Hello everyone, I have two Petromax-Hipolito hybrids that my late father used for night fishing (don't know the term for that in english). They've been sitting around useless for maybe more than 15 years now. The other one fired up quite nice with only a kerosene change, but the other neede a bit more work. The shut off valve from the bottom of the riser tube was missing, and the lead washer needed to be changed. Also the upper rod where the needle is attached had to be changed, since it was warped.. Now both lamps run ok (with some waving), but my biggest problem is that I can't completely turn off the lamp I put new parts in. When putting it together, I noticed that the lower carburator rod was 1,5mm longer than what was there before. It was just barely that I could turn the control knob all the way around, when the bottom spring could't subtract enough. My first thought was, that the valve can't close completely in the up position. I shortened the rod for maybe 1mm but the problem persist. Now the knob turns nicely though.. Afterwards I relized it couldn't have been that, since the lamp isn't squirting any kerosene when presurized; the bottom valve must close. But there is something wrong still, since the knob doesn't close the light completely. The lamps have parts from hipolito and petromax, but I'm writing in hope that some of you have had this same problem with a pure bred lamp, and have solved it!
Well THAT is the reaason you never use gasoline. Although thee is a bottom valve it still isn't a reliable shut off. If the lantern is lighting on, so without going dim in a few seconds then the valve rod isn't operating the bottom valve correctly. But you also say it isn't leaking when under pressure. That confuses me.
Sorry, I can't help you with your lantern but the English term for 'night fishing' is, er, night fishing - you have it exactly right! Welcome to the forums - no doubt somebody will be along shortly to help you with your lantern problem...
Is the nipple jet new? I have a P'Max clone I was using recently and the old jet was worn , orifice enlarged. It caused a bit of fire in the hood when lighting and a lingering fire when off. I just changed and its working well.
The other lamp shuts off immediately or within a second, but this other one takes maybe 8 to 10 seconds. It actually shut down eventually, when I re-tested. I dipped the whole thing under water, and only got some bubbles from the pump pipe bottom valve. Otherwise it seems to hold air. I guess some just burn longer with residual kerosene in the tubings..
This might be it. The jet is just some random old one I found among spares. Should the needle seal off the jet completely when rised to the upmost position?
@Heering80 The needle does seal off the jet when raised uppermost. Can I ask? Do you release the pressure from the tank when you shut them down?
I think in some cases the cleaning wire blocks the jet completely so the lamp shuts off immediately. In other cases it does not, so you have to wait for the leftover fuel in the vapouriser to burn off before the lamp shuts off.
Don't you have a specific word for that kind of fishing where you go out late in the fall when it's completely dark, and use lanterns to see the fish in the bottom. And then just hit them with a big fork?
Yes I do release it, and it still works of course. But I was curious because the other shuts off from the valve also.. Releasing the pressure to shut down the lamp is quite new method to me. Way back I used to shut them down with the valve first.
Hello @Heering80 Well, it depends what fish and where, but it could be called 'Poaching' ! Anyway, good luck with it!
@Heering80 Hi and welcome to the forum. Where I come from in Norfolk it used to be the historic method to catch eels using an eel spear, dart or gleave: Eel spears - The Pikers Pit Pretty nasty devices and now banned. Good luck with your Petrolippo problem. Looking forward to seeing some photographs of them both running. Regards Jeremy
The needle doesn't stop air or kero , the foot valve does. The needle simply cleans the jet. Could be as Alex is suggesting that the release of air pressure is the first thing done and then turning off the valve at the control knob.
As Hanzo says the needle isn't a shut off valve. it is normal that the lantern takes some time to dim and go out. It is a delicate balance, betweem pressure, fuel, temperature, dimensions and fun. Letting off the pressure is a normal way of the procedure after you turm the knob and the lanterns cools down.
Luckily the bottom one way valves from my Optimus stoves fit this lamp also. It spared me from a drive to "local" pro shop half an hour away. Now they both hold pressure, and I got the previously unresponsive pressure meter to work too. I guess something has to be done to the one that used to be the better one..
Spot on @Heering80 , good job. One lantern looks brighter that the other, could it be that the preston loop has a carbon build up, so not letting so much fuel through to the dimmer one? I presume you are using the same fuel, mantles etc? By the way it is nice to see both running, nice bit of improvisation using optimus parts for the Non-Return value - that is what is all about!
Is the preston loop the usual suspect when light power reduces? The loop of the brighter lantern went through ultra sound wash.. I may have to do the same on the other one too. The mantle has been there probably 15 years or so on the dimmer one. Does age affect these (assuming there're no holes).
Oh and then there's the fact that the dimmer lamp is 350 body, but I think it is running 500 jet and needle. Are there any other differences between the two?
Did you calibrate the pressure gauges ? Different mantles > different colours, are both lanterns adjusted to run with the 500cp jet ? or is the adjustment on the 350cp just that for the 350cp but it happens to have a 500cp jet. What about the adjustment screw in the J-tube, is it there and adjusted ? So many things to figure out ;-)
@Heering80 Re preston loop, if the brightest lanterns loop has been through the ultra sound, then I'd put the dimmer lantern's loop through as well. That may help even up the light output.
I just opened up the gauge and put crc in it + knocked it with a wrench a couple of times just to get it going. Maybe it's not super accurate, but better than nothing. How do you adjust these to run different jets? It's well possible that my father has just thrown in a bigger jet and maybe a needle. The needle pokes out abt half a mm from the jet. And the j-bend valve is at its brightest setting (for both it seems to be the screw slot vertically).
By adjusting the height between the jet and J-tube ? Like it says in the manual. Gas canisters for filling lighters are at 2Bar. Put one (outside) on a pressure gauge (the little hole on the back) and you know how much they are accurate.
I put a new mantle on this morning. Never seen one like that before. It was double layered. The burn went really bad, and I decided to change the mantle once again. What are those double mantles for?
