Antique Radium Flashlight help, need info.

[ma_sha1]

Bought this little Antique flashlight from ebay,
It's focusable & fit 2C. Has Radium Light Co. written on tail cap.

Can't find any info, not even on flashlight museum,

Anyone know anything about Radium brand flashlight?

It can focus to a tight spot & is pretty bright for it's era, probably 1930's or 40's?

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[Backpacker Light]

Very cool looking light- I have not seen that one yet.

To start with, it may not be a flashlight company at all. It's possible that it is a giveaway advertising item (just as they still do now), imprinting their own company name on the endcap. For example, could it have been a small lamp company, or a electrical parts company, etc. ??

I purchased a 1930s-1940s era light (from a small antique store in a village just south of Buffalo, NY) that had imprinted on the endcap-

"THE BUFFALO EXPRESS - All You Need To Read"

Apparently this advertising light was given out as a prize to the newsboy who increased weekly newspaper subscriptions the most (as a reward and to help light his way on his dark early morning deliveries?)

 

[Backpacker Light]

I also researched a little further. I have a couple flashlight collecting books that I paged through, but unfortunately could not find a reference for a "Radium Light Co." flashlight.

"Collectors Digest-Flashlights"
L-W Book Sales
PO Box 69
Gas City, IN 46933
1-800-777-6450
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895380331/?tag=cpf0b6-20
This book was printed 1995, so I'm not sure if it is still in print, or if the above is still current.


Also, a book from the very knowledgeable Stuart Schneider
"Collecting Flashlights-with value guide"
http://www.wordcraft.net/books3.html

and a great resource, his museum page, this one showing the recent "Flaslight Collector's Conventions", and a link to their newsletter.
http://www.wordcraft.net/flashlight7.html

A absolutely great group of people- all who love flashlights!!

 

[ma_sha1]

Thanks, Guys.

I found Stuart Schneider & emailed him. He was nice enough to reply,
but he hasn't heard of this either.

I have decided to upgrade this litttle guy, make it as bright as possible
while keeping the original focusable head & reflector.
The bulb is E10 screw in type, 0.75W (2.5V 300MA), only ~ 6 Lumens.
In the US, the Max I can get is 0.5A, 1.25W bulb under 3V.

Did some google search, the best I could find is a 0.85A 2.8V Halogen E10 bulb,
had to order it from UK. It's 2.5W, 35 Lumens. Hope to make this little guy usable.

 

[lctorana]

The pity about halogen MES/E10 bulbs is the shape - straight sided with an exhaust tip at the top of the globe. Decidedly non-authentic looking.

What I have done with my just-acquired 1929 US Navy 2D torch is to use 6 AA NiCads in 2 cheap plastic battery carriers, powering...

...a 6V 3W (or 0.5A) automobile dashboard lamp.

Bright, but is the right shape, and looks totally authentic.

(I used 10 NiCads to power a 12V 3W one in my 1916 box lantern to good effect the other day, too)

 

[ma_sha1]

Very nice lanterns you have there!

Where do get the 6v 0.5A E10 bulb? I need bulb with <13mm max diameter,
Otherwise I could have gotten round 2.5V bulbs with up to 1.25A (15mmx39mm E10).

I am doing my research right now, this one is 2C, If I don't like the halogen bulbs or it isn't bright enough, I may try to kick up another notch & do a 10W GH44 + 3x123 Mod. I can probably do 6xAAA also. I'll have to figure out
which way is best bang for the buck. That'll turn this little guy into a
300 Lumen Q5 beater. I'll keep the original bulb so that's reversable mod.

 

[lctorana]

Where do get the 6v 0.5A E10 bulb?

Electronics shops. Maybe auto parts shops. Don't know anything about shops in the USA.

 

[ma_sha1]

I found the identical light from flashlight museum,
made by Eveready. So, this looks like an OEM light
made for Radium light co. in 1936.

http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/Eve...Brass-Baby-Button-Focusing-Spot-Light-2C-1936

 

[thunderlight]

Hi Ma_sha1,

A while back my local Phoenix, AZ REI had a sale / closeout on 2 cell thread based halogen bulbs that were originally intended for Petzl headlamps. These worked quite well in the old flashlights. The old flashlights I put them in had metal reflectors and glass lenses. They did not work well in the focusing octagon head flashlights, because the length of the glass bulb would touch the lens when you attempted to set the focus appropriately. Since your flashlight looks like a fixed focus octagon head, this would not be an issue.

 

[ma_sha1]

Re: Antique Radium Flashlight help, need info....Face lifted with GH44

Just upgraded with 6V GH44 bulb, rated at 201 Lumen.
It's running on 2x 123a Lion +1 dummy 123a cell. (Getting more 123a to try the 9V set-up soon). The bulb is frosted, so the light pattern is very even. Large smooth hot spot with lot's of spill. I can actually use this little guy now. But the way, response to the post above, this little guy do have Focus function, one of the very few focus flashlight from the 30s.

Close-up of the frosted GH44 Bulb.
The little light is as short as a coke can but made up of metal completely,
including the bulb holder, It handles the heat from this 10W halogen bulb no problem.