I was at my local tip/dump today and had a potter around the sales area. I spotted a complete Tilley R1 heater which the lady said I could have for £10.00. After paying I noticed a lantern hanging behind the door. My heart went a flutter. Could it be? Is it? I lifted it down. An Optimus 930, dent free and with original glass but missing it's control wheel (no big deal). "How much for this old lamp?" I asked as casually as I could. "I'll have to ask the boss about that one" she said, and wandered across the yard. Uh oh, I thought, he's checked on Ebay and it's going to be three figures. She walked back across. I looked nonchalant, fingers crossed, held my breath - "A fiver" she said. Ooh, I could have hugged her . Terry
Nice one, Terry Nice one, son Nice one, Terry Let's 'ave another one! Amazing what some folk will chuck out...
Nice one Terry, I wish I could find a 930 for a fiver, I'll have to go back to the car boot next weekend, fingers crossed. I did manage to find an R1 this week as well though.
Holy sh.., How lucky can one be!? Over here, if you find even an old Coleman lantern the seller thinks he can retire once he sells it! Must admit, I once found a beautiful Coleman 202 with the original glass for under $30.00. I broke out in a sweat.... Got it up to the checkout desk and got a 10% discount on it for paying cash! It was falling down an outhouse and coming up with a string of pearls around your neck! Great find!!
nice find! well done PS, FWIW I'm using a Peerless H2-CG mantle on mine (the 250cp coleman mantle) with a 250 jet & needle & it's liking it very much!
Finally got around to fettling the 930. New seals, jet, needle, ceramic nozzle and control wheel. I would have preferred the small wheel but could only get the standard size. On first light up there was black mantle disease and yellow flames outside the mantle. Cleaned out the vapouriser loop with an old bicycle brake cable and corrected the loose jet (oops! ). I initially tried a "for Optimus 930" mantle from Basecamp but it seemed ultra flimsy and leaned excessively to one side. Now running quite happily with a Coleman #21 mantle. Terry
Well done, she cleaned up beautifully, Terry! The no. 21A mantle is for small 150-175cp lanterns and your 930 is rated 250-300cp. You could try a Coleman No. 99 mantle which was made for 300-350cp lanterns. Veritas also made a no. 99 sock type mantle and a similar sized rosette mantle. The Peerless 24A will probably be too long, but the new Peerless 22A which is the actual size of the #99 is being shipped now.
Hi Phil. It's running happily on the #21 so I'll leave it on there. In fact, I put one on my other 930 last night and it's running better that when it was fitted with the correct 250cp mantle. Plus, I bought a box full of 21s dirt cheap from an outdoor shop in Flagstaff the last time I was in the US . Terry
I run a 24A on one of my 930's, and it worked well. Actually I never, or atleast seldom, see a larger mantle (within reasonable limits) as a problem on a well working lamp or lantern.
My only concern is that, at least on the Coleman 249 and 201, the 24A mantle is so long that it does not form symmetrically after burning in. It is pushed sideways away from the generator by the sprit cup. The new 22A will hopefully solve that problem. The manufacturers tell me that the 24A is intended for a 2-mantle high pressure LP gas lamp used by the Amish. 500cp per mantle.
Great find... My 930 is one of my favourite lamps. I had to change the jet on mine as the cleaning needle broke and the replacement didn't fit into the original jet, since doing that it now runs a little less white but still just as bright...
