VIDEO UPDATE: Federal Signal Model 18 SolaRay

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
UPDATE:
So, after long last, this old girl is up and running! After I got it cleaned up cosmetically, I shipped the motor off to Skulldigger to see if he could fix it. He worked his magic and here we are! I had to take this sucker to work to get it powered because my power supply bit the dust, but it was totally worth the schlep! Made in 1963 and moving like it's new. Here, have a video in HD!
OP:
This is easily the coolest thing I've ever bought. I found it for a sinfully low price and it was shipped possibly the best I've ever seen, in two boxes, and it did not disappoint! The light is 12V and complete, without any dents or scratches. I'm going to have to polish the chrome and get a new tag for it, but that's it cosmetically. The seller said that it doesn't move, but that's an easy fix. Check 'er out!
ALSO GURUS: The Serial Number is 2A10B3. Is there any way to find out from that what year this light was made?
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3957_zpsjfi0vkkp.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3956_zps7hcrqc0s.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3951_zpshfx8uzqj.jpgai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3955_zpsd6jpeoro.jpg
 
Last edited:

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
The SolaRay is a very nice light. Congratulate on this nice find.
To what I can see there is the wrong sealed beam installed.
It seems to be a spot lamp but there should be a fog lamp instead.
The flashing effect will be completely wrong this way.
The fog sealed beam gives a narrow wide angled beam of light that moves up and down.
Unfortunatly I do not remember the number of that sealed beam.

Michael
 
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Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
This is easily the coolest thing I've ever bought. I found it for a sinfully low price and it was shipped possibly the best I've ever seen, in two boxes, and it did not disappoint! The light is 12V and complete, without any dents or scratches. I'm going to have to polish the chrome and get a new tag for it, but that's it cosmetically. The seller said that it doesn't move, but that's an easy fix. Check 'er out!
ALSO GURUS: The Serial Number is 2A10B3. Is there any way to find out from that what year this light was made?
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3957_zpsjfi0vkkp.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3956_zps7hcrqc0s.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3951_zpshfx8uzqj.jpgai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3955_zpsd6jpeoro.jpg
This is easily the coolest thing I've ever bought. I found it for a sinfully low price and it was shipped possibly the best I've ever seen, in two boxes, and it did not disappoint! The light is 12V and complete, without any dents or scratches. I'm going to have to polish the chrome and get a new tag for it, but that's it cosmetically. The seller said that it doesn't move, but that's an easy fix. Check 'er out!
ALSO GURUS: The Serial Number is 2A10B3. Is there any way to find out from that what year this light was made?
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3957_zpsjfi0vkkp.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3956_zps7hcrqc0s.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3951_zpshfx8uzqj.jpgai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3955_zpsd6jpeoro.jpg
Very nice find, Doran. This appears to be an early-model SolaRay and the serial # leads me to believe that it's from around 1963.

I've never had a free-standing SolaRay, but we had a short-lived Federal 78 Doubletone siren that had a SolaRay and we really liked it. So did someone else! We had the siren fender-mounted on a '63 Pontiac Consort ambulance, and the siren was literally ripped (you should've seen the damage) off the fender just a few days after it was installed. The ambulance had come with twin red 17s on the roof, but no siren. The fender had the four-hole bolt pattern already, so the siren fit just. At least the loss wasn't that great financially, as we had gotten it from the old Gordon K. Allen Co. (parent co. of Modular Ambulance Corp.) for a whopping $10!
 
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lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
Very nice find, Doran. This appears to be an early-model SolaRay and the serial # leads me to believe that it's from around 1963.

I've never had a free-standing SolaRay, but we had a short-lived Federal 78 Doubletone siren that had a SolaRay and we really liked it. So did someone else! We had the siren fender-mounted on a '63 Pontiac Consort ambulance, and the siren was literally ripped (you should've seen the damage) off the fender just a few days after it was installed. The ambulance had come with twin red 17s on the roof, but no siren. The fender had the four-hole bolt pattern already, so the siren fit just. At least the loss wasn't that great financially, as we had gotten it from the old Gordon K. Allen Co. (parent co. of Modular Ambulance Corp.) for a whopping $10!
Sorry to hear about your loss! Lol. I'm still cloudy on the production date; were they still using cloth-covered wires in the 60's? This unit has them. It doesn't have the older "Federal Enterprises" tag on it, though. 1963 seems too new for it but I can't imagine it would be from 1953 or 1973.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
I took this apart today and it's quite rusty inside but still workable. I replaced the tag (pictures later) and adjusted the glass lens for a snug fit. Does anybody know what the original bulb was for this? I know it's a PAR 46 with patterned glass, but that's all I know.
 
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894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
Either a 4415 or a 4405X will work just fine but the latter is all but impossible to find. The 4405X was probably the correct bulb and has a similar lens to the 4415 "fog" bulb with the wide fluting to help spread the light wide whilst still allowing distance and a bright flash. These same bulbs were used in the old 4-beam/4-way flashers like the QF-1, but it lacks the filament shield which, in this application would be moot as with any of the other "warning light" applications for the 4405X. The earlier the build date on that 4415, if you're going to use that bulb, the better. The early bulbs had a 1/2 shield covering the top 1/2 of the filament. The later-model units had a shield that would cover the whole filament like the 4530's (the spot bulbs-like what's in there now).
I'm guessing the bulb manufacturers were getting lazy with the 4415's and the only application for the 1/2 shield was that particular bulb so it was more than likely a production decision. I haven't seen ANY of the newer 4415's with the 1/2 shield anymore...
 

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
The problem is that the Model 18 SolaRay is a PAR46 light and the Model 19 PropelloRay is a PAR36 light.
That means that a PAR36 is to small to install in the SolaRay and the 4415 is PAR36.

I could disassamble my SolaRay and check but I think it is to much work to do that.
Sorry.

Michael
 
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894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
Then you're looking at a 4412. Again, the older-the better. The older bulbs had the wider fresnelling, which is what you want. The newer bulbs all had very narrow fluting. Same results overall but it would look more period-specific with the older bulbs...
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
Then you're looking at a 4412. Again, the older-the better. The older bulbs had the wider fresnelling, which is what you want. The newer bulbs all had very narrow fluting. Same results overall but it would look more period-specific with the older bulbs...
Ah, got it! Thanks for the pointer, I got one just now and it should show up in a week.
 
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lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
UPDATE: I have since polished the chrome with some 0000 steel wool. That stuff does an impressive job removing lots of the pitting and buildup. I have also gotten a new tag and the correct bulb for it. Take a look!
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3982_zpsgvlvpc7p.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3981_zps9qkifav2.jpg
ai187.photobucket.com_albums_x301_used18_IMG_3980_zps1zoendhs.jpg
 
Ahem...VIDEO! For your convenience, I quote the pertinent paragraph below:

Article XVII, Section 43, Subsection 2a, Paragraph 1 of the Uniform Code of Conduct regulating posts to this forum CLEARLY STATES: "Any photograph of any warning device posted to this forum, unless for the express purposes of depicting repair or modification processes, MUST INCLUDE A VIDEO of said warning device."
:p

BTW, nice job! Put that puppy under a buffer and it'll look even better.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
Ahem...VIDEO! For your convenience, I quote the pertinent paragraph below:

Article XVII, Section 43, Subsection 2a, Paragraph 1 of the Uniform Code of Conduct regulating posts to this forum CLEARLY STATES: "Any photograph of any warning device posted to this forum, unless for the express purposes of depicting repair or modification processes, MUST INCLUDE A VIDEO of said warning device."
:p

BTW, nice job! Put that puppy under a buffer and it'll look even better.
I will when I can! This light is still very much a work in progress. It was sold as 'not-moving' but that could mean anything from a loose wire to old grease to motor failure. Time will tell. I have no way to power it up at present, so I'm probably going to have to take it into work with me one day soon and test it out with a diesel engine and a set of jumper cables.
 
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jph2

Member
Apr 21, 2012
2,122
USA Michigan
I don't know how I missed this post originally, but that is a great find and you've already improved it 100%! I hope the fix to getting it moving is real simple; that's gonna be real cool. :)
 
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ace0026

New Member
Feb 20, 2020
2
20832
Very nice find, Doran. This appears to be an early-model SolaRay and the serial # leads me to believe that it's from around 1963.

I've never had a free-standing SolaRay, but we had a short-lived Federal 78 Doubletone siren that had a SolaRay and we really liked it. So did someone else! We had the siren fender-mounted on a '63 Pontiac Consort ambulance, and the siren was literally ripped (you should've seen the damage) off the fender just a few days after it was installed. The ambulance had come with twin red 17s on the roof, but no siren. The fender had the four-hole bolt pattern already, so the siren fit just. At least the loss wasn't that great financially, as we had gotten it from the old Gordon K. Allen Co. (parent co. of Modular Ambulance Corp.) for a whopping $10!
I actually have two stand alone in my 1962 Mack. Serial # of one of them is 2A12H1
Know of anybody that repairs them?
 

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lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
Did you have to get them rebuilt? If so where did you send them?
What Tony said. @Skulldigger does an excellent job and breathes life into some of the most hopeless-seeming motors ever. His prices are fair and his turnaround time is excellent. You can find custom reproduction tags for a reasonable price on eBay, if you aren't satisfied with how the original one looks after you clean it up.
 
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