A well trimmed Duplex lamp is superior in every way to a Tilley

dylanwinter

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Mar 2005
Messages
12,954
Location
Buckingham
www.keepturningleft.co.uk
I am sorry to say this to you lads

just when you thought that another Pressure Lamp Enthusiast had appeared on these forums I am deeply tempted to become a turncoat



for those outside the Fraternity of Oil Lamp Appreciators

this is a duplex

duplex.jpg


and this is a Tilley

tilly-lamp-death-drama.jpg


Naturally I have refined the lighting procedure and the Tilley is now burning clear and steady

it will run for an hour or more between pumping


In a series of domestic trials last night comparing the Duplex with the Tilley

The Duplex gave off as much light as the Tilley

it smelt no worse

it was silent and was without the radio hiss

It required no pumping

I think that it gave off a similar amount of heat

so unless you can give me a good reason then the Tilley might be for sale

I see that people are selling them for £60 a pop for a good one like mine

D
 
Last edited:
I'd return it to the chap you bought it from for a refund.:)

no cash changed hands

I swapped it for three of the now internationally recognised KTL vid units - they can be exchanged for a range of interesting goods

I understand that sailors now use them as a unit of exchange among themselves


they are a highly tax efficient way of moving value around the globe - they never depreciate and can be used as coffee mug coasters
 
I am sorry to this to you lads

just when you thought that another Pressure Lamp Enthusiast had appeared on these forums I am deeply tempted to become a turncoat



for those outside the Fraternity of Oil Lamp Appreciators

this is a duplex

duplex.jpg


and this is a Tilley

tilly-lamp-death-drama.jpg


Naturally I have refined the lighting procedure and the Tilley is now burning clear and steady

it will run for an hour or more between pumping


In a series of domestic trials last night comparing the Duplex with the Tilley

The Duplex gave off as much light as the Tilley

it smelt no worse

it was silent and was without the radio hiss

It required no pumping

I think that it gave off a similar amount of heat

so unless you can give me a good reason then the Tilley might be for sale

I see that people are selling them for £60 a pop for a good one like mine

D

This is going to lead to so much controversy.
Should you trim the wick flat, curved or vee shaped, and how will that affect light output and oil consumption.
So many decisions!
 
This is going to lead to so much controversy.
Should you trim the wick flat, curved or vee shaped, and how will that affect light output and oil consumption.
So many decisions!

you are so correct

no-onre would ever question the bravery of the average tilley lamp enthusiast

you have to admire their fearlessness

but I think that they are probably not up the subtle intellectual challenges involved in the art of wick trimming

which us experts know that it is a skill that can take several generations to perfect

Dylan
 
I am sorry to this to you lads. Just when you thought that another Pressure Lamp Enthusiast had appeared on these forums I am deeply tempted to become a turncoat.

The light from any non-pressurised oil lamp is yellow. The light from a Tilley or any mantle lamp is white, at least it is when not running in Dylan mode. If you are getting no more light from your Tilley than from your unpressurised oil lamp, your Tilley is not running correctly. I use both types in my house - typically Tilley lamps in the kitchen/living room where more light is needed, and unpressurised oil lamps in the bathroom/bedroom.

For on-board use on a boat of your size I would not use a Tilley - too fragile to survive at sea and too high a risk of CO in the small volume of the inside of your boat. The heat output from a Tilley is far higher, and consequently uses fuel at a much faster rate.
 
If it is only running for an hour or so then it is leaking pressure. Mine will easily run for 6 hours.

I am sorry to this to you lads

just when you thought that another Pressure Lamp Enthusiast had appeared on these forums I am deeply tempted to become a turncoat



for those outside the Fraternity of Oil Lamp Appreciators

this is a duplex

duplex.jpg


and this is a Tilley

tilly-lamp-death-drama.jpg


Naturally I have refined the lighting procedure and the Tilley is now burning clear and steady

it will run for an hour or more between pumping


In a series of domestic trials last night comparing the Duplex with the Tilley

The Duplex gave off as much light as the Tilley

it smelt no worse

it was silent and was without the radio hiss

It required no pumping

I think that it gave off a similar amount of heat

so unless you can give me a good reason then the Tilley might be for sale

I see that people are selling them for £60 a pop for a good one like mine

D
 
my fellow Duplists warned me not to post this thread on here

they said (on the Duplex forum) that you have to be careful of of pressure Lamp enthusiasts

it is a well established fact that they have a tendancy to play the man and not the ball when it comes to important matters

Dylan

six hours without a pump?

can this really be true or is it just hyperbole?

I think that you should make a film of it
 
Last edited:
six hours without a pump?

can this really be true or is it just hyperbole?

I used mine every evening last week. From ligting at about 6pm until bed 1 or no further pumpings were needed during the evening. It depends on how full they are. When full to the spout there is not so much space for air so they will need a pump up after a couple of hours. The time between pumps increases as the fuel level drops, but more pumping is needed to get a good pressure.
 
I seem to remember that I could light a couple of Scout Tilleys and suspend them 10' up in the marquee and not touch it untill the fuel ran out at the end of the night.

When running with a bit of pressure bled off to cut the light down the damn things got steadily brighter as the tank heated up untill more pressure was released. Only a leaky lamp needs pumping.
 
I seem to remember that I could light a couple of Scout Tilleys and suspend them 10' up in the marquee and not touch it untill the fuel ran out at the end of the night.

When running with a bit of pressure bled off to cut the light down the damn things got steadily brighter as the tank heated up untill more pressure was released. Only a leaky lamp needs pumping.

only a leaky lamp needs pumping

I shall remember that

of course.....a Duplex needs no pumping at all

and offers instant light

D
 
Mine is quite an old lamp with a pressure indicator like this:

1304805061-IMGP0885.JPG


I pump the lamp until the centre bit rises flush with the surround and then it runs for hours. Perhaps you are not pumping enough.

my fellow Duplists warned me not to post this thread on here

they said (on the Duplex forum) that you have to be careful of of pressure Lamp enthusiasts

it is a well established fact that they have a tendancy to play the man and not the ball when it comes to important matters

Dylan

six hours without a pump?

can this really be true or is it just hyperbole?

I think that you should make a film of it
 
Six hours or so depending on the fill is about right. And pressure lamps are definitely brighter/hotter/use more fuel - I have both. I think we're all looking forward to you testing both types on the long evenings of your next trip - a whole evening with each type - and reading your conclusions...

.
 
Six hours or so depending on the fill is about right. And pressure lamps are definitely brighter/hotter/use more fuel - I have both. I think we're all looking forward to you testing both types on the long evenings of your next trip - a whole evening with each type - and reading your conclusions...

.


of course I should do the Duplex test first as neither I nor the boat might survive the pressure test

I am sure you are not the only one looking forward to the answer

as a matter of interest I have been asked to do the 8.10 interview on the Today programme to share my findings with a wider eager public


I will welcome the opportunity to extoll the merits of wick trimming

it is obviously one of the reasons why the pressure Lampists are so confident about the so called superiority of the pressure lamp over the Duplex with Chimney

Pressure lamps are very easy to operate

and it is a sad fact that very few Pressurists have even been on a wick trimming course or even, this is unbelievable, never even read a book on the subject

this is a sad endictment on the state of the World

D


PS KTL basic wick trimming courses spanning ten evenings will be starting at the beginning of November

the courses will be run by Jocasta and Hermione as they were last year

Many sailors have learned a huge amount about Wick Trimming form the KTL girls
 
Last edited:
I admire the persistence of the traditionalist to keep old things going, but for me, give me an LED lamp and a gas heater anytime, although I do have a modern petrol pressure tilley lamp which produces plenty of combined heat and light, however, I cant remember the last time I used it.
 
it is obviously one of the reasons why the pressure Lampists are so confident about the so called superiority of the pressure lamp over the Duplex with Chimney...

Pressurized and unpressurized oil lamps are different beast for different applications, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Neither type is superior. I use both types at the same time - in different rooms in the same house. Use whatever you find suits you best. For a small boat, I would recommend an unpressurized type.
 
Having a collection of over 100 pressure lamps at one time, I would never run one inside the boat too much CO and too dazzling. Have you come across the Aladdin wick and mantle; way brighter than a duplex no noise, not too hot.
(If your tilley is as bright as a duplex it needs fixing) running time about the same as a duplex.
 
Last edited:
I am an afficionado of twin & single wicked oil lamps - I have to be, as we suffer prolonged power failures in some winters. I also have a couple of pressure lamps, but can seldom be bothered to light them as I do not normally need the extra light output.

Yes, it's true, a pressure oil lamp gives out near daylight quality light & a wick based oil lamp (even a twin or triple wick on high) struggles to provide more than a pleasing gloom. I can read by my boat lamp if I turn it up high & sit underneath it, but everyone in a large room can read with a pressure lamp.

So Dylan, there is still a problem with your pressure lamp if it only as bright (dim?) as a wicked lamp & needs frequent pumping.
 
Quote:

"PS KTL basic wick trimming courses spanning ten evenings will be starting at the beginning of November

the courses will be run by Jocasta and Hermione as they were last year

Many sailors have learned a huge amount about Wick Trimming form the KTL girls "



I heard they will bend over backwards to please you.

Book me in, though I will stick to my single wick.

Have never owned a duplex, KTL industries must be on the up.
 
Top