My Collection: Thorn Beta 5 (3)

This was the third Thorn Beta 5 to enter the collection, and the second one to come with a concrete bracket. This one is a remote-geared Mk.15 Beta 5. The exterior of the lantern is in good condition, while the inside is a bit rusted here-and-there. This one will be kept in as-received condition, but has undergone a clean.

The lantern was wiped down of dirt and appears in acceptable external condition.

A Zodion SS55 two-part cell is fitted to the lantern.

The concrete bracket has an inspection stamp but no date can be made out.

Unlike my Mk.16 Beta 5, this one has a metal clip. You may think this is an improvement, but the sad truth is that these actually gave-way far more than the plastic ones. They should really only be called hooks, as there's no clipping involved, and most of my documented Beta 5s with metal clips have them undone.

The gear-tray is rusted, but it's not the worst I've seen. The gasket seal is in much-better condition than my Mk.16 Beta 5's. It was given temporary new cables as a means to power up the lantern, but this will be re-done at a later date.

The Mk.no. sticker is long-gone, but the identification sticker is (mostly) still there.

The screw visible in the above image can be undone to allow the hinging-down of the gear tray.