Fisher 101R dial light replacement - Printable Version
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+--- Thread: Fisher 101R dial light replacement (/showthread.php?tid=19630)
Fisher 101R dial light replacement - KCMike - 02-07-2019
Decided to bring out the Fisher 101R FM tuner and see what I could do about it picking up the same station at two places on the dial. After three tries at the alignment I got it working good and also cleared up the distortion when using Pioneer MPX adapter with it.
Now I decided to try and come up with a work around on the burned out dial lamps.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/2inJMgL.jpg]
As you see the lights for this are about 3 inches long. I looked around on the net for replacements but could not find any.
So checking what I had on hand . Decided to try this out. These are extra 8 volt LEDs I had on hand for a Pioneer stereo.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/yNG5shG.jpg]
Now to figure a way to solder them together with out damaging them.
Came up with this idea.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/ffyHgEp.jpg]
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/YqUj1Wv.jpg]
A quick light tack solder to hold them together with the piece of spring and a bench test to see if they will work.
The original Fisher dial lamps are 7 volts , so I used a 9v battery with resistor to lower the voltage for the test.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/POdfJAA.jpg]
The ends of the LEDs are larger than the original lamps so you have to be careful not to break the holders when installing them.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/0asmRNk.jpg]
Face plate back on and the whole set up in view.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/3SSHwPt.jpg]
A shot with the room darkened.
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/4cybtPc.jpg]
Sorry about the blur. But it appears that this will work out. At least for now. Maybe I'll come across some original dial lamps.
RE: Fisher 101R dial light replacement - Ron Ramirez - 02-07-2019
Good job. Since you are running two LED lamps in series which were designed for ~6V each, do they run much dimmer connected in series than they would if only one were connected?
I buy my lamps from Joe's Quality Wholesale on the auction site. I've found that I can unsolder the end caps and grind the ends (carefully) to fit the ends of the original lamps easily with the lamps Joe sells. I remove the small ends of the original lamps (usually involves breaking the original glass) and, after carefully grinding the ends of Joe's LED boards, soldering the original Fisher bulb caps onto the boards. It's the only way I could get these lamps to fit in many of my Fisher tuners without breaking the contact holders (yes, I learned this the hard way).
Since yours are much longer than what Joe sells, it seems to me that the options are to (a) do what you have done or (b) use a single LED board and buy some thin wall copper tubing in the same size as the original caps and use the tubing to make extra long bulbs.
RE: Fisher 101R dial light replacement - Ron Ramirez - 02-07-2019
On second glance, I see your lamp connectors are not enclosed in a Bakelite retainer so it would be a simple matter to stretch the clips out a bit to fit your newer bulbs. In later Fisher tuners and receivers, this is not the case. One must take the breakable Bakelite retainers into consideration. You are, therefore, forced to use the smaller caps as I outlined above in those Fisher units.
RE: Fisher 101R dial light replacement - OZ4 - 02-07-2019
I found this LED tape to be a real bargain. I bought some just like these about two years ago. There are really bright (blinding) and the same color of incandescent lamps. If you run them at full power they need some kind of heat sink.
I have used them for various purposes. There are in three diode sets and can be cut. I have used them for back lighting meters. My kitchen now has under cabinet lighting hooked to solar panels. I have even unsoldered them and glued them face down for thru hole lighting.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5m-led-strip-5630-5730-SMD-tape-light-rope-stripe-Flexible-Tape-Cabinet-lamp-DC/292652987311?var=591453994930&hash=item44237a33af:g:52MAAOSwuHpbVpcz
RE: Fisher 101R dial light replacement - KCMike - 02-07-2019
Thanks Ron. Good idea about using an LED board. I also thought about using these axial incandescent bulbs but I only had two on hand
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-8v-200mA-AXIAL-LAMPS-INCANDESCENT-ORIGINAL-BULBs/223337792161?hash=item33fff842a1:g:mRIAAOSwYVlaHtDu:rk:19:pf:0
and soldering them together and then soldering the original end caps to them.
Chris I seen those strips and thought about it, but wasn't sure about the voltage they come in working.
I do see where they would come in handy on some projects and have to keep them in mind.
RE: Fisher 101R dial light replacement - Ron Ramirez - 02-07-2019
Those axial incandescents would also work, but I think the LEDs provide superior illumination. Not to mention lower current draw (good for the power transformer).