Question about vintage Winker plugs

[Marthe48]

I found 4 vintage Winker plugs. They look new. I tested them using a modern lamp with a 3 way bulb. I had to use a prong adapter because the lamp prongs wouldn't fit into the Winker plug. The adapter prongs did okay. The Winker prongs fit into the plug. The bulb lit, but was dim and didn't blink.
I'd like to test further, to see if the Winker plug will cause the light to blink on and off. I'm not sure if I should use a regular lamp or dig out a string of Christmas lights, and should I try to find a vintage string? I have new strings of lights, not sure if I have any really old ones.

Thanks for any advice

[NewLarry]

1. A regular lamp should do for you

These guys work from heat generated by the current flowing normally. As soon as the light goes out, the current stops, and the winker cools down. The internal switch closes, the light goes on, and it happens again. The higher the wattage light, the faster it should blink.

[Marthe48]

3. Welcome to DU

We had them when I was young and I thought I remembered they had to be plugged in awhile before the light blinked out. I thought I was being patient, but maybe not. lol I'll try it on a different lamp. Thank you for the quick reply. I'll let you know if I have the results I want

[rampartc]

2. so that is what those are!

i have a few. thought they were some kind of surge suppressor.

1. do not adapt a three prong plug to work in 2 prong extension cord or any other device.
2. if yours are very old they probably have electrolytic capacitors with a life span of, maybe 20 years. beyond economic repair.
3. get rid of the old incandescent lights. leds are cheap and greatly more efficient.

[Marthe48]

4. About the adapter

2 prong to 2 prong. The plug prongs on the lamp wouldn't fit in the Winker plug, but the adapter plug did.
I'm not an electrician, so I have a question, if you don't mind. Do the electrolytic capacitors fail even if the plugs were never used? Just curious.
I'm using an led light, so the lamp only works on one setting.

Thank you for your reply

[rampartc]

6. the electrilyte is slightly acidic. time alone will eventually eat through the can.

by the 1980s a lot of stuff that was built in the 1960s was beginning to die. i made a good living replacing those old caps.

in a modern power cord one prong is a little bigger than the other as a "key". if you turn it around it may work?????

[Marthe48]

7. Trying again before it gets dark

so I can see what I'm doing. I know the prongs are different sizes. The newer plugs in the house have the 2 sizes. The contractors put the plugs in the bathrooms that shut off if they get wet.

Thanks for the information about aging. Kind of like batteries, that they work because of a chemical process, and even if you aren't using the device, the process continues.

[Marthe48]

8. No results tonight

I got a lamp with an old-fashioned plug from the basement and got everything connected. The bulb lit and seemed to be bright. I left it on for at least 30 minutes and it didn't blink. Tomorrow, I'll try to find a string of Christmas bulbs and try again. At least I didn't need an adapter for my attempt this evening.

[Warpy]

5. Testubg ab uten the way it is designed to be used is the best bet

Otherwise, you run the risk of thinking an item is faulty when it isn't.

[Marthe48]

9. Sorry this update took so long

I had no luck with the Winkers making the lamps I tried blink off and on, set the project aside as a failure. I just set up my pre-lit tree for the holidays. I tested the tree to see if it still lights and it does. It plugs into an extension cord. The Winker plugs were handy, so I thought I'd test them with the tree. They all work! I'm pretty happy to finally find lighting that gave me a good result.

Thanks for all of the help.