Cheetah CH28 mini lightbars from Gladstone FD

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
Clever way to make colored halogen bulbs. Are those mirrors plastic panels?
 

Sparky_911

Supporting Donor
May 15, 2013
2,648
Central Illinois
Wow...wonder why this design wasn't more popular?
 
May 21, 2010
1,256
Minnesota
I had some of those glass bulb filters 20 something years ago. IIRC they had a higher rate of overheating the bulb. Don't care though, wish I still had them. Nice grab!
 
Jun 18, 2013
3,709
PA
Yes, the bulb sleeves were something new to me. Those are glass. The mirrors are also actual glass mirror.

I would assume so, since plastic so close to a halogen bulb would turn into melted mess.
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
I hope he puts something period correct on that engine. The bars are cool and look better in your collection than on that truck IMHO.
 
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Those are cool minibars! The flashes really pop. Colored plastic domes reduce candle power output significantly (red is worst…up to 85% CP loss). Glass allows much more CP output, but to make red glass, gold is added to the molten glass ($$$). I used Pyrex tubes with hobby store “stained glass” dye on my DMS. Never had issues with heat buildup.
B3D313F0-421D-45AC-8838-800679054EDA.jpeg
 

tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,511
Minnesota, USA
Finally got them on display with my other Cheetah mini. Note that the blue domed one has an extra metal strip along the base. That is to hide the magnets as it was a magnet mount model with cig plug. They are otherwise the same and it still irritates the heck out of me that the seller I got the blue one from shipped it without packing material, damaging it.20221124_234950.jpg
 

894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
Able 2 offered those colored bulbs as an option for the early halogen "hideaways". Instead of corner strobes, you could do hideaways in halogen w/ a flasher. They were basically glass test tubes epoxied to the 795X bulbs. I have a bunch left-over at the shop... I used them in a Jetstream I ran, back in the day, on my own truck. That way there were no filters in the Jet to ID my truck, kind of like an LED bar, nowadays. My own version of a "stealth unit". The reds were pretty dark but the color was true. The ambers were nice and the blues were pretty washed-out, even when they were new but that was the only option.
 

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tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,511
Minnesota, USA
Able 2 offered those colored bulbs as an option for the early halogen "hideaways". Instead of corner strobes, you could do hideaways in halogen w/ a flasher. They were basically glass test tubes epoxied to the 795X bulbs. I have a bunch left-over at the shop... I used them in a Jetstream I ran, back in the day, on my own truck. That way there were no filters in the Jet to ID my truck, kind of like an LED bar, nowadays. My own version of a "stealth unit". The reds were pretty dark but the color was true. The ambers were nice and the blues were pretty washed-out, even when they were new but that was the only option.
I'd be interested in buying 2 red and 2 blue of those bulbs from you if they're for sale.
 

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