Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History

[dmathieu]

With matching NOS amber domes.

 

[dmathieu]

Odd Voltage

 

[kitn1mcc]

what color wires are coming off of it. also check the motor i wonder if maybe it was missed marked

 

[dmathieu]

what color wires are coming off of it. also check the motor i wonder if maybe it was missed marked

White/white.


Seems to be correctly marked, from the pics I've seen.

 

[kitn1mcc]

White/white.
Seems to be correctly marked, from the pics I've seen.

if it was DC it would need to be polarized

 

[dmathieu]

Hmmmm.... What do you think should I go after it?

 

[dmathieu]

Added NOS 994 to Twin 44 Bar

 

[jradue]

Added NOS 994 to Twin 44 Bar

Did you get that from Marcson???

 

[dmathieu]

Indirectly

 

[jradue]

Indirectly

How about some video of that display. It looks like its wired.

 

[Skip Goulet]

How about some video of that display. It looks like its wired.

So is Dan, most of the time!

 

[dmathieu]

So is Dan, most of the time!

Heh-heh-heh

 

[rwo978]

My RB6s... I've read of a purple dome, but never seen one. Guess that'll be my next find.

 

[Skip Goulet]

My RB6s... I've read of a purple dome, but never seen one. Guess that'll be my next find.

View attachment 70084

Whelen does offer the purple dome. They're shown in their "funeral lighting" section. A wrecker service in Odessa is running Edge bars on their trucks, and those bars all have purple domes. Most unusual, and eye-catching, if you're not expecting it.

 

[rwo978]

Well, I actually got lucky and found NOS purple domes today.... we'll see if/when they show up.

 

[rwo978]

It showed up. Shows more blue in the pics, but it is purple. Now I just have to find another base, swapped domes with the green for the pic.


Guy had 2, so I grabbed them both. I have another NOS for any collector seeking one. PM me.

 

[CodeMan]

Great thread ! Very informative ...

 

[dmathieu]

The Model RB6 single and double faced reflector models took the place of the Models 33 and 77 which had taken the place of the Senior Deputy Model 44.

 

[Iowamedic2013]

I'll add my RBII just because

 

[warubozu47]

Another Honolulu Police Rota-beam

 

[Skip Goulet]

Another Honolulu Police Rota-beam

I love that "Whatchu lookin' at stare given to the photog!

 

[warubozu47]

Not sure what I think about this, but did it anyway. I do think that if I keep it this way, i'll need mount the LED cage to riser plate rather than a flat one...


Cruise light

 

[warubozu47]

Here is a video... Not the greatest.

 

[stansdds]

Is this where we call out the Classic Emergency Equipment Inquisition Team (CEE-IT) and proclaim heresy?


Actually, that does not look bad. Adding a rise to the base of the LED assembly might make it a bit more effective, but it's not at all a bad modification... assuming that you did not gut a perfectly good Roto-beam to do this.

 

[warubozu47]

Is this where we call out the Classic Emergency Equipment Inquisition Team (CEE-IT) and proclaim heresy?

Actually, that does not look bad. Adding a rise to the base of the LED assembly might make it a bit more effective, but it's not at all a bad modification... assuming that you did not gut a perfectly good Roto-beam to do this.

LOL you may have to call the CEE-IT...


After sleeping on it, I may actually go completely retro and add a LED cruise light housing on the top of the LED cage. That would look more "accurate"; if I did that, I could leave the flat plate in there rather than use a raised one. I did decommission both the new Rota-Beam and and older Model 44 to do this. Both can be restored to their original condition.

 

[stansdds]

LOL you may have to call the CEE-IT...

After sleeping on it, I may actually go completely retro and add a LED cruise light housing on the top of the LED cage. That would look more "accurate"; if I did that, I could leave the flat plate in there rather than use a raised one. I did decommission both the new Rota-Beam and and older Model 44 to do this. Both can be restored to their original condition.

So you did commit an act of heresy! You leave us no choice, prepare yourself for...

 

[Skip Goulet]

Here is a video... Not the greatest.

Whoooa! Now how'd you do that? How did you synch it to make it look like a rotating light.

 

[lotsofbars]

Not sure what I think about this, but did it anyway. I do think that if I keep it this way, i'll need mount the LED cage to riser plate rather than a flat one...

I actually really like it. I'm not normally one for the whole "new into old retrofit" game but I think this came out exceptionally well.

 

[Skip Goulet]

So you did commit an act of heresy! You leave us no choice, prepare yourself for...

That's what you call monk--eying around!


When I first glanced at that video it reminded me of the late Bro. Dave Gardner's comic routine in which he making fun of the day that Brutus killed Julius Caesar. According to Gardner's routine Caesar says to Brutus: "Et tu Brute?" (You, too, Brutus?) and Brutus says, "No man, I ain't et nothin'."

 

[warubozu47]

Whoooa! Now how'd you do that? How did you synch it to make it look like a rotating light.

The R416 actually was designed to look like a rotator. It has different patterns fast, slow,sweep, etc. Pretty cool!

 

[warubozu47]

I actually really like it. I'm not normally one for the whole "new into old retrofit" game but I think this came out exceptionally well.

Yeah, I agree, but thought i'd give it a try; it has started to grow on me. lol

 

[Skip Goulet]

The R416 actually was designed to look like a rotator. It has different patterns fast, slow,sweep, etc. Pretty cool!

I was just on the Grote website and they have a rotating LED beacon in blue and amber only. Looks nice. No price given.

 

[dmathieu]

MINT! MINT! Near if not NOS Original 1st version Deputy in Whelen's original darker blue.

Instead of the later rivets, the dome has screw and barrel nuts to slide under the dome retainers. The base is not stainless steel, but chrome plated what looks like copper color underneath in an unplated portion.

I included pics of the older, deeper and the newer, lighter Whelen blues. The pics do not do it justice. This light is near perfect, and the blue is darker than the pictures show.

 

[jmccarthy]

whats the story on these ones? my buddy mike has one with the flash mirrors and his was the first I have ever seen, so after reading this thread I deem you are the expert on these so I figured you could give me some history/rarity of these if they are rare at all. Thanks

 

[dmathieu]

See page one of this thread.

New in late 1977-early 1978. Took the place of the Corporal. They were advertised to compete with the Federal Fire Ball. 

Somewhat rare in really nice/NOS condition, but they are out there.

Nice new looking mirrors are somewhat rarer. I had a bunch  professionally made, exact copies. Sold all but the two I kept.

 

[stansdds]

That's a nice, old Deputy.  I really like the old blue vs. the pale, sickly blue used later in production.  It probably is copper beneath the chrome plating.  Cheap chome plating would be chrome directly over nickel, but the bond is poor and the chrome can crack and peel.  The proper way to chrome steel is to first plate the surface with a thin layer of copper, then a thin layer of nickel and finally a layer of chrome.  It is expensive, but it is more durable.

 

[dmathieu]

Aaahhh, that's why the copper! I never knew them to make a copper base.

Whelen's first RB10s ans RB11s had chrome plated steel bases, then started using chrome over brass. I believe this Deputy is brass as it is not attracted to a magnet.

Thanks for the info.

 

[dmathieu]

Here's another beauty!

Very first version ROTA BEAM RB11, 1955 vintage.

Looks to be NOS, never used, in original shipping can.

There are many noticable differences between Version 1, and Version 3, which is the one Whelen produced untill 1992.

This light was rebadged for Pyle National Company, Chicago, Illinois, and named the PORTABLE instead of the Whelen badged RB11.

This is my 2nd Version 1 Pyle Rebadge, and I have a Version.2 Pyle Rebadge.

I believe Whelen had it's first roots in Illinois.

See page one of this thread for further information and pictures.

 

[dmathieu]

Just bought this NOS GLASS dome that fits the Whelen Rota-Beam Model 66, and vintage WRM aircraft lights.

 

[Skip Goulet]

That's an unusual light, Dan.   Pyle National is now North American.  I know they were building their own lights in '55.  I wonder why they had Whelen build this one for them.  Interesting, indeed, and nice.  I had a nice red Responder w/o the mirror attachment that disappeared on me a while back.