket.

You should have two wires leaving whatever powers it running together
in parallel throughout the house with each bulb tapped into the pair.
If you can tell where the wire runs, you should be able to tell, from
which sockets work and which don't, where the break is.

You can measure the resistance of the wiring, but it's
sensitive to contact corrosion at the probe point and it's easy to infer
a break where none exists.
Remember to short the probes in ohms mode and lock the range
so you won't see all the autoranging artifacts.

If you put the lamp in the far end of the wire, you can
measure the voltage at each socket. But if access is limited
you risk shorting the connection and smoking something.

From the symptoms, I'd guess that you have corroded connections AND the
wrong bulb type.

What's the voltage at the supply end of the circuit with the one-good
bulb burning?

Are we having fun yet?
First thing we need to know is what the voltage is at the secondary
of the transformer (which WILL be AC) and if there is anything between
the transformer and the switches (like a rectifier). It is UNLIKELY
there is a rectifier because there is no advantage to using DC on the
bulbs. The #14 bulb is rated at 15 hours at 2.5 volts, and if the
voltage is only 1.5 volts the lights will be dimmer (but the light is
only for "realism" so it does not need to be full brightness) and the
lifespan will be in the hundreds of hours.. This was commonly done in
doll houses and scenery for train sets etc.

Generally speeking the operating resistance of a tungsten bulb is
ABOUT10-12 times it's cold resistance - and measuring the cold
resistance of a #14 bulb, other than to determine if it is open or
not, is rather futile.

It is a nominal .75 watt bulb, with a HOT resistance of roughly 8
ohms, so the cold resistance is closer to 1 ohm than 11 - which is
why measuring the resistance is futile.

On 12/20/2011 3:24 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:56 pm, bob wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:42 pm, Jennifer wrote:





My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

if its so old convert everything using commonly available bulbs and a
transformer with enough current to handle everything.

you could also jazz it up a bit with small speakers playing music or
people talking. visit a local hobby shop to get ideas.

old stuff often wqasnt built for safety thats why i suggest a general
upgrade- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

As part of the upgrade you should make it Energy Star compliant by
using CCCCFL bulbs. ;-)

Where can you get teeny tiny CFL bulbs? o_O

TDD

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:43:06 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/20/2011 3:24 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:56 pm, bob wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:42 pm, Jennifer wrote:





My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

if its so old convert everything using commonly available bulbs and a
transformer with enough current to handle everything.

you could also jazz it up a bit with small speakers playing music or
people talking. visit a local hobby shop to get ideas.

old stuff often wqasnt built for safety thats why i suggest a general
upgrade- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

As part of the upgrade you should make it Energy Star compliant by
using CCCCFL bulbs. ;-)

Where can you get teeny tiny CFL bulbs? o_O

From Keebler Light Products. They are made by elves.

TDD

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:42:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:

My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8").

I very often use a jumper wrie with alligator clips on each end,
especailly for connecting the black test lead of the meter to a
grouond, or anywhere I want it connected. That leaves both hands free
to use the other test lead. I buy ten 12" wires for 3 or 4 dollars at
Radio Shack, and I clip one end to the metal proble of the test lead.

For small things, I put a hat pin, or corsage pin, or straight pin, or
headless nail thinner than the original probe in the alligator clip at
the other end. So I can test i cramped areas.



I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

For a doll house, if it's plugged into the wall, it's AC.
If it runs on batteryies it's DC.

IIRC, you can measuere DC current with an AC meter. The reading will
be wrong, but consistent and proportional to the actual value. The RMS
iirc. This is with an analog meter. Not sure how digital meters
behave.

On the other hand try to meaure AC with a DC meter and the average
value will be zero. Because the *average* voltage of AC *is* zero.
On an analog meter that's what it will show. Not sure if it would
jump around with a digital meter, or not.

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

Dolls have excellent vision, and don't need much light to read.
Don't forget, that if they are only 3 inches tall and you are more
than 60 inches tall. the light seems 20 times brighter for them.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:12:16 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 12/20/2011 2:42 PM, Jennifer Murphy wrote:
...

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

As I said before, follow the cord in and find the transformer and work
from there.

One comment on your testing...you mentioned continuity check; that's
good. But then you went on an measured resistance even after you got an
open reading. If you have no continuity, there's no point in measuring
ohms; you already did; it'll show up as infinite. That means the
wire/filament's broke/bad connection. Just pitch those bulbs; they're
burned out and of no value whatsoever.

They might help to identify the replacement she needs. They may be
better marked** than the one good bulb. Plus she won't have to carry
the one good bulb with her when she goes out to get replacement bulbs.

I don't throw away bad parts until I have everything working.

**Which is not to say the OP needs exactly what was in there before.
Only that the base fit the socket and the voltage be right.
Different makers of bulbs may well use different part numbers, for
example.

(My father made a picture album in 1936, and in 1990 I went to a lot
of the same places and took a lot of the same pictures. I wanted to
add facing pages to his album, to show the changes in 53 years, and I
wanted to use the adhesive corners to hold the pictures, like he used.

(Most camera stores had clear vinyl, which of course have the
advantage of letting one see the corners, but I found one store that
sold the black paper corners my father used, identical, complete with
the same error in part of the embossed line.)

I'd really guess still there's a good chance the GE 50 toy train light
was the one initially used...

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:20:01 -0500, "Robert Green"
wrote:

"Jennifer Murphy" wrote in message
.. .

My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

Welcome to the wonderful world of electrical troubleshooting. I have about
20 meters (maybe 30) because they are indispensable for electronics work.
Some hook to PC's for recording work, some are small and lighted that I keep
in my car. I keep one in my camera bag, one connected to the battery
powered sump pump and even have a AA-A battery charger that reads the
voltage of each cell as it charges. My wife says it's a sickness but I
believe you can never have enough multimeters, flashlights or rechargeable
batteries. (-:

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8").

For testing like that I might make up a test prod from a dowel about the
size of the bulb with a screw in the center to simulate a bulb, but that's
probably a bit much for you just starting out.

I don't have the tools for that ;-(

It takes a delicate hand to
read a micro-socket when it's on a test bench. Mounted in a doll house
might be much harder and close to impossible without the right probes. One
the backside of the socket there are often screw terminals. That would be a
good place to check the socket voltage.

I can't get to the back side. The sockets are mounted in the ceiling. On
the first floor, it's about 1/2" thick and completely finished. On the
second floor, there is an attic, but it's sealed. I don't want to start
taking it apart.

I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

That's a good question. Measuring an AC voltage using a high quality,
accurate voltmeter, that set to measure DC volts, should, by definition
result in a reading of zero volts. The reason you read a small residual DC
voltage when measuring an AC voltage might be because of small inaccuracies
in your meter. Any true AC voltage has absolutely no DC component. I would
test it using a diode - even an LED would work - that will pass current in
only one direction. But that's little advanced. I suppose you could test
the circuit by reversing the probes. If it's DC, the + and - signs should
reverse themselves when you switch the probes. With AC, it shouldn't have
any effect.

I thought I got a +/- change one time, but it's so difficult to get at
the sockets, that I can;t be sure I'm getting good contact and not
shorting the probes.

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

Excellent work! With an old dollhouse and the possibility that the bulbs
are getting more voltage than designed for, it's very likely the only
problem is burned out lightbulbs.

I ordered a bunch of 2.5v #14 bulbs. They should be here tomorrow.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

That sounds right. Infinite resistance means the filament is broken and the
bulb is dead. You should be able to confirm that with a magnifying glass.
If they were run at double their rating, the filament damage should be very
obvious and might include blackening of the bulb's interior.

The filaments all look OK. A couple are somewhat blackened.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

You may also be experiencing problems with dirty switch contacts and dirty
or corroded bulb sockets. The center button connector of the socket should
be nice and shiny in each socket. I bet they're not.

The switches are definitely at least a little suspect. They are the
push-button type. They are a little loose in the housing and if I jiggle
them, the lights flicker. I can't see into the sockets, but the house
has been stored in garages on the east coast (humid) for many years. I
might go get a mirror on a stick and see if I can see into the sockets.
But if they are corroded, there ma not be much I ca do without taking
the while thing apart, which is too much for this Christmas.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

I don't think you have to do a complete rewire - if it were 110VAC passing
through those wires you would have seen the bulb go supernova and possibly
pop. There's got to be a transformer somewhere.

Yes, I'm quite certain that it's not 110 and probably not AC.

By getting the bulb to
light in several sockets you've conclusively proved they can not be wired in
series (in a chain like old Christmas lights where if one bulb went dead,
they all died). That's important to know.

Yep, I was glad to discover that.

Trace where the AC wires comes into the dollhouse and find the transformer
(apologies if you've already done this - I just started reading this
thread.). If it's well wired to the cord and the cord's in good shape, I
wouldn't rewire the unit. Switches can often be "decrudded" by operating
them a few dozen times to scrape off the oxidation.

The AC cord is one of those really old fabric-covered types. The place
where it goes into the base of the house is just a hole in the wood with
no fitting or stress relief. There is no obvious wear that I can see,
but it all seems a little unsafe to me.

I think the next step is to clean the sockets, cycle the switches, install
the replacement bulbs and take it from there.

I managed to get under the house. The whole bottom is covered and glued
shut. I'm starting to think that this wasn't that well made. I'm tempted
to cut the cord and go without lights for now. If the little girl really
gets into it (right now she's more into Buzz Lightyear), I'll consider
taking it apart and installing LEDs and a battery pack.

Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful and patient help.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:33:27 -0600, wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:42:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:

My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

You have one good bulb and 11 dead ones. There has to be a
transformer somewhere in there. They are not running 120volts to
those bulbs. If you can find replacement bulbs, you are in good
shape, the transformer may be weak, causing dim lights.

I know you want to make the house authentic, but I still say that for
cost and safety reasons, get a string of LED christmas lights (which
do come in sets of 12), and fit them in so you dont see the actual
bulb. Make a little shade around them out of a paper or plastic (LEDs
do not get hot). This will save lots of cash, time, and be much
safer.

Now dangerous are 6 or 12 volts light bulbs, or the wires supplying
them? You can't even feel the current with your hands, only if you
put the leads on your tongue. (OTOH, 110 volts on your tongue are
very very bad.)

How much cash can she possibly save?

OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.
Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...ders/_/N-5g6p/ and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ture+lamp&sr=1

You could even use the existing wires, use a 6volt DC wall wart
transformer and solder in LEDs (with resistor) to each socket, and
never have to replace bulbs or worry about safety.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:02:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:


That sounds right. Infinite resistance means the filament is broken and the
bulb is dead. You should be able to confirm that with a magnifying glass.
If they were run at double their rating, the filament damage should be very
obvious and might include blackening of the bulb's interior.

The filaments all look OK. A couple are somewhat blackened.

I like to flick the bulb with my finger. Often a filament is broken
but the gap is so small, I can't tell until I do that, but after that,
the filament vibrates for a couple seconds. If it vibrates, it's
broken.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

You may also be experiencing problems with dirty switch contacts and dirty
or corroded bulb sockets. The center button connector of the socket should
be nice and shiny in each socket. I bet they're not.

The switches are definitely at least a little suspect. They are the
push-button type. They are a little loose in the housing and if I jiggle
them, the lights flicker. I can't see into the sockets, but the house

That makes it much harder, but if you measure the voltage anywhere,
and bought bulbs that will work with that voltage, the burnt out bulbs
are probably the only problem with most sockets.


has been stored in garages on the east coast (humid) for many years. I
might go get a mirror on a stick and see if I can see into the sockets.
But if they are corroded, there ma not be much I ca do without taking
the while thing apart, which is too much for this Christmas.

Do you have a pencil with an eraser or the top, or a ball point pen
with an ink eraser on the top? These are probably too big, right? but
you can use a knife to make the eraser part smaller Cut from the end
down, instead of the side in.

But don't do anything until your correct bulbs don't work. I live on
the east coast too, NYC and Baltimore and haven't had trouble with
socket corrosion.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

I don't think you have to do a complete rewire - if it were 110VAC passing
through those wires you would have seen the bulb go supernova and possibly
pop. There's got to be a transformer somewhere.

Yes, I'm quite certain that it's not 110 and probably not AC.

That would mean batteries.

OTOH is the house plugged into the wall?

By getting the bulb to
light in several sockets you've conclusively proved they can not be wired in
series (in a chain like old Christmas lights where if one bulb went dead,
they all died). That's important to know.

Yep, I was glad to discover that.

Trace where the AC wires comes into the dollhouse and find the transformer
(apologies if you've already done this - I just started reading this
thread.). If it's well wired to the cord and the cord's in good shape, I
wouldn't rewire the unit. Switches can often be "decrudded" by operating
them a few dozen times to scrape off the oxidation.

The AC cord is one of those really old fabric-covered types.

So it IS plugged into the wall. In that case t here is probably a
transformer, not at the wall (that's a new idea) but attached to the
house or maybe in a little corner of the house, right where the wire
goes into the house. If the house is older than 1955? or so, I'd be
very surprised if there was anything to turn the AC to DC. (Even if
it's much newer) So why did you say abve that it's probalby not AC?

The place
where it goes into the base of the house is just a hole in the wood with
no fitting or stress relief. There is no obvious wear that I can see,
but it all seems a little unsafe to me.

I think the next step is to clean the sockets, cycle the switches, install
the replacement bulbs and take it from there.

I managed to get under the house. The whole bottom is covered and glued
shut. I'm starting to think that this wasn't that well made. I'm tempted
to cut the cord and go without lights for now.

Don't do that. Just unplug it. You'll have new ideas as the winter
goes on, and time to work on it, but if you cut the cord, you'll
probably never fix it.

I have an electric heater from 1947 with a cloth covered cord that is
in perfect condition. So is the heater itself. My mother bought it
to warm the bathroom when I was new-born. OTOH, I have seen old wire
whose insultation is crumbliing. You may want to cut off that part
that is crumbling, if any, but leave as much as possible so you don't
have to break into the house to add more cord if the cord at the hole
is good.

If the little girl really
gets into it (right now she's more into Buzz Lightyear), I'll consider
taking it apart and installing LEDs and a battery pack

Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful and patient help.

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:55:07 -0800, mike wrote:

Jennifer Murphy wrote:
My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

First problem is that you ignored advice and bought an autoranging meter.

I don't recall anyone saying not to buy an autoranging meter. One or two
said not to buy any meter at all, but it seemed like they were just
jerking me around.

TURN OFF THE AUTORANGING.

If the autoranging can be turned off, then why is it such a big deal not
to buy an autoranging meter?

Dig around in the manual and look for range hold or range lock or
something similar. Set it to the 20V range (maybe 40V depending on the
meter) and leave it there while measuring voltage. You'll have to lock
it again if you change modes.

I don't see any way to turn it off. It does have a battery test mode
with settings for 1.5, 6, 9, and 12 volts. Can I use that?

This is the meter:

http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3320-Aut...ecc_rvi_cart_2

You've given few details, but some assumptions can be made.
There are always exceptions, but usually...

Where does the power come from?
If it's a battery, it's DC.
If it's a transformer, it's AC.

In another thread, I explained that there is a 110 AC cord going into
the base of the doll house. There's a sealed compartment underneath that
I assume houses a transformer of some kind.

How are they connected?
If you can get one light to work in a socket, it's parallel.

Yes. I didn't know that when I posted before.

2.5 vac 0.3a #14 flashlight bulbs x 12 = 3.6 amps.

11 ohms cold seems about 5x too high for that bulb. You sure you've
got #14 bulbs?

I have no idea what bulbs I have. The marking are illegible. I have a
bunch of #14s on order. I'll see what they do.

Short the meter leads and measure resistance of the leads. It's never
zero and sometimes a lot more if the probes are defective or just cheap
or connections are corroded. Subtract that number from your bulb
measurement.

With the meter set to ohms, the readong says "0.L" and the units says "M
ohms". If I short the leads, the display jumps around a bit and then
settles down at between 0.0 and 0.6 ohms. It's closer to zero if I short
at the tips and slightly higher if I short nearer the base.

The meter is brand new, so corrosion should not be a problem.

#14 MINIATURE BULB E10 BASE - 2.47 Volt 0.30 Amp Miniature Screw (E10)
Base 0.50 MSCP, C-2R Filament Design, 15 Average Rated Hours, 0.94"
Maximum Overall Length #14 Miniature Bulb

NOTE that it's rated for 15 hours average life. Might wanna change
to a different bulb. Then you'll need a different transformer, but
12V bulbs on a 12V surplus laptop power supply works well. Cheap
non-regulated wall warts have small transformers and have serious
regulation problems as noted below.

15 hours? What possible use would there be for such a bulb?

If it's a battery, it won't last long. If it's AC, the transformer
should be as big as your fist. If it's much smaller, it's gonna have
a lot of secondary impedance.

I can't get at the actual transformer without taking the doll house
apart, which I don't want to do right now. However, the housing where I
think the transformer is placed is about 6" x 6" x 1".

What that means is that it's sized
for max load. Designed properly, the lamps will work fine. Problem
is that one burns out reducing the load and the voltage goes up increasing
the stress on the others.

Are you confusing load and voltage?

It's been almost 40 years since college physics, but my recollection is
that the voltage drop across each branch of a parallel circuit is the
same. So, from E=IR, the load (amperage) is the inverse of the
resistance. No?

Like dominoes, they start failing at
an increasing rate. That's why you've got one left that works.

If they fail at an increasing rate, the odds of having just one left
working would be small, no? Once all of the others are done, the last
one would go very quickly.

There's another more subtle problem. About 70 years ago, the line
voltage increased from 110 to 120V. The life of a bulb goes down
MUCH faster than the voltage goes up. That can be a problem
for a bulb with a design life (at proper voltage) of 15 hours.

Your problem is likely bad connections in the circuit.
This can be corroded connections at the socket or corrosion
inside the socket where the lamp contacts it or corrosion on the
bulb itself.

I can't get to most of that to check. The bulbs look clean.

Sometimes, people just twist wires together to
make connections. After 70 years, corrosion causes the connection
to fail. You might measure unloaded voltage at the end of the lamp
string, but a bulb won't light in that socket.

You should have two wires leaving whatever powers it running together
in parallel throughout the house with each bulb tapped into the pair.
If you can tell where the wire runs, you should be able to tell, from
which sockets work and which don't, where the break is.

You can measure the resistance of the wiring, but it's
sensitive to contact corrosion at the probe point and it's easy to infer
a break where none exists.
Remember to short the probes in ohms mode and lock the range
so you won't see all the autoranging artifacts.

If you put the lamp in the far end of the wire, you can
measure the voltage at each socket. But if access is limited
you risk shorting the connection and smoking something.

From the symptoms, I'd guess that you have corroded connections AND the
wrong bulb type.

What's the voltage at the supply end of the circuit with the one-good
bulb burning?

Are we having fun yet?

Actually, yes. :-)

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:30:41 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:55:07 -0800, mike wrote:

Are we having fun yet?
First thing we need to know is what the voltage is at the secondary
of the transformer (which WILL be AC) and if there is anything between
the transformer and the switches (like a rectifier). It is UNLIKELY
there is a rectifier because there is no advantage to using DC on the
bulbs. The #14 bulb is rated at 15 hours at 2.5 volts, and if the
voltage is only 1.5 volts the lights will be dimmer (but the light is
only for "realism" so it does not need to be full brightness) and the
lifespan will be in the hundreds of hours.. This was commonly done in
doll houses and scenery for train sets etc.

This seems to be the case.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:29:02 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:02:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:


That sounds right. Infinite resistance means the filament is broken and the
bulb is dead. You should be able to confirm that with a magnifying glass.
If they were run at double their rating, the filament damage should be very
obvious and might include blackening of the bulb's interior.

The filaments all look OK. A couple are somewhat blackened.

I like to flick the bulb with my finger. Often a filament is broken
but the gap is so small, I can't tell until I do that, but after that,
the filament vibrates for a couple seconds. If it vibrates, it's
broken.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

You may also be experiencing problems with dirty switch contacts and dirty
or corroded bulb sockets. The center button connector of the socket should
be nice and shiny in each socket. I bet they're not.

The switches are definitely at least a little suspect. They are the
push-button type. They are a little loose in the housing and if I jiggle
them, the lights flicker. I can't see into the sockets, but the house

That makes it much harder, but if you measure the voltage anywhere,
and bought bulbs that will work with that voltage, the burnt out bulbs
are probably the only problem with most sockets.

has been stored in garages on the east coast (humid) for many years. I
might go get a mirror on a stick and see if I can see into the sockets.
But if they are corroded, there ma not be much I ca do without taking
the while thing apart, which is too much for this Christmas.

Do you have a pencil with an eraser or the top, or a ball point pen
with an ink eraser on the top? These are probably too big, right? but
you can use a knife to make the eraser part smaller Cut from the end
down, instead of the side in.

That's a good idea. A pencil should fit just fine. I'll try that when
the new bulbs arrive.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:33:27 -0600, wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:42:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:

My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

You have one good bulb and 11 dead ones. There has to be a
transformer somewhere in there. They are not running 120volts to
those bulbs. If you can find replacement bulbs, you are in good
shape, the transformer may be weak, causing dim lights.

Yes, I'm quite sure that it's nowhere near 110 at the sockets. My guess
is that (a) it was once 2.5 vdc and is now somewhat weaker or (b) it was
originally 1.0-1.5 vdc for a softer light.

I know you want to make the house authentic, but I still say that for
cost and safety reasons, get a string of LED christmas lights (which
do come in sets of 12), and fit them in so you dont see the actual
bulb. Make a little shade around them out of a paper or plastic (LEDs
do not get hot). This will save lots of cash, time, and be much
safer.

You could even use the existing wires, use a 6volt DC wall wart
transformer and solder in LEDs (with resistor) to each socket, and
never have to replace bulbs or worry about safety.

For now, I'll probably replace the bulbs and see how much works. Later,
I may consider replacing the transformer with a battery pack and use
LEDs with an E10 base.

On Dec 20, 3:42*pm, Jennifer Murphy wrote:
My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

Start by finding out the voltage requirements of the bulbs, then see
if your power supply is working properly putting out the right voltage
for the bulbs. Replace all the bulbs while you at it, sounds like more
are bad than good. This will make further troubleshooting easier and
may solve all your problems to start with.

Jimmie

On Dec 21, 6:16*am, JIMMIE wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:42*pm, Jennifer Murphy wrote:









My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

Start by finding out the voltage requirements of the bulbs, then see
if your power supply is working properly putting out the right voltage
for the bulbs. Replace all the bulbs while you at it, sounds like more
are bad than good. This will make further troubleshooting easier and
may solve all your problems to start with.

Jimmie

Continuing on, I bought an old doll house several years ago and it had
problems with lighting too. After replacing the bulbs I found that
several of the switches were bad. The one house is the limit of my
experience and my local hobby store owner was the source of all my
info. Oh yeah a little contact cleaner in the light sockets helps
too. I use DeOXit. I recommend using this on all the bulbs and
switches.

Jimmie

Jennifer,

Get a lightbulb that fits into the socket. Wrap it in cloth and whack it
gently with a hammer. You want to break the glass. Once you've done that cut
the filament. Now you can measure the voltage on each filament wire.

Dave M.

I've had those size bulbs in my hands, years ago. Your suggestion is
sincere, but I really doubt that it's practical. The inside wires are too
small, too close together. And the bulb inside the doll house is going to be
in an odd direction.

That ranks up there like breaking a popsickle stick or tongue depressor with
enough wood left connecting the two halves. We did that (unsucsessfully) for
a cub scout project.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Dave M." wrote in message
...
Jennifer,

Get a lightbulb that fits into the socket. Wrap it in cloth and whack it
gently with a hammer. You want to break the glass. Once you've done that cut
the filament. Now you can measure the voltage on each filament wire.

Dave M.

"Jennifer Murphy" wrote in message
...
I don't recall anyone saying not to buy an autoranging meter. One or two
said not to buy any meter at all, but it seemed like they were just
jerking me around.

TURN OFF THE AUTORANGING.

If the autoranging can be turned off, then why is it such a big deal not
to buy an autoranging meter?

Dig around in the manual and look for range hold or range lock or
something similar. Set it to the 20V range (maybe 40V depending on the
meter) and leave it there while measuring voltage. You'll have to lock
it again if you change modes.

I don't see any way to turn it off. It does have a battery test mode
with settings for 1.5, 6, 9, and 12 volts. Can I use that?

This is the meter:

http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3320-Aut...ecc_rvi_cart_2


There is nothing wrong with an auto ranging meter for general testing. It
is often the perferred type of meter. I use them almost every day.
Everything from low voltage stuff to 480 volt 3 phase. I have used meters
every where from the least expensive kind to $ 300 and up meters, even test
equipment costing $ 5000 or more. For general around the house testing what
you have is fine.

I would not use the battery ranges for anything but the batteries. It
should slightly load down the batteries so you get a beter check of them.

For the bulbs, all you need to know is if the resistance is very low ( say
less than 100 ohms) or very high (really an open). You seem to have some
new bulbs on the way. YOu may want to check them before putting them in.
Not likely, but there could be some bad ones in the package. I was trouble
shooting some equipment at work and thought I had it repaired. Still blew a
new fuse. To make the long story short, a new box had half the fuses bad as
I started checking them before I installed them. This is not the only time
this as hapened. I had repaired the equipment the first time, but the new ,
bad, fuses caused me to spend a lot of wasted time.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500, micky
wrote:


OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. At least some of them.

Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...ders/_/N-5g6p/ and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ture+lamp&sr=1

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:30:41 -0500, wrote:


Are we having fun yet?
First thing we need to know is what the voltage is at the secondary
of the transformer (which WILL be AC) and if there is anything between
the transformer and the switches (like a rectifier). It is UNLIKELY
there is a rectifier because there is no advantage to using DC on the
bulbs. The #14 bulb is rated at 15 hours at 2.5 volts, and if the
voltage is only 1.5 volts the lights will be dimmer (but the light is
only for "realism" so it does not need to be full brightness)

Dim light is okay if they are dancing or watching tv, but if they are
doing homework or reading, a brighter light is much better.

and the
lifespan will be in the hundreds of hours.. This was commonly done in
doll houses and scenery for train sets etc.

On 12/21/2011 12:04 PM, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500,
wrote:


OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. At least some of them.

Michaels probably carried some basic miniature lighting gear, but there
are loads of online sources with all manner of transformers, wiring,
sockets, fixtures, etc. Don't need to be an electrician to install it.

If it was doable, refurbishing an old dollhouse, I would update it with
more modern trans. and wiring...for safety as well as aethetic.
Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...ders/_/N-5g6p/ and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ture+lamp&sr=1

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

http://oldradios.co.nz/data/index7.htm



"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I've had those size bulbs in my hands, years ago. Your suggestion is
sincere, but I really doubt that it's practical. The inside wires are too
small, too close together. And the bulb inside the doll house is going to
be
in an odd direction.

That ranks up there like breaking a popsickle stick or tongue depressor
with
enough wood left connecting the two halves. We did that (unsucsessfully)
for
a cub scout project.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"Dave M." wrote in message
...
Jennifer,

Get a lightbulb that fits into the socket. Wrap it in cloth and whack it
gently with a hammer. You want to break the glass. Once you've done that
cut
the filament. Now you can measure the voltage on each filament wire.

Dave M.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:17:03 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

On 12/21/2011 12:04 PM, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500,
wrote:


OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. At least some of them.

Michaels probably carried some basic miniature lighting gear, but there
are loads of online sources with all manner of transformers, wiring,
sockets, fixtures, etc. Don't need to be an electrician to install it.

If it was doable, refurbishing an old dollhouse, I would update it with
more modern trans. and wiring...for safety as well as aethetic.

What is the safety issue? The little bulbs don't get very hot.

I have radios going back to the 1930's and their transformers, cords,
and internal wiring are in excellent shape. The only thing that
wears out is the capacitors, which a doll house won't have.

Aesthetic is a matter of taste, of coures, but I would like to keep it
original, and also no one I know uses LEDs for lighting.

Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...ders/_/N-5g6p/ and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ture+lamp&sr=1

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:08:18 -0600, wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500, micky
wrote:

Now dangerous are 6 or 12 volts light bulbs, or the wires supplying
them? You can't even feel the current with your hands, only if you
put the leads on your tongue. (OTOH, 110 volts on your tongue are
very very bad.)

It aint the 6 or 12 volts that's dangerous, it's the 120v line coming
into the doll house,

Absolutely. That's why it will be no safer with LEDs, which will
still require a transformer.

which is probably an old frayed cord

"Probably", you say. Yes, it may or may not be deteriorated.
That'swhy I suggested she look at it. We don't even know how old
this is, maybe decades younger than the radios and appliances I have
from the 30's that still have good cords.

without
ground.

A ground!!! Do you use a ground for your other lamps? Tensor
lamps and those made just last year with a transformer in the base
don't have grounds, and they are still UL approved. Or you think a
ground is needed for a transformer that is encased in wood and she
can't even reach without taking apart some of the house?

But you probably wont understand any of this..... you likely
sufferred brain damage as a child when you stuck better knives into
all the outlets in your home.

Everyone is being nice here but you can't manage that. What's wrong
with you? Have you been diagnosed yet?

On Dec 21, 5:01*am, Jennifer Murphy wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:33:27 -0600, wrote:
On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:42:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:

My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

You have one good bulb and 11 dead ones. *There has to be a
transformer somewhere in there. *They are not running 120volts to
those bulbs. *If you can find replacement bulbs, you are in good
shape, the transformer may be weak, causing dim lights.

Yes, I'm quite sure that it's nowhere near 110 at the sockets. My guess
is that (a) it was once 2.5 vdc and is now somewhat weaker or (b) it was
originally 1.0-1.5 vdc for a softer light.

I know you want to make the house authentic, but I still say that for
cost and safety reasons, get a string of LED christmas lights (which
do come in sets of 12), and fit them in so you dont see the actual
bulb. *Make a little shade around them out of a paper or plastic (LEDs
do not get hot). *This will save lots of cash, time, and be much
safer.

You could even use the existing wires, use a 6volt DC wall wart
transformer and solder in LEDs (with resistor) to each socket, and
never have to replace bulbs or worry about safety.

For now, I'll probably replace the bulbs and see how much works. Later,
I may consider replacing the transformer with a battery pack and use
LEDs with an E10 base.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Jennifer - The output of a transformer is AC, not DC. Considering the
age of the dollhouse as evidenced by the cloth power cord, it is very
unlikely that the output of whatever transformer was used is converted
to DC using a rectifier. So, work on the assumption that everything is
AC. IF you can find someone who is reasonably knowledgeable, there
are ways to test if the voltage is AC or DC, but with your situation,
I'd just go with the AC.

On 12/21/2011 3:33 AM, micky wrote:
On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:43:06 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/20/2011 3:24 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:56 pm, bob wrote:
On Dec 20, 3:42 pm, Jennifer wrote:





My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

if its so old convert everything using commonly available bulbs and a
transformer with enough current to handle everything.

you could also jazz it up a bit with small speakers playing music or
people talking. visit a local hobby shop to get ideas.

old stuff often wqasnt built for safety thats why i suggest a general
upgrade- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

As part of the upgrade you should make it Energy Star compliant by
using CCCCFL bulbs. ;-)

Where can you get teeny tiny CFL bulbs? o_O

From Keebler Light Products. They are made by elves.


Hey, The Keebler Elves aren't that small, it would have to be CFL
fairies. Oh darn! I think we have a number of those working for
our government. o_O

TDD

On Dec 21, 12:29*pm, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:17:03 -0500, Norminn
wrote:





On 12/21/2011 12:04 PM, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500,
wrote:

OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. * At least some of them.

Michaels probably carried some basic miniature lighting gear, but there
are loads of online sources with all manner of transformers, wiring,
sockets, fixtures, etc. *Don't need to be an electrician to install it..

If it was doable, refurbishing an old dollhouse, I would update it with
more modern trans. and wiring...for safety as well as aethetic.

What is the safety issue? * The little bulbs don't get very hot.

I have radios going back to the 1930's and their transformers, cords,
and internal wiring are in excellent shape. * The only thing that
wears out is the capacitors, which a doll house won't have.

Aesthetic is a matter of taste, of coures, but I would like to keep it
original, and also no one I know uses LEDs for lighting.



Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic.../_/N-5g6p/*and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ature%20la...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

most older radios have NON POLARIZED PLUGS and hot chassis. along with
no ground

a real hazard......

these sort of issues are why a wiring upgrade may be a good idea

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:29:02 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:02:00 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:


That sounds right. Infinite resistance means the filament is broken and the
bulb is dead. You should be able to confirm that with a magnifying glass.
If they were run at double their rating, the filament damage should be very
obvious and might include blackening of the bulb's interior.

The filaments all look OK. A couple are somewhat blackened.

I like to flick the bulb with my finger. Often a filament is broken
but the gap is so small, I can't tell until I do that, but after that,
the filament vibrates for a couple seconds. If it vibrates, it's
broken.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

You may also be experiencing problems with dirty switch contacts and dirty
or corroded bulb sockets. The center button connector of the socket should
be nice and shiny in each socket. I bet they're not.

The switches are definitely at least a little suspect. They are the
push-button type. They are a little loose in the housing and if I jiggle
them, the lights flicker. I can't see into the sockets, but the house

That makes it much harder, but if you measure the voltage anywhere,
and bought bulbs that will work with that voltage, the burnt out bulbs
are probably the only problem with most sockets.


has been stored in garages on the east coast (humid) for many years. I
might go get a mirror on a stick and see if I can see into the sockets.
But if they are corroded, there ma not be much I ca do without taking
the while thing apart, which is too much for this Christmas.

Do you have a pencil with an eraser or the top, or a ball point pen
with an ink eraser on the top? These are probably too big, right? but
you can use a knife to make the eraser part smaller Cut from the end
down, instead of the side in.

E10 bulbs (10mm) Pencil eraser is 7mm. No problem. Or better yet, go
to a drafting supply store and buy one rubber refill for a power
eraser. I think they are 1/4" ( very close to 7mm) and are a couple of
inches long. You want the pink or white, not the gum.

But don't do anything until your correct bulbs don't work. I live on
the east coast too, NYC and Baltimore and haven't had trouble with
socket corrosion.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

I don't think you have to do a complete rewire - if it were 110VAC passing
through those wires you would have seen the bulb go supernova and possibly
pop. There's got to be a transformer somewhere.

Yes, I'm quite certain that it's not 110 and probably not AC.

That would mean batteries.

OTOH is the house plugged into the wall?

By getting the bulb to
light in several sockets you've conclusively proved they can not be wired in
series (in a chain like old Christmas lights where if one bulb went dead,
they all died). That's important to know.

Yep, I was glad to discover that.

Trace where the AC wires comes into the dollhouse and find the transformer
(apologies if you've already done this - I just started reading this
thread.). If it's well wired to the cord and the cord's in good shape, I
wouldn't rewire the unit. Switches can often be "decrudded" by operating
them a few dozen times to scrape off the oxidation.

The AC cord is one of those really old fabric-covered types.

So it IS plugged into the wall. In that case t here is probably a
transformer, not at the wall (that's a new idea) but attached to the
house or maybe in a little corner of the house, right where the wire
goes into the house. If the house is older than 1955? or so, I'd be
very surprised if there was anything to turn the AC to DC. (Even if
it's much newer) So why did you say abve that it's probalby not AC?

The place
where it goes into the base of the house is just a hole in the wood with
no fitting or stress relief. There is no obvious wear that I can see,
but it all seems a little unsafe to me.

I think the next step is to clean the sockets, cycle the switches, install
the replacement bulbs and take it from there.

I managed to get under the house. The whole bottom is covered and glued
shut. I'm starting to think that this wasn't that well made. I'm tempted
to cut the cord and go without lights for now.

Don't do that. Just unplug it. You'll have new ideas as the winter
goes on, and time to work on it, but if you cut the cord, you'll
probably never fix it.

I have an electric heater from 1947 with a cloth covered cord that is
in perfect condition. So is the heater itself. My mother bought it
to warm the bathroom when I was new-born. OTOH, I have seen old wire
whose insultation is crumbliing. You may want to cut off that part
that is crumbling, if any, but leave as much as possible so you don't
have to break into the house to add more cord if the cord at the hole
is good.

If the little girl really
gets into it (right now she's more into Buzz Lightyear), I'll consider
taking it apart and installing LEDs and a battery pack

Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful and patient help.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:45:53 -0800, Jennifer Murphy
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:55:07 -0800, mike wrote:

Jennifer Murphy wrote:
My multimeter arrived today. I cannot get to the wiring underneath the
dollhouse because there is paint and glue drying. ;-)

I tried to get a voltage reading at the light sockets inside the doll
house. I could not get a consistent reading. The space is very cramped
and the sockets very small (3/8"). I seemed to get a better reading on
DC than AC. The DC readings jumped all over the place, but it looked
like between 0.9 and 1.1 v. The AC readings jumped around even more. The
most consistent reading was 6v at one socket.

Is there a way using this meter to tell if the current is AC or DC?

Next, I did a continuity test of the bulbs themselves. Of the 12 bulbs I
removed from the house, only one passed the continuity test.

I then tried a resistance test on the bulbs. The one that passed the
continuity test showed 11 ohms of resistence. The rest showed infinite
resistance.

I then took the good bulb and tried it in several sockets. After
fiddling with the button switches, I was able to get it to light in
several sockets. It was very dim.

When everything dries, I will try to get under the house and see if I
can get better readings.

Any comments or suggestions?

First problem is that you ignored advice and bought an autoranging meter.

I don't recall anyone saying not to buy an autoranging meter. One or two
said not to buy any meter at all, but it seemed like they were just
jerking me around.

TURN OFF THE AUTORANGING.

If the autoranging can be turned off, then why is it such a big deal not
to buy an autoranging meter?

Dig around in the manual and look for range hold or range lock or
something similar. Set it to the 20V range (maybe 40V depending on the
meter) and leave it there while measuring voltage. You'll have to lock
it again if you change modes.

I don't see any way to turn it off. It does have a battery test mode
with settings for 1.5, 6, 9, and 12 volts. Can I use that?

This is the meter:

http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3320-Aut...ecc_rvi_cart_2

Definitely would not have been my first choice, as it is ONLY an
auto-ranging meter - but the flip side is you cannot inadvertently
connect it to a high voltage with it set to low and damage something.

You COULD always smash one of the dead bulbs, and connect the leads to
both filament supports to measure the voltage. You DO need to be
carefull installing and removing the "bulb" though - - - .

You've given few details, but some assumptions can be made.
There are always exceptions, but usually...

Where does the power come from?
If it's a battery, it's DC.
If it's a transformer, it's AC.

In another thread, I explained that there is a 110 AC cord going into
the base of the doll house. There's a sealed compartment underneath that
I assume houses a transformer of some kind.

How are they connected?
If you can get one light to work in a socket, it's parallel.

Yes. I didn't know that when I posted before.

2.5 vac 0.3a #14 flashlight bulbs x 12 = 3.6 amps.

11 ohms cold seems about 5x too high for that bulb. You sure you've
got #14 bulbs?

I have no idea what bulbs I have. The marking are illegible. I have a
bunch of #14s on order. I'll see what they do.

Short the meter leads and measure resistance of the leads. It's never
zero and sometimes a lot more if the probes are defective or just cheap
or connections are corroded. Subtract that number from your bulb
measurement.

With the meter set to ohms, the readong says "0.L" and the units says "M
ohms". If I short the leads, the display jumps around a bit and then
settles down at between 0.0 and 0.6 ohms. It's closer to zero if I short
at the tips and slightly higher if I short nearer the base.

The meter is brand new, so corrosion should not be a problem.

#14 MINIATURE BULB E10 BASE - 2.47 Volt 0.30 Amp Miniature Screw (E10)
Base 0.50 MSCP, C-2R Filament Design, 15 Average Rated Hours, 0.94"
Maximum Overall Length #14 Miniature Bulb

NOTE that it's rated for 15 hours average life. Might wanna change
to a different bulb. Then you'll need a different transformer, but
12V bulbs on a 12V surplus laptop power supply works well. Cheap
non-regulated wall warts have small transformers and have serious
regulation problems as noted below.

15 hours? What possible use would there be for such a bulb?

If it's a battery, it won't last long. If it's AC, the transformer
should be as big as your fist. If it's much smaller, it's gonna have
a lot of secondary impedance.

I can't get at the actual transformer without taking the doll house
apart, which I don't want to do right now. However, the housing where I
think the transformer is placed is about 6" x 6" x 1".

What that means is that it's sized
for max load. Designed properly, the lamps will work fine. Problem
is that one burns out reducing the load and the voltage goes up increasing
the stress on the others.

Are you confusing load and voltage?

It's been almost 40 years since college physics, but my recollection is
that the voltage drop across each branch of a parallel circuit is the
same. So, from E=IR, the load (amperage) is the inverse of the
resistance. No?

Like dominoes, they start failing at
an increasing rate. That's why you've got one left that works.

If they fail at an increasing rate, the odds of having just one left
working would be small, no? Once all of the others are done, the last
one would go very quickly.

There's another more subtle problem. About 70 years ago, the line
voltage increased from 110 to 120V. The life of a bulb goes down
MUCH faster than the voltage goes up. That can be a problem
for a bulb with a design life (at proper voltage) of 15 hours.

Your problem is likely bad connections in the circuit.
This can be corroded connections at the socket or corrosion
inside the socket where the lamp contacts it or corrosion on the
bulb itself.

I can't get to most of that to check. The bulbs look clean.

Sometimes, people just twist wires together to
make connections. After 70 years, corrosion causes the connection
to fail. You might measure unloaded voltage at the end of the lamp
string, but a bulb won't light in that socket.

You should have two wires leaving whatever powers it running together
in parallel throughout the house with each bulb tapped into the pair.
If you can tell where the wire runs, you should be able to tell, from
which sockets work and which don't, where the break is.

You can measure the resistance of the wiring, but it's
sensitive to contact corrosion at the probe point and it's easy to infer
a break where none exists.
Remember to short the probes in ohms mode and lock the range
so you won't see all the autoranging artifacts.

If you put the lamp in the far end of the wire, you can
measure the voltage at each socket. But if access is limited
you risk shorting the connection and smoking something.

From the symptoms, I'd guess that you have corroded connections AND the
wrong bulb type.

What's the voltage at the supply end of the circuit with the one-good
bulb burning?

Are we having fun yet?

Actually, yes. :-)

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:08:18 -0600, wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500, micky
wrote:

Now dangerous are 6 or 12 volts light bulbs, or the wires supplying
them? You can't even feel the current with your hands, only if you
put the leads on your tongue. (OTOH, 110 volts on your tongue are
very very bad.)

It aint the 6 or 12 volts that's dangerous, it's the 120v line coming
into the doll house, which is probably an old frayed cord without
ground. But you probably wont understand any of this..... you likely
sufferred brain damage as a child when you stuck better knives into
all the outlets in your home.
The OP said it was a closth wrapped cord - so it will be rubber
insulated under the cloth - and it appeared to be in good shape.

You need to flex those old ords and listen for "rusling" ir sounds
like moving something in sand. If you hear that, DON"T PLUG IT IN. If
it is quiet and flexible it SHOULD be OK. It LIKELY has a knot tied in
it inside the base of the house as a strain relief (was common
practice in the fifties / sixties)

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:06:59 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:30:41 -0500, wrote:


Are we having fun yet?
First thing we need to know is what the voltage is at the secondary
of the transformer (which WILL be AC) and if there is anything between
the transformer and the switches (like a rectifier). It is UNLIKELY
there is a rectifier because there is no advantage to using DC on the
bulbs. The #14 bulb is rated at 15 hours at 2.5 volts, and if the
voltage is only 1.5 volts the lights will be dimmer (but the light is
only for "realism" so it does not need to be full brightness)

Dim light is okay if they are dancing or watching tv, but if they are
doing homework or reading, a brighter light is much better.


The dolls????
and the
lifespan will be in the hundreds of hours.. This was commonly done in
doll houses and scenery for train sets etc.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:29:45 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:17:03 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

On 12/21/2011 12:04 PM, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500,
wrote:


OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. At least some of them.

Michaels probably carried some basic miniature lighting gear, but there
are loads of online sources with all manner of transformers, wiring,
sockets, fixtures, etc. Don't need to be an electrician to install it.

If it was doable, refurbishing an old dollhouse, I would update it with
more modern trans. and wiring...for safety as well as aethetic.

What is the safety issue? The little bulbs don't get very hot.

I have radios going back to the 1930's and their transformers, cords,
and internal wiring are in excellent shape. The only thing that
wears out is the capacitors, which a doll house won't have.

Aesthetic is a matter of taste, of coures, but I would like to keep it
original, and also no one I know uses LEDs for lighting.


Well, you don't know me, but I just installed 7 9 watt CREE LED
replacement lamps in my office track-lights - 110 volt GU10 base
"reflector floods" The 9 watt units are brighter than the 50 watt
Halogens they replaced.

I'm looking at replacing ALL of the crappy CFL bulbs with LEDs in the
house in the near future

Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...ders/_/N-5g6p/ and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ture+lamp&sr=1

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:44:32 -0800 (PST), bob haller
wrote:

On Dec 21, 12:29Â*pm, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:17:03 -0500, Norminn
wrote:





On 12/21/2011 12:04 PM, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500,
wrote:

OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. Â* At least some of them.

Michaels probably carried some basic miniature lighting gear, but there
are loads of online sources with all manner of transformers, wiring,
sockets, fixtures, etc. Â*Don't need to be an electrician to install it.

If it was doable, refurbishing an old dollhouse, I would update it with
more modern trans. and wiring...for safety as well as aethetic.

What is the safety issue? Â* The little bulbs don't get very hot.

I have radios going back to the 1930's and their transformers, cords,
and internal wiring are in excellent shape. Â* The only thing that
wears out is the capacitors, which a doll house won't have.

Aesthetic is a matter of taste, of coures, but I would like to keep it
original, and also no one I know uses LEDs for lighting.



Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic..._/N-5g6p/Â*and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ature%20la...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

most older radios have NON POLARIZED PLUGS and hot chassis. along with
no ground

a real hazard......

these sort of issues are why a wiring upgrade may be a good idea
MOST older radios with cloth cords were NOT hot chassis units. They
had power transformers. Series string fillament radios (All American
Five) had hot chassis, but virtually none of them had cloth covered
cords, and the later ones DID have polarized plugs.

What we are dealing with here is NOT a metal chassis, and it is NOT a
unit that requires polarization or a ground.

I've broken those bulbs when I was a kid. I'd much rather just read the
socket. The sockets are inside the doll house, and not easy to get at the
sockets. Your idea needs more thought.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

wrote in message
...


You COULD always smash one of the dead bulbs, and connect the leads to
both filament supports to measure the voltage. You DO need to be
carefull installing and removing the "bulb" though - - - .

Well, you KNOW, the DOLL house might be a HOT CHASSIS, and might be
UNPOLARIZED plug. Never KNOW. We could ask the OP, though SHE might NOT be
sure how TO check.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

wrote in message
...

What we are dealing with here is NOT a metal chassis, and it is NOT a
unit that requires polarization or a ground.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:23:32 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

Well, you KNOW, the DOLL house might be a HOT CHASSIS,

I'll bet 10,000 dollars that thks doll house has no chassis at all,
let alone a hot one. Shake?

and might be
UNPOLARIZED plug. Never KNOW. We could ask the OP, though SHE might NOT be
sure how TO check.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:35:48 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:29:45 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:17:03 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

On 12/21/2011 12:04 PM, micky wrote:
On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:10:47 -0500,
wrote:


OP, go to a toy store or doll house forum and ask about replacement
bulbs.

Craft stores might be even better than toy stores learning about
building and refurbishing doll houses. At least some of them.

Michaels probably carried some basic miniature lighting gear, but there
are loads of online sources with all manner of transformers, wiring,
sockets, fixtures, etc. Don't need to be an electrician to install it.

If it was doable, refurbishing an old dollhouse, I would update it with
more modern trans. and wiring...for safety as well as aethetic.

What is the safety issue? The little bulbs don't get very hot.

I have radios going back to the 1930's and their transformers, cords,
and internal wiring are in excellent shape. The only thing that
wears out is the capacitors, which a doll house won't have.

Aesthetic is a matter of taste, of coures, but I would like to keep it
original, and also no one I know uses LEDs for lighting.


Well, you don't know me,

Not very well, but you still count. So I know one person who does.

but I just installed 7 9 watt CREE LED
replacement lamps in my office track-lights - 110 volt GU10 base
"reflector floods" The 9 watt units are brighter than the 50 watt
Halogens they replaced.

I'm looking at replacing ALL of the crappy CFL bulbs with LEDs in the
house in the near future

Aren't they still expensive?

Also look he
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...ders/_/N-5g6p/ and the
links there.
http://www.mouser.com/Optoelectronic...amps/_/N-5g6r/
has a way to search by base, size, etc.

I don't think any of these are small enough
http://www.radioshack.com/search/ind...ture+lamp&sr=1

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:32:08 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:06:59 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:30:41 -0500, wrote:


Are we having fun yet?
First thing we need to know is what the voltage is at the secondary
of the transformer (which WILL be AC) and if there is anything between
the transformer and the switches (like a rectifier). It is UNLIKELY
there is a rectifier because there is no advantage to using DC on the
bulbs. The #14 bulb is rated at 15 hours at 2.5 volts, and if the
voltage is only 1.5 volts the lights will be dimmer (but the light is
only for "realism" so it does not need to be full brightness)

Dim light is okay if they are dancing or watching tv, but if they are
doing homework or reading, a brighter light is much better.


The dolls????

Yes. After little girls go to bed, the dolls have lives of their own.

and the
lifespan will be in the hundreds of hours.. This was commonly done in
doll houses and scenery for train sets etc.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:21:02 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

I've broken those bulbs when I was a kid. I'd much rather just read the
socket. The sockets are inside the doll house, and not easy to get at the
sockets. Your idea needs more thought.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

wrote in message
.. .


You COULD always smash one of the dead bulbs, and connect the leads to
both filament supports to measure the voltage. You DO need to be
carefull installing and removing the "bulb" though - - - .

remember I said "You COULD" and "You DO need to be carefull " - - -
-

On Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:23:32 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

Well, you KNOW, the DOLL house might be a HOT CHASSIS, and might be
UNPOLARIZED plug. Never KNOW. We could ask the OP, though SHE might NOT be
sure how TO check.
Its wooden, so it is NOT a "hot chassis"