Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
I am not so sure about that it should be anything that was used as standard for funerals back in the 50s or even the 30s.

I believe it to be a newer thing.

My guess is that you used a colour that was available in the state for this purpose at the time.

I have a model 17 lens and model 121 lens in purple and no one talked about funeral lights when I bought these from Federal in the 80s.

Michael
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
Nope, not a newer thing to use purple for the funeral industry.
1. See the above 1930s-1940s light in purple FUNERAL.
2. The funeral flags/banners used for many years in funeral procession, yep, purple.
3. In 1956 when the Fire Ball came out, for a short time purple/magenta domes were offered in a funeral supply magazine. (I wish I could find one.)
4. For many years, purple has been considered a color of mourning.

Although not universal, purple lights have traditionally been used for the funeral industry in the USA and Canada.
Before the 1940s the only color readily available for emergency lights was red. Once other colors became easier to manufacture, they took on particular generally accepted meanings. One of those generally accepted meanings, purple/funeral.
 
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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE HOPED!!!!
NOS 1st Whelen Automotive Light ROTO-BEAM RB10 BLUE
This is the darkest blue that I've ever seen, with a purple look from some angles. The pictures do not do it justice. This is Whelen's first stab at blue domes.View attachment 219985View attachment 219986View attachment 219987View attachment 219988View attachment 219989
Shipped from Joliet, Illinois to Undertaker's Supply Co. Pennsylvania on 7/26/55 or 56.
Included original shipping box, storage can, instructions, brochure, and newspaper packing.
Definitely one of my rarest RotO-Beams
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
 

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stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
The Whelen Roto-Beam Commander was interesting. As good as the Federal Signal 174 Super Beacon Ray was, the RB Commander might have actually been more effective, especially with alternating colored and clear bulbs. I'm guessing by their scarcity that the RB Commander was no where near as popular as the Federal Signal beacons.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
The Whelen Roto-Beam Commander was interesting. As good as the Federal Signal 174 Super Beacon Ray was, the RB Commander might have actually been more effective, especially with alternating colored and clear bulbs. I'm guessing by their scarcity that the RB Commander was no where near as popular as the Federal Signal beacons.
It was one of the first lights to allow separate colors (based on degrees of sweep) to the front, side and rear. I just added a NOS clear dome one mine. The larger sweep of the commander made it superior to the 174 imho. You could do red/clear to the front and red/amber to the rear with the clear and amber overlapping the sides. I have convinced myself I have the only one left. Someone prove me wrong. I don't know of any other examples left than mine.
 
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stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
It was one of the first lights to allow separate colors (based on degrees of sweep) to the front, side and rear. I just added a NOS clear dome one mine. The larger sweep of the commander made it superior to the 174 imho. You could do red/clear to the front and red/amber to the rear with the clear and amber overlapping the sides. I have convinced myself I have the only one left. Someone prove me wrong. I don't know of any other examples left than mine.
Never seen one on eBay and you can find all sorts of stuff there. I think Federal Signal had so saturated and dominated the emergency beacon market by the time Whelen joined the party that Whelen simply could not out compete Federal Signal. What Whelen had that Federal Signal did not offer were the compact beacons, Corporal and RB-66, and strobes. Whelen really dominated the strobe market for a long time before Federal Signal tried to get in on that action.
 
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LineSpotter

Member
Nov 6, 2013
195
AmericanSouthwest
Just how common were the smaller Rota-Beams used as so-called "throw lights"?

I recently watched Fuzz (1972) and caught a glimpse of a blue RB on one of the Boston PD cars in a later scene of the movie. I couldn't tell if it was a 66 or a Corporal, but definitely one the short models. It stood out among all the PowerLights on the marked patrol cars.

I grew up in the Milwaukee/Chicago area and remember seeing just a few on unmarked prowlers during the 70's. The MFD Chaplin used a red one on his car until he got a van in the early 80's, then he switched to a red/clear one on the dash and a permanent 184 on the roof.

After seeing the movie this week I started thinking that I had never seen any other ones during that era, nor do I recall ever seeing one in a movie. Were they more common in other regions of the country?
 
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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
In the 1960s-1970s these were quite common in many parts of the country, especially in the Northeast.
These were very effective lights, especially if the bulb was properly focused.
 

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LineSpotter

Member
Nov 6, 2013
195
AmericanSouthwest
At what time stamp in the movie was this seen?
No idea specifically but I want to say it was roughly one hour in. In spite of having a number of well known and up & coming actors it was pretty bad and a sleeper. After the first 15 minutes or so the only reason I kept watching was due to the era vehicles, lights, equipment, guns, early 70's vibe, etc. It was an on-demand download from Tubi IIRC, I had never heard of it prior.

There were a number of marked BPD Prowlers with PowerLights in the scene and behind them was a loan unmarked car, you could see the light sitting on the edge of the roof near the side window and tipped a bit as if someone just reached up and set it there. That's why I was wondering how common they were used that way in other areas. Aside for the few I mentioned the only other place I ever saw them was on the rear of Fire Equipment and once on a boat.

My most favorite light are the lensed ones like the RB family and the BR Jr
Sadly I only have a couple since all the ones I seem to come across are trashed or NFS
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
Personally, I don't think that throwing (placing) a magnetically held beacon on the roof of a vehicle, then immediately going on a call or pursuit was all that common. I think that was more of a contrivance of Hollywood.

When Federal Signal introduced the Fireball, it was a dedicated compact beacon to be kept inside the vehicle and used on the dashboard or roof. It did not take long before Federal Signal added a swiveling attachment point to the base of the Fireball as well as the much larger Junior Beacon Ray. The purpose of the swiveling attachment was for it to engage a screw in the roof of the vehicle. Those little magnets in the base of the Junior Beacon Ray, Fireball FB-1, Vitalite, and the Whelen Rota-Beams are not that powerful and the force of wind over the roof of a fast moving vehicle can certainly make them move along the roof.

When Federal Signal replaced the Fireball FB-1 with the friction drive FB-11, they also ditched the three little magnets and swivel attachment in favor of a single, large, rectangular magnet that was slightly small than the entire base of the Fireball. No swivel attachment needed with that magnet as it had a very powerful pull.
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
Agreed standds, on the very early RB11 Rota-Beams had a roof security mounting clip added for a very short time. The 3 magnets held better to the roofs of the older vehicles because of thicker metal used in those days. These"throw lights were still known to fly off and bounce off the pavement while hanging from the cord.
As a side note, I have a Whelen Rota-Beam advertising page that touts the Rota-Beam as being the very first magnet mount portable warning light in 1955/56, soon followed by the Fire Ball, also in 1956.
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
This winter's plow light.
Whelen's larger Rota-Beam Model 22 Senior, Factory Magnet mount fitted with 50 Watt Halogen bulb.
 

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Lt.214

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
587
Southwest Ohio USA
I bought this, just for what it is. A rare split domed 66 year old first generation Rota-Beam.
I think I will keep it with it's copious "patina"
Great dome! Is the blue that deep/dark in reality or is the camera lens adding to it? I know alot of the early dome colors were deeper/richer than later, more modern colors across many of the manufacturers in the early days.

Chris
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Now in my posession. Works great and quiet. Appx. 66 years old, Whelen's 1st stab at split domes.
That "stab" looks like it didn't heal fully lol. Seriously though, early split domes are often not 50/50 or the glue has hardened. Very cool.
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
The glue joint is not the prettiest, but the pieces are exactly half. The glue used is not cloudy, but nice and clear. Based on info from an oldtime Whelen employee, this entire split operation was done by hand.I re-enforced with dental type ultra-violet activated glue.
 
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ur20v

Member
Feb 3, 2017
571
Northern Virginia
That's pretty cool, the additional half lenses in between. What kind of light output do those have?

Sometimes when I look at some of these older Rotabeams, at least the smaller ones, it seems to me the rotating lens holder sits really low in relation to the height of the dome, and it almost looks like the bottom portion of the lenses is cut off by the upper edge of the skirt...
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
!st is WRM aircraft light which for a time had the extra magnifying glasses.
In the pic with 3, 1st is aircraft light, but if no extra magnifyers, same lens cage as Corporal and Model 66. 2nd is Deputy and RB11. 3rd is Senior, Senior Deputy, Models 22, 44, and 55.
 
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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
That's pretty cool, the additional half lenses in between. What kind of light output do those have?

Sometimes when I look at some of these older Rotabeams, at least the smaller ones, it seems to me the rotating lens holder sits really low in relation to the height of the dome, and it almost looks like the bottom portion of the lenses is cut off by the upper edge of the skirt...
Th Corporal has a small portion of the lens obstructed by the rubber gasket at the bottom of the dome. This has no real effect on brightness or effectiveness.
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
!st is WRM aircraft light which for a time had the extra magnifying glasses.
In the pic with 3, 1st is aircraft light, but if no extra magnifyers, same lens cage as Corporal and Model 66. 2nd is Deputy and RB11. 3rd is Senior, Senior Deputy, Models 22, 44, and 55.

That would seem to be correct (the WRM), I got a pile of what I believe is aircraft equipment in a lot. The domes were glass so that follows the theory. The hourglass portions seem to help with vertical light spread, which would be helpful on the bottom of an aircraft. I also have a bunch of other odd stuff from the lot I will picture soon. The aviation to vehicle crossover Whelen had is really a much more interesting situation than I previously knew.
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
Here's a sampling of my Rota-Beam based aircraft anti-collision lights. All the way from the very 1st in 1952.
 

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