BC Messages: 583 Registered: March 2000 Location: Kentucky
Senior Member
I strolled into Grainger today to get a set of casters and some GE335 lamps for my 250. They still carry the casters but they show the lamps to be discontinued. I checked with Radio Shack where I have also found the lamps and they do not have them either. Anyone know of a current source??BC
Mouser and Jameco are large electronic supply companies. Mouser is located in Texas, and Jameco is in California. They both have on-line ordering, or you can request a catalog and mail order.
www.Jameco.com
1-800-455-6119
#335 lamp - part # 209605CA - $.59 each
or
www.mouser.com
1-800-346-6873
#335 lamp - part # 606-CM335 -$.98 each
I've ordered from both companies for years. Jameco will sometimes completely screw-up an order, but they are usually pretty good about correcting things. I've not had any problems with Mouser as of yet. Let me know if you need any other info. Bill from Chicago
BC Messages: 583 Registered: March 2000 Location: Kentucky
Senior Member
Thanks Bill and Steve. Steve I checked Radio Shack and the local store told me they no longer carried the lamp. I have ordered them from Radio Shack before with no problems. Thanks again! BC
Radio shack is like that. If you see a part you like get all they got. It probably won't be there next time. In the past I used to use some of their electric motors and so forth. One day they'd have em. Next day say what? I think they just buy other parts houses things that are selling out sometimes to make a little and when the parts are gone thats it. In other words its always close out sale there.
KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan
Senior Member
Yup, Radio Shack will special order for you, but they charge you an extra fee for doing it. Try mouser or jameco first, it'll be cheaper I think in the long run.
The GE335 bulbs (Radio Shack 272-1143)in my Charger only last about 15 minutes.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to make them last longer?
Thanks,
Les
I just tried another bulb (Radio Shack 272-1143)in my Charger and it also only lasted about 15 minutes.
This is my third bulb that did this.
Is it possible to add a resistor in series to reduce the voltage a little?
What value should I use?
Thanks,
Les
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Yes,see what voltage you have at the bulb compaired to what the bulb is rated for. Than shot for feeding the bulb with about 85% of the voltage it is rated at by adding ressitors in serise with either wire feeding the bulb, you may need values under or around 1 ohm.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
I would have the amp checked out for other problems, if you have had to replace three bulbs in such a short time. Adding parts to make the bulb work, is not fixing the problem of why that amp is blowing bulbs. Don
Hi-------- A repairman buddy of mine just replaced all the lamps in all four of my 250 Bass Tops. Said he went to the auto parts store and got some 12 volt lamps. They work great and are brighter than the original lamps!!!!!!! Try it.-----JLR
Haltone Messages: 16 Registered: March 2000 Location: Syracuse NY
Junior Member
I agree with LesS. I tried Radio Shack 272-1143 bulbs in my Kustom Hustler (same vintage as LesS's amp) and I also get only a short life span. I did some checking at the local electrical supply place and discovered the following: the R.S bulb is only 12 volts at75mA. A true 335 bulb is 24 volts at a higher amperage and there is an inbetween bulb #373 which is 14 volts. I bought 2 of each and experimented with my amp. The R.S bulb installed earlier this week was still working but the surface was darkening- it didn't have long to live. I first tried the 24 volt 335. It worked but glowed sort of dimly. I then tried the 14 volt 373 which glowed at the brightness I was expecting. For now I'm going with the 373- I'm hoping it's enough higher than the R.S. 12 volt that it will have a normal life expectency. I'll post results. BTW, I had previously used the R.S. 12 volt in both K150 and K250 with no problem. I'm guessing the Hustler, Sidewinder, Charger, Commander, Challenger series are running at slightly higher voltage than the 150 and 250? Hal
I kept blowing the Radio Shack 272-1143 (12 volts at 75ma) bulbs in my Kustom Hustler.
Others on the website have been using GE373 (14 volts at 80 ma) with good results in the SS series combos. The opinion was that the Hustler, Sidewinder, Charger, Commander, Challenger series must be running at a slightly higher voltage than the 150 and 250.
So I tried the 373 bulb and it blew after about 30 minutes.
Now bear with me on this as I am not a tech.
I finally bought a multimeter and I measured the voltage at the terminal block right before the lamp.
I got 26.9 volts with no bulb and 25.5 volts with a 373 bulb.
What reading should I get here?
The schematic that comes inside the amp cover does not seem to specify a voltage at this point.
Should I replace the two 5 watt resistors? Or the two 200 ohm 5 watt resistors?
Also, which one of these bulbs was specified by Kustom for the Hustler, Sidewinder, Charger, Commander, and Challenger series?
Radio Shack 272-1143 (12 volts at 75ma)
GE373 (14 volts at 80 ma)
GE335 (28 volts at 40 ma)
Thanks,
Les S.
I believe you have to measure both voltage and amperage and see what best matches, not just voltage.
I had previously measured my K250, but the voltages were something like 40 volts for each base. I forgot to measure amperage.
I am guessing that the 28 volt lamps were what the K250 anyways was spec for, not sure about the other amps, but if you are reading 25 volts, then I think the 28 volt lamps (GE 335) should be what they are speced for as well.
Maybe the resistors have drifted so far out of spec, that is why people are getting different results with different voltage lamps?
Can someone else with a K250 measure both amperage and voltage and let me know what they read? I'll check amperage tommorow and see what it reads.
Ok, I just did some measurements of both voltage and amperage of the polarity and power lamp sections on this K250. These are the results:
Polarity switch
Voltages:
Min: 39.76 volts/Max: 40.68 volts/Average: 40 volts
Amperage: Min: 101.4 mA/Max 101.8 mA
Power switch:
Voltage: Min: 39.88 volts/Max 40.72 volts/Average: 40.48 volts
Amperage: Min: 102.0 mA/Max 102.3 mA
If anyone else has a K250 head (this one is a model 2, but it wouldn't make a difference at this stage of the wiring if tested on a model 1 or model 4), can you check both voltages and amperage ratings?
I am guessing right now that I shouldn't be getting so high a rating for either volts or amperage. I was expecting something closer to ~28V and ~40mA.
My lamps have always been burnt out since I recieved this amp back in the early 80s, and I've never bought any replacements. It'd be nice to know what the proper spec should be, so I can get some replacements.
BTW, according to Les, this seems to be from one of the first batches of K250s. I don't think that should matter though.
I do understand that the amp was speced for around 110-117 volts, and the average outlet today is more around 120 volts, but that shouldn't really raise the output from the transformer by much.
C4ster Messages: 686 Registered: June 2001 Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
Just a quick calcuation on this. A CM335 lamp has a voltage rating of 28VDC @40mA. A Kustom 100 has a power supply voltage of 40 volts. I am assuming the K250 is similar. There is a 200 ohm 5 watt resistor in series with the pilot light. The calculated resistance of the lamp is 700 ohms. That in series with the resistor would yield a current of 44mA. The resulting voltage across the lamp would be 31.1 Volts. A lower voltage, higher current bulb would draw much more current and overheat the resistor besides being the wrong intensity.
Conrad
I kept blowing the 272-1143 bulb in my Kustom Charger because it is the wrong bulb for the SS combos/K150/K250 . (272-1143 is not equivalent to GE335.)
So I just ordered some GE335’s from Mouser.com (Mouser part # 606-CM335).
So the correct bulb for the K150/K250/Hustler, Sidewinder, Charger, Commander, and Challenger series is the GE335 (28 volts at 40 ma)
These two bulbs are not correct and can cause the resistor to overheat:
Radio Shack 272-1143 (12 volts at 75ma)
GE373 (14 volts at 80 ma)
-Les S.
KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan
Senior Member
The Ge335 bulbs are what you need. It must be the GE335 bulb because of the voltage. If you put anything else in, it won't last. If you have some weird problem, then you may blow one, but I think that means you got bigger problems than your "blue eyes" going blind....
Thanks C4ster. I must have missed this message earlier. 31.1 volts sounds right when it's taken into account that I tested under no load on the sockets.
The schematics show 40 volts, which means that everything on here is working as it should.
I'll order some lamps from mouser the next time I am ordering parts from them. (Just put in an order for fixing a multitrack machine..dang, wish I saw this earlier!)
Roy:
I double checked, and the numbers are correct.
At the Jameco website, part # 209605 shows a picture of a mini bulb with leads, but the written description and the spec sheet shows the correct T 1-3/4 Midget Screw Base Lamp.
Bill
fieldflower Messages: 71 Registered: July 2004 Location: Sweden
Member
Hi all,
I'm also looking to replace the bulbs on a 250, but living in Sweden means Radioshack and Mouser are out of the question...
What are the specs on the light bulb I should try to find?
I've gathered that it is a T1 3/4 bulb with E 5,8 mm threading socket.
I have so far found 2 alternatives that looks alright but I don't know if either of them is the right one:
- 12 V, 100 mA
- 28 V, 25 mA
Should I keep looking, or settle for one of these?
fieldflower Messages: 71 Registered: July 2004 Location: Sweden
Member
Hi,
I went with the 12V, 100mA and it worked out fine...
A big thanks to the guy who posted the shrink tupe mounting method! 3 minutes for both lamps...
No more guesses and listening for white noise if the amp is on or off...