Tungsten tubelight/ropelight construction. (long and rambly)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2024
- A look at the construction of the earliest tube light / rope light.
This video was originally going to be short, but ended up going off on a huge tangent because I realised that the Glasgow George Square Xmas lights I worked with for over 20 years were the FIRST xmas lights to use tubelight! I knew they had caused a sensation when they were first unveiled and inspired a lot of other cities around the world, but I didn't realise they were pretty much the prototypes for the future construction of Xmas lighting frames.
It also made me realise how unique and complicated the original George Square Xmas light "spectacular" was, and how it evolved over time electrically. All just stuff I took for granted because it was just "one of my jobs". This year (2016) the original lights were replaced by standard flat, white, unanimated LED frames. It feels strange. Like the end of an era.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
www.bigclive.co...
_"because nothing replaces neon. If you want neon, get neon."_
Amen.
Yes neon is the best for a mains indicator, I like the glow from it. No cap dropper etc, simple.
David neon tube lamps are much more pretty, but really inconvinient to make... especially if you want to be compliant ,)
Why do I feel like Clive would have loved the pre LED Hong Kong. So many awesome neon signs
Long and rambly = good and enjoyable, it is so good to hear how things were done, not by an onlooker, but by someone who has actually done it!
Clive; Please please, more videos of reminiscing about how and what things were done.....!
Thank you.
K Watt.
Long and rambly? Yes please!
Thoroughly enjoyable tech-history lesson - but the thing that really makes it work? His enthusiasm is contagious... :)
Just remember, it was basically the dawn of the industry.
(He says this way too many times in the video)
It is very chill to listen to
Only just found this vid - thought I'd watched everything, but I love the background to how things work and the effort taken to keep them going - can't help but wonder when we might see Clive filling the TV gap left by Fred Dibnah
Big Clive, you make in-depth videos on the most arbitrary crap. They're always interesting and awesome. Thank you. Please never stop.
"Not in Scottish weather, they frickin' well weren't!"
That is the best Christmas gift I could ever ask for. lol
A nice long rambly video is always welcome. Don't take this the wrong way Clive, but your videos are awesome to fall asleep to. Your voice is just so relaxing to listen to.
Big Clive A.K.A. The Hands Of Knowledge
Had a bad experience wiring some DMX controlled lighting for a gym chain. Nothing worked right from the get-go. After hours upon hours of troubleshooting, calls to their "expert" tech support, days of returning to each location and having my employer question my abilities as an electrician - I finally found the issue. Bad solder joints in the cheap chinese DMX cables. It was a pain to troubleshoot because they only sent the exact quantity of cables needed and some fixtures would only work intermittently. The chain's DMX expert kept telling me "it cant be the fixtures or the cables, they're all brand new". After swapping stuff all around and finding the bad cables I unscrewed the ends and being the jack of all electrical trades I am, soldered those suckers up real good. I got to leave the job 100% with my dignity intact. What I learned is that especially when you have 10+ years into a trade, don't listen to someone when they say the problem CANT POSSIBLY be a batch of bad parts. I've opened cases of lamps and ballasts that were all DOA. Manufacturer defects happen more often than not.
jimbohsp even the main players in the uk lighting market send out messed up lights and forcefully deny that they can be defective as they are all brand new and factory inspected (wired up back to front) I see a lot of fittings with made in the UK on them, in the back are ballasts or led power driver modules labelled made in Serbia, China, Poland and Ukraine, the light enclosures are thin sharp aluminium pop riveted or quickly spot welded or even just twisted and crimped with the thinnest white spray paint coating and reflectors are super thin plastic with a quick vacuum deposition silver chrome coated layer, they fall apart out of the shipping box
I think you deserve some royalties from that stock photo ;)
In hindsight, I actually quite like that picture. I'm glad the photographer took it.
bigclivedotcom Maybe just a free copy, minus the watermark then haha. You could try telling them it's you and asking for a copy
I agree.
Just sitting down to watch lots of telly. Then the email came in about this video. Long and rambly yes - but also fascinating and historically extremely interesting. Season's Greetings Clive.
Haven't watched "broadcast" TV for years. We live far to far from "civilisation" to receive terrestrial service, and we can't be bothered to connect via National Broadband, so it's either out (pretty OK) collection of DVDs or whatever's of interest via the Internet - i.e. TH-cam! :P)
I really like to hear some electrician from Scotland ramble about his years in the Christmas light industry. These long videos with ramblings are great and I never get tired of them !
Gotta love memory lane!
I Love Long and Rambly!! As long as it is you, Clive, talking about electrical/electronic subjects!
Or anything else you want to share. Thanks, Clive.
A very interesting story and a great picture of those lights. Thanks for sharing this.
These rambly videos are perfect for getting projects done. Soldered my first 18650 power bank brick from 15 cells with the humble 936 station and it didn't end up in flames. Not yet, we'll see what the cold joints will do in an amp of load.
The ramblings of a mad man. I learn loads from "war stories." Hope you have a pleasant Yule.
CLIVE!!!! I saw your handiwork in the mid 1980's!!!!! I used to work for a certain computer vendor that had a contract at a particular government department who had a large office in what was back then not a not particularly "salubrious" part of the western end of Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. All I'll say about that is whenever we delivered some equipment to the building in question, we needed to ask the ladies that worked the space behind the loading dock to "move along". ANYWAY... I do recall seeing the Christmas decorations up in central Glasgow. Awesome work. Such a memory from 30 years ago.
I had to re-read the 'working ladies' part a couple times. Then it hit me that 'a certain kind of profession' is still illegal and looked down on in large portions of the world.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
Certainly not illegal in the U.K. T&Cs apply, see in store for details.
Do a search on Google News for "george square christmas light", it looks like there has been some major issues as of late! Some of the headlines include:
"Faulty lights leave Glasgow's George Square in the dark"
"More problems with George Square Christmas lights"
"Kevin McKenna's Diary on the eyesore that is George Square at Christmas"
you know, I'm starting to think Glasgow might have had the first ever tube light Christmas lights
It did.
One of your best vids . I'm sure many will agree ! A Great story , told really well . Thanks for putting so much time and effort into your vids through the year . Happy Christmas
Hay Clive Merry Christmas from Canada ... believe it or not .. I have these lights from the ninety's and they are still working. There out side in red white green and blue .. on my garden house. I live in Calgary in Chinook Weather .. meaning it could have two feet of snow at 22 below and within about an hour it could be plus six and the snow is gone. No problems yet. tis funny that on some of these one or two lights do burn out but not the whole strand .. amazing produce. Love the posts ... keep it up in 2017
You mean like today? I a hoping it warms up this week!
LOL.... 37 minutes.... and I sat here and watched it all...... about hacky installations.... Love it... :)
I must admit I loved this video happy memories visiting the square to look at the lights has been a couple of years as I became a complete cluster F to get up and parked .
Having worked in the non-standard lighting industry for years, I really like the idea of wireframes painted with UV reactive paint lit with UV light, I imagine the result is spectacular !!!
Many years ago for a Halloween show the band I run lights for was doing, I filled clear plastic tubing with UV dyed water and mounted it on black clothing to make a stick figure outline. I only attached the tubing in a few spots and left enough slack so as they moved the tubes became quite wiggly and animated... with a cold fogger and the several thousand watts of Wildfire UV wash lights the only source of illumination it created a very cool stick figure jam !!!
This is honestly my favorite video you ever did. Can we have more storytime with Clive?
You are a most fascinating man Clive.
This has to be one of the most interesting and entertaining videos that I have seen in years. Clive please make more of these with your rambling memories, they are so interesting.
Clive, it sounds like you really enjoyed working for harry, i like the sound of him, mad at times but he allways wanted an amazing look, no matter how hard it was to do.
its such a shame that they put a plonker in control after him :-(, shame they didnt find someone like you to keep the lights amazing.
I like the way the original rope lights were made, i like the bulbs and how they mounted.
I cant see why modern cheap ones have to use external resistors, it would not be hard to encapsulate a resistor into the led, much like the way they often add a chip.
A cleaner look with less connections, closer leds too :-).
Smashing Video :-D.
Probably one of my most enjoyable videos you've ever done Big Clive. I love the long and rambly yet extremely interesting and informative videos... More Please!
Fantastic video Clive, used to stay just off of George Square and man do I miss living in Glasgow. Found this very interesting.
@bigclivedotcom Thank you for making this video. Good memories of the city I used to call home. Makes me wonder if I ever ran into you, while your work was shining bright up above. Next time I have a chance to visit in winter, I'll have a look at the new lights - but I definitely will always remember the lights you put up :) Very daunting to think that they were that heavy though.
This is a wonderful video , brilliant absolutely brilliant Thanks Clive Regarding the metal straps on the poles I am wondering if the poles were Zinc Galvanised and they were worried that Galvanic corrosion would occur ?
Thank you so much for your insight into such a monumental part of lighting history!
What a wonderfull insight into what you used to do Clive , thank you.
I ain't stopped yet. But not on that job.
I've come to realize from a few of your latest videos that you're kinda a big deal. You've worked on some really neat projects. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us here in TH-cam.
You're forgiven Clive :-)
We'd all love to prattle a bit on our past accomplishments.
My god, Dave Jones does it for hours.
Wow, I never thought of Christmas tube lights as an architecture element.
Love the Alamy photo spot
Excellent video and another example of how the prototype, or 'pioneer' build of an item gets the best of everything thrown at it. Also, another example, in human terms, of how different the imagination of the pioneering Harry was, to his probably very corporate successor. A touch of BBC Engineering (and doubtless many other industries in their pioneer era) history here...
I had a look at the images of the george square xmas lights and that is something I would love to do. I have done so much lighting design work in theatre and concerts but not on public display and it is one thing on my bucket list. To design and rig an amazing light show for people to see but not take any credit for it, just lurk in the shadows while people enjoy the work which has been laid in front of them.
26:20 witness a magnificent piece of art being created
I still own that style of non neon. It is amazing to see one of them stripped down. I had a clear tube with a coloured tungsten lamp which was grouped in 3's
I remember repairing tube lights (the hollow kind) back in the early 80s'. Drag the whole set out of the tube, replace some lamps and drag it all back into the tube while hoping that more hadn't died in the meantime.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Clive.
Thanks for another year of entertainment it is well worth the cups of coffee
With regards to the metal bands, as I recall if you galvanise the poles, it's only a very thin coating - metal bands will cut through that, and allow corrosion to occur; plastic (generally) won't.
Might explain it?
Merry Christmas, Sir Clive, and thank you for a wonderful, comfy rambly Christmas story to warm my day with, (even though it's 23c outside here in Texas).
It's amazing to think how the tube lighting suddenly sprang up everywhere, cos even though I'm only 31, I still remember the lackluster cheap tungsten filament lighting used by councils, then all of a sudden, they used tube-light displays which were much brighter and more interesting, so you're a part of illumination history there... :)
And TH-cam's new algorithm makes long videos more profitable than short ones, so, make 'em long and they'll pay more, cos youtube is now a TV service, apparently... :P
A very illuminating video Clive. :-) I really enjoyed it and give it a 9/10 on the inform and educate scale. You have a very pleasant listening to voice and it wasn't at all rambling. Nice to watch a fuller length historically based video. I encourage you to produce more of this ilk.
your best set of schematics to date !
Best one yet, don't be afraid of making long video's ;)
Hey, Clive! i love your stories! thank you :)
I love this video Clive, very in depth and interesting.
Awesome! I would have loved to see the fluorescent angel!
long video but well worth the watch as was very interesting historically and seasonal :)
Merry Christmas Clive! Boy, that sure brought back memories of that non-neon stuff. Hadn't thought of it in years. I remember building up four sets of false pros that had between 3 and 5 strings of that stuff all the way around, plus a string of white frost G20 lamps around the inside edge, plus a whole bunch of scrollwork decoration in the fake neon tube. Didn't have as much trouble with contacts in outdoor displays. But then, it doesn't rain in Southern California. :-)
The way you say "municipal" blows my mind :p
such an interesting video clive. I know nothing about electrics being a hydraulic engineer but I love how you explain the construction and the different iterations.
Guth no offense but how did you manage to do that without a clue about electricity ?
how did i do what? how did i enjoy the video? I meant i enjoyed his explanation of the physical construction of the lights, i do some welding/fabrication. Im an engineer, i enjoy learning and seeing how things are physically constructed. I Switched off at 28 mins when the electricity talk started. I just meant purely on the physical construction side and Clives personal stories.
or how did I become an engineer? I became an engineer by doing engineer things and getting the sparkies to do the electrical work...?
Top story mate - Merry Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful new year to you and yours!
I remember using that stuff in the early 90's. The only way I could ever get the connectors to seal was to use silicone sealant on both connectors and the screw thread. l would also us dielectric grease inside the connectors just in case water still found it's way in. I also remember the early outer jackets were not very UV resistant and after being outdoors for 2-3 years they would be very brittle and easily cracked.
Great video Clive, I can remember the bells and the holly also the peacocks, really interesting to hear some of the history behind it.
My home town is Blackpool. Not seen the Lights for a while. Never end up going back to coincide with them being on. Live in Seattle now. Interesting video cheers.
fig 3 is definitely a lightsaber schematic :o
I never thought of it before this video but when I was 17 back in early 85 I put together a 20m 3 colour LED tube light using red, green and amber LEDs with capacitive droppers and 3 separate 240 volt plugs at the end to connect to an existing sequencer for a local pub band, looked quite effective from the dim light of the dance floor ...how many people had done that at the time, curious if I was the first.
I have an 18 inch ball outside the front door made with this stuff, I'll send a picture! Merry Christmas 😀👍
After 2 am and long and rambly myself.
There is no better historical retelling of a moment, than the guy who watched it all go down from the hilltop. (Homeric reference)
that peacock has seen things maaan! mostly lights, but hwat an imagination!!
Merry Christmas Clive! Looking forward to the taking to bits of things in 2017.
Long and rambly, that's what I want :)
Thanks for shaing a great story! :)
The King of Glowing Light Ornament: Enter The TEGGEN!
I remember installing this stuff years ago, only good for use inside and definitely didn't last forever lol
Merry Christmas Clive... thanks for all the videos, very entertaining and informative.
I used to run a mobile disco in the late 70's to early 80's, i remember one disco had tube lights, not sure if they were manufactured or DIY, but i was going to make my own, only thing was i didn't get the clear tube that was big enough, i was going to use christmas lights (incandescent).
Reason was not for waterproofing, but to make them more robust and tangle free.
Though i'm guessing the inventor of your tube lights had the patent for that style of manufacture.
Sparky Projects The classic disco ropelight had fairy light style lamps soldered in a loom and then dragged into a hose. Very hard to repair or do DIY style.
Hey Clive, you had me at "rambly"
24:08 - "Peacockish." :-)
Personally, I enjoy your rambly videos. Your stories are always enjoyable and richly informative, and I never knew George Square started the tube lighting display trend (which is still popular in the US)! Pretty cool stuff!
I liked the part at 5:00 where you slipped up and said string of LEDs instead of string of lights ;) Whatever. Fantastic video, Merry Christmas, your enthusiasm is infectious
Peacock? It looked more like a mutant duck! Love your videos, they have inspired me to get back into electronics, have a Great Xmas and a fantastic 2017
I enjoyed every minute of this video Clive. Thanks for staying up so late (or early lol) for making it.
Have a great Christmas :D
🕯️Came for the lights, stayed for the Peacock 🦚
Merry Christmas , keep making these fantastic videos,
Merry christmas, Clive.
New Clive drinking game: Drink every time he says "laterally". Happy New Years!
nice video! thanks! really loved the story! merry Christmas
I think I've heard the word "Laterally" more times in this video than in my entire life so far :P
Fascinating, especially for a weegie!
Lmao the subtitles for this is gold
I know the feeling. Being part of something big, in it's "infancy", and then it goes away, to be replaced by something lighter, cheaper, better, and easier to stow. I, also, have a professional photo, of me, with the device I built. It is a Robot! (NK).
Long and Rambly, just how I like it :)
I have been to the toilet while this video was running and now there is a picture of a weird bird who looks like he is wiring up some lighting. I may have to go back and catch up a bit!
With the metal poles, I'm guessing it's due to corrosion. Whenever you have different metals in contact, you get galvanic corrosion which causes one of the metals to corrode much more quickly than the other. It's not that problematic when it's dry, but it's been known to cause problems in ships. And I'm thinking the effect might be significant for outdoor structures like these poles.
Very interesting video, thanks Clive.
i love how you know the guy who invented it and was a part of the whole thing, absolutely brilliant!! also you seemed a bit cross there at 5:54 xD
Why don't you take over the Christmas lights? It would be great to bring them back to their former glory. You could redesign the lights to be more efficient and easier to work with.
Still love those light tubes
A piece of history. I remember the animated bells and others decorations. They were truly spectacular. Now, everything is just 'meh'
New drinking game: Take a drink every time Clive says "latterly"
The video went off on so many random tangents... I think I may have to re-record it as a dedicated George Square video with lots of extra stuff.
+bigclivedotcom It was a really fascinating video, it's nice to know the back story for your expertise and penchant for lighting. Keep up the great work
codebeard do one with "but ehm"
Fantastic history ! Thanks !
I'm not sure if you were praising blackpool or downing Las Vegas :-)
I always remember the segment at 12:13 but this is a great video
Thanks for another great video. Happy Christmas Clive.