Old PR bulbs found

[Sgt. LED]

I was fishing for batteries at my grandparents house and found 3 old bulbs. They passed away a few years ago but we have all the holiday get togethers at their house, it's a way to remember them.

Anyway, here they are:
PR13 in package - Eveready on the package front, Union Carbide on the back, and Philips on the bulb! No other info but I know it's a 6 volt lantern bulb. This I can use

PR18 loose - 7.2V .55A No other markings at all. Don't know if I can use it in anything.

PR20 loose - Just says KOREA on it. This one has some funky glass! It looks like a knurling was pressed into it while it was still hot. Not the whole envelope was done this way, just on the stright wall of it before it starts to curve towards the tip. Doubt I can use it but it's a first for me.

So you guys ever dig up any older bulbs and hunt for ways to use them?

 

[Mr Happy]

This one has some funky glass! It looks like a knurling was pressed into it while it was still hot. Not the whole envelope was done this way, just on the stright wall of it before it starts to curve towards the tip.

I remember bulbs like that from my childhood. I presume it was a way to smooth out artifacts from the beam.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I have a small collection of old bulbs. I have one bulb that is a globe type standard screw in for lights that the globe is ALL glass and the filament must be almost in the base as it magnifies it and have 1 cell penlight bulbs and other odd voltage/current ones. The typical bulb is about 1.2v per cell rated so the 7.2v one is for a 6 cell light which probably is an older lantern type I have an old fluorescent 6watt lantern that has an incan reflector light and two blinker lights red and orange that uses 6D cells. I used it a lot when I was a kid it ran for a long time off 6D batteries using the 6watt tube.

 

[Sgt. LED]

Thank you for the info. The PR18 is now in a Mag 6D!

I had the 6D just for the heck of it and since I've had it it's never had a bulb in it. I don't plan on really using it but now I can if need be.
:D

Now to find a use for the PR20...........................

 

[Lynx_Arc]

the PR20 is an 8.63v 0.5A bulb for 7 cells, you could try running if off 6 alkalines but it would dim fast.

 

[thunderlight]

Purchased a USALite with a patent date of 1918 on the switch. Removed the screw base bulb. The bulb was still working, but the glass had darkened. Below the glass bulb and above the actual threads, the words "MAZDA" repeated 3 times. I would guess that the bulb is reasonably old, presumably not original. In any case, this bulb is a keeper.

 

[M@elstrom]

Thank you for the info. The PR18 is now in a Mag 6D!

These are what I use in my 6D Mag-clone too!... there's an old local General Store I frequent occasionally and they've still got an old cardboard sheet of PR bulb replacements (this is my source) :D

FWIW I still see this type of bulb display every now and then in the older more remote Service (gas/fuel) Stations ;)

 

[ericjohn]

PR18 is for 6; 1.5 Volt (D) Cells.

PR20 is for 7; 1.5 Volt (D) Cells.

PR13 is for 6 Volt (908) Lantern Batteries (The type that are usually packed with the so called "floating" lanterns you can buy at almost any store.

They might be compatible with the 6 Volt double batteries (918A) (These are the "screw top" lanterns and they take PR13 and also PR15 bulbs.)

Hope I have been helpful.

You can also use PR13 in any flashlight requiring 4; 1.5 Volt (D) Cells.

 

[broadgage]

I have a fair stock of old PR and miniature screw base flashlight bulbs.
Until recently I used to stockpile the older lower current types for use in any long term emergency or disaster in order to obtain longer run times, less relevant now of course with the availability of LED bulbs.

Decades ago, when Zinc carbon batteries were the norm, flashlights used much smaller currents.
0.15A and 0.25/0.3A were common, with 0.5A often considered to be only suitable for F cells or parraleled D cells.
Today 0.5A seems to be the smallest commonplace current, with 0.7/0.8A being the norm.