Whelen responder 2

Lightman3554

New Member
Feb 7, 2021
11
Virginia
I just purchased a whelen responder 2 I think 2nd gen not sure on that this is my first responder mini light bar it is magnet mount with cigar plug. I was wanting to know if anyone had any information on it? Also I was wanting to know if someone on here had it for sale on ebay pictures from ebay at the end I am going to add this to my small collection and was wanting to get all of the information I can on it. Thanks in advance for any information and your time Screenshot_20221203-184425.png
 

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Lightman3554

New Member
Feb 7, 2021
11
Virginia
I found out he knows pretty much everything about these bars and reached out to him he told me a lot and I'm glad people on here are very knowledgeable about emergency lights so people like me that aren't very knowledgeable can learn and hopefully keep the hobby going for years to come
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
that is a 2nd gen bar early 2nd gen
Not to be the "axe-shoe-lah-we" guy, but.......It is a mid to later gen 2. The early second gen still had the smaller rotators from gen 1, but in the gen 2 frame/dome. This bar has gen 2 rotators in a gen 2 housing.

Here is a generation 1 bar sitting on top of an early generation 2 bar. Note the different dome but the same rotators.

gen2.JPG


Full Gen 1 (respond-a-strobe), gen 1 dome and gen 1 rotators
1670893805505.png

Another early gen 2 (respond-a-strobe) with gen 1 rotators
gen2a.JPG

Later more standard gen 2 (respond-a-strobe) with gen 2 rotators
gen 2b.JPG

This is a real oddity. Smaller "brushless" advantedge plus style rotators in a gen 2 dome (retrofit?)
odd.JPG

Following the gen 2 domes came the gen 3 dome which was much bigger and borrowed the regular advantedge rotators; first deep dish then brushless.

So this would be gen 3 dome, gen 3 rotators. Early gen 3 used metal V mirrors.
gen 3 rot 1.JPG

This would be gen 3 dome gen 4 rotators. Later gen 3 used plastic diamond mirrors.
gen 3 rot 2.JPG

Finally the Gen 3 dome received "ball bearing" delta style rotators
genlater.JPG
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
oh ok i was going by the fluting on the lens base. i know the later gen 2 did not have it
also being were i am i have scene and worked on some franken versions
There are many crossovers and exceptions; more between gen 1 and 2 but also gen 3. Gen 1 had smooth fake metal shiney bands around the bottom. Gen 2 had vertical ribbed texture on the base, some a lot more than others (to the point where some seemed smooth). Gen 3 the dome just had a raised area at the bottom. Gen 1 domes could have their height altered easily and the first respond-a-strobe had quite a bit of height added.

Also gen 1 and 2 domes came with cutouts for the respond-a-strobe first an "almost round" par 80h type insert then edge alley light insert. Gen 3 did not allow for a cutout, clear domes were required to make a directional strobe a different color than the dome. The domes in 1, 2, and 3 all came split and with filters. The gen 2 rotator filters are almost impossible to find now (people think the most recent ones fit, but they don't). The tone/warmth of the colors, usually amber, varied a great deal. There was deep amber, pale yellow, and ones in-between. Blue, green, and red varied a bit, but not as much. Some domes had stickers/labels on top, gen 1 and gen 2 usually had embossed logos on top. The embossed labels could be contradicted by the stickers. Gen 3 had stickers on the base only.

Gen 1 and gen 2 domes can be interchanged, their base plates were metal, gen 3 were plastic and larger. Once you get into gen 3 you start to get rotators that don't fit in gen 1 and 2, but the 4x3 strobe and Austin 360 strobes do. Interestingly, the original par 36 strobe from the first respond-a-strobe was so tall it caused them to add dome height to gen 1 but it is even oversized for gen 3.

The variations were almost endless and could be caused by field replacements, home brews, and even factory "specials". Really no combination is off limits if the components fit. Whelen also offered retrofit rotator replacements for gen 2 well into the second phase of gen 3.

I have a PDF on my home PC that lays out the progression, there is a bunch of crossover. Also Austin Electronics having their own versions led to a more fluid timeline.

tldr; If you can physically combine it in a responder bar, it was combined.
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Here is a reference for domes and rotator gens
respgen.png

Here is a general look
resptype.png
 
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