Code 3 Mini SD with "select alert", kinda

[JohnMarcson]

I just got a Code 3 SD bar that is setup in a manner similar to select alert, but with no option to run the bar in full 360 mode. It is all clear with two rotating assemblies. They only light up to the front and sides and it looks very factory. It was made near the end of the sealed beam era (late 1980s) and has some parts I'm not used to seeing like a tensioning lever on the belt. I'm not sure if it was part of a multi-bar setup that was trying to avoid clear to the rear or what the intent was. I have a video linked on youtube. It is for sale I think, I'm not sure I'm enough of a Code 3 fan to apricate it. I included a catalog description of how select alert usually works, this bar it is just not selectable, you never get light to the rear.

Video has my narration (sorry) and HD is still uploading.

 

[801]

Very interesting bar, I wonder if it was a special order.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Very interesting bar, I wonder if it was a special order.

I would think so, maybe someone doing a FDNY style 3 mini bar setup on a fire engine and the the center one was clear and they wanted to avoid rear clear light. Either that or a demo, but the lack of any option to toggle the rear portion on makes me think special order, a demo would have more features not less. Either way an odd order especially in the last years of the sealed beams when when blacking out the rear of a bar was becoming more common and would have been a more simple solution.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Interesting.. I would need to back through and look at my XL/SD sealed beams. I thought they all came with the belt tensioner its possible I might have just missed that.

Nice find.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Interesting.. I would need to back through and look at my XL/SD sealed beams. I thought they all came with the belt tensioner its possible I might have just missed that.

Nice find.

None of the others I have have one, if they did I'm not sure how a stinger would fit. I would love a picture of a stinger in front of a tensioner, I'd never seen one before. Here is my other bar with a stinger.



And here is with a mirror



Routing completely omits the tensioner.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Interesting.. I would need to back through and look at my XL/SD sealed beams. I thought they all came with the belt tensioner its possible I might have just missed that.

Nice find.

Some more pics from various belt drive XLs and SDs. I'm guessing it can be removed to accommodate a stinger although the "no tensioner examples" didn't have a stinger there. I've never seen one before but I also have worked on maybe 10 belt drive code 3 bars total.

No tensioner



Tensioner (current SD)

 

[stansdds]

I'm guessing it was special ordered to blank out flashes to the back of the bar.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Some more pics from various belt drive XLs and SDs. I'm guessing it can be removed to accommodate a stinger although the "no tensioner examples" didn't have a stinger there. I've never seen one before but I also have worked on maybe 10 belt drive code 3 bars total.

No tensioner
View attachment 235930View attachment 235932
View attachment 235931

Tensioner (current SD)
View attachment 235933View attachment 235934

So going back through all the pictures I have taken over the years I have a mixed bag of XL9Ks and SD bars. Some have the tensioner while others do not, my guess is it because a revision to deal with the timing belts as they age out and stretch. I even found a post on here where I talk about belt routing and it has the tensioner.. ms paint skills and all.

 

[JohnMarcson]

So going back through all the pictures I have taken over the years I have a mixed bag of XL9Ks and SD bars. Some have the tensioner while others do not, my guess is it because a revision to deal with the timing belts as they age out and stretch. I even found a post on here where I talk about belt routing and it has the tensioner.. ms paint skills and all.

Interesting. I wonder what manner of bracket is needed to mount a stinger in front of the tensioner. I am betting the tensioner is a later addition, but who knows it might have been an option for all I know. Oddly enough the literature that came with this bar states the belts can function under a variety of tension and need not be adjusted, which is funny since it has an adjustment.

 

[JohnMarcson]

I'm guessing it was special ordered to blank out flashes to the back of the bar.

Agreed, that's the only good explanation; my question is under what circumstance? I'm going with side or center bar on a fire truck with multiple mini bars vs. one full bar, but it could be anything.

 

[stansdds]

Agreed, that's the only good explanation; my question is under what circumstance? I'm going with side or center bar on a fire truck with multiple mini bars vs. one full bar, but it could be anything.

Or a tailboard warning light on a fire apparatus, certainly would not want clear flashes in the driver's side mirror.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Or a tailboard warning light on a fire apparatus, certainly would not want clear flashes in the driver's side mirror.

That too.... With amber/red bulbs that would be a viable use as well. We may never know the true intended purpose other than one side cut out.

 

[kitn1mcc]

whoa thats neat

 

[EHFD_Tower_751]

That was pretty cool and unique.

Almost like they wanted to do a wigwag/selectalert setup (to me thats how it looked anyways).

 

[JohnMarcson]

I think this whole bar comes down to someone couldn't or wouldn't black out the back of a SD bar. Anyone remember if the SD had a lens blackout options? I know the XL did.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I think this whole bar comes down to someone couldn't or wouldn't black out the back of a SD bar. Anyone remember if the SD had a lens blackout options? I know the XL did.

I have a split R/B SD dome, but its split width, not length. I've never seen a blacked out SD dome.. that is not to say that it doesn't exist somewhere. The general rule of thumb is that code 3 did just about whatever you wanted if you had the $$.

 

[JohnMarcson]

...The general rule of thumb is that code 3 did just about whatever you wanted if you had the $$.

I think that statement answers both the blacked out dome question and the "why does this bar exist" question. Someone needed no rear flash and this is how they built it. Code 3 did in fact build pretty much anything the customer wanted in their "halogen heyday".

Now I have more questions:

• Being a late SD why not go with an XL and use the same feature or rear dome black panel?
• Why was there an extra one sitting around? I don't know of any major builders or departments that would just order this to have on hand.

What we do know:

• The bar was designed to never under any circumstance have a 360 degree mode.
• The bar was ordered with a clear dome, so colors could be deceiving (i.e. colored bulbs used).
• The bar appears unaltered. Meaning someone didn't remove the second set of brushes or add select alert rotator pods to a regular bar. There is no sign of any "tinkering" at all.

So my guess is either a tailboard bar that was going to get colored bulbs or a front/side bar for an apparatus using multiple minibars either on the roof or "down low Syracuse style". Either way it is a unique way to approach not wanting "rear" flash. If anyone "sees one in the wild" via pictures, videos or in person let me know.

The bar is from an antiques dealer in MI, I know Marysville MI used Code 3 bars in their "grills" of their pumpers for a while.

I'm picturing something like the pic below. I know Phoenix used SD bars "in the grill" in all clear, and Syracuse used a variety of bars in a similar place (I think the SD in the last picture has rear black out too).

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

nm website lost my entire post.. forget it.

 

[lotsofbars]

Dude, you posted the picture of Oswego, NY FD's old Engine 1 (yellow E-One engine with the XL on front). I didn't know anybody knew about that truck, and it was put out of service like 15 years ago. I always thought it was weird that they used mini Aeros on the roof, but used a short XL on the front. ANYWAY, I'm inclined to say that your light here was used on the roof, as I know lots of different methods were used to cut light from the front/rear of vehicles. I think it's really cool that this came like this from the factory, and I think it's weird that someone back in the late 80s thought it was worth the hassle to order this, vs just blacking out the rear of the dome.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Dude, you posted the picture of Oswego, NY FD's old Engine 1 (yellow E-One engine with the XL on front). I didn't know anybody knew about that truck, and it was put out of service like 15 years ago. I always thought it was weird that they used mini Aeros on the roof, but used a short XL on the front. ANYWAY, I'm inclined to say that your light here was used on the roof, as I know lots of different methods were used to cut light from the front/rear of vehicles. I think it's really cool that this came like this from the factory, and I think it's weird that someone back in the late 80s thought it was worth the hassle to order this, vs just blacking out the rear of the dome.

I would agree, it was likely for the roof. It also has a V mirror vs. diamond mirror which goes along with the "factory designed" claim. I just wonder if this option was seen as more sleek than a blacked out dome. It certainly is a lot of extra trouble to go to just to restrict rear flash all the time. It isn't like normal select alert where you can toggle it. In the end we may never know the actual purpose other than "front only".

 

[stansdds]

I would agree, it was likely for the roof. It also has a V mirror vs. diamond mirror which goes along with the "factory designed" claim. I just wonder if this option was seen as more sleek than a blacked out dome. It certainly is a lot of extra trouble to go to just to restrict rear flash all the time. It isn't like normal select alert where you can toggle it. In the end we may never know the actual purpose other than "front only".

As far as I know, the sealed beam SD had only "V" mirrors due to clearance over the drive motor. I do agree, it is a more aesthetically pleasing method of eliminating flashes to the rear of the bar that blacking out the back portion of the lens.

 

[JohnMarcson]

As far as I know, the sealed beam SD had only "V" mirrors due to clearance over the drive motor. I do agree, it is a more aesthetically pleasing method of eliminating flashes to the rear of the bar that blacking out the back portion of the lens.

There are diamond mirrors in older code 3 bars they are cut out at the back base for the belt. There are diamond mirrors in my other belt drive "less odd" belt drive mini code 3 bars.... but you are right, the V is by no means only found in this type of bar.

 

[stansdds]

There are diamond mirrors in older code 3 bars they are cut out at the back base for the belt. There are diamond mirrors in my other belt drive "less odd" belt drive mini code 3 bars.... but you are right, the V is by no means only found in this type of bar.

I've seen plenty of sealed beam XL's with that type of diamond mirror, just never seen one in a SD with sealed beams.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I've seen plenty of sealed beam XL's with that type of diamond mirror, just never seen one in a SD with sealed beams.

Could possibly be due to the fact that the motor mounting postion and plate are different between the Gen 2 SD and the XL9K.

Or at least they were on the handful I worked with.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Could possibly be due to the fact that the motor mounting postion and plate are different between the Gen 2 SD and the XL9K.

Or at least they were on the handful I worked with.

The literature does mention rear only via select alert in the "beacon bars" but not dome blackout, so that's kind of an answer to that question.

My XL9000 diamond mirror fits in this bar so I don't know, but a stinger doesn't... again I have no idea. The end of the sealed beam era for code 3 was full of oddities. However all my literature shows the diamond as possible. I also see there are a few motor orientations, belt routes and motor configurations, so that obviously was a thing.

I do agree motor position/setup makes a huge difference and varied a lot. I also posted a pic below of different motor orientations, one allows a V and one a Diamond and one that allows a stinger. I have no idea the reason for the difference. However the bar I have has the motor positioned "backawards", but the diamond mirror fits. Looking through my bars and literature I had no idea how many different setups there were for motor position in the belt drive bars. The motor makes the difference in what fits between the rotators it would seem.

As pointed out previously by a few users, Code 3 would build about anything, so I'm sure if a customer wanted something there was a modification and/or a mounting plate to accommodate.; but yes diamond was hardly a default in SDs with belt drive.

 

[ryan]

The literature does mention rear only via select alert in the "beacon bars" but not dome blackout, so that's kind of an answer to that question.

My XL9000 diamond mirror fits in this bar so I don't know, but a stinger doesn't... again I have no idea. The end of the sealed beam era for code 3 was full of oddities. However all my literature shows the diamond as possible. I also see there are a few motor orientations, belt routes and motor configurations, so that obviously was a thing.

I do agree motor position/setup makes a huge difference and varied a lot. I also posted a pic below of different motor orientations, one allows a V and one a Diamond and one that allows a stinger. I have no idea the reason for the difference. However the bar I have has the motor positioned "backawards", but the diamond mirror fits. Looking through my bars and literature I had no idea how many different setups there were for motor position in the belt drive bars. The motor makes the difference in what fits between the rotators it would seem.

As pointed out previously by a few users, Code 3 would build about anything, so I'm sure if a customer wanted something there was a modification and/or a mounting plate to accommodate.; but yes diamond was hardly a default in SDs with belt drive.



View attachment 236146View attachment 236147View attachment 236148
View attachment 236149View attachment 236150View attachment 236152View attachment 236153

Love this thread. Love the bar!!!

 

[JohnMarcson]

Love this thread. Love the bar!!!

Apparently there are a few out there....