Federal FIRE BALL Family History

[dmathieu]

Split color Fireball domes are exceedingly rare. My 1985 Service Parts Index lists blue-red and green-red as being the only split color domes available as stock items.

It seems to me that it would be easier to split the FB domes front to back than to do a side to side cut.

Back in the early to mid 1960s, the only split offered were the front ot back, and the only one advertised , that I ever saw, was Blue front/Red rear.


This is a nice find!

 

[tsquale]

Wow...as if the Fireball alone wasn't rare enough...knowing that split domes are out there makes me want to begin the hunt...Very nice pieces Ryan and LT!

 

[kitn1mcc]

wonder why the red to the front and white rear

 

[dmathieu]

wonder why the red to the front and white rear

Good question! I know that some mounted these with the slope into the windshield to take up less room on the dash, which would have put the clear to the front.


Just a thought..

 

[Skip Goulet]

A friend of mine in Lubbock bought an old Sears delivery van to use for a small business he had in which he did roadside service. He came up with a used Twinsonic that came with red and blue domes. For what he was doing he couldn't run red to the front in Texas, so he took the two domes off the lightbar and took them to a local plastics manufacturing plant. They were able to cut both domes and put them back together where he had all blue up front (which wasn't illegal) and all red to the back, which was fine. He left Lubbock many years ago, so I never knew what happened to the old van or the unique setup on the Twinsonic.

 

[dmathieu]

RARE original Harley equipment.

 

[Skip Goulet]

RARE original Harley equipment.

Nice, Dan. Something else I've never seen.

 

[stansdds]

Nice, Dan. Something else I've never seen.

Same here. :thumbsup:

 

[ex416]

RARE original Harley equipment.

leather chaps for motorcycle signal lights?

 

[dmathieu]

Looks like the leather cap worn by some cyclists.

 

[stansdds]

Looks like the leather cap worn by some cyclists.

That was my first impression.

 

[dmathieu]

I just received this very nice original FB-1 version green dome for the Fire Ball (left)


The one on the left is the original 1960s version (unstamped top), and is a lighter color.


The one on the right is a newer (F7 stamped top), and is a little darker green

 

[tsquale]

I am diggin' that lighter green!

 

[stansdds]

To my eyes the later, F7 green is a much truer green, the original green looks a little bluish. Nice comparison photos. :thumbsup:

 

[dmathieu]

To my eyes the later, F7 green is a much truer green, the original green looks a little bluish. Nice comparison photos. :thumbsup:

I agree. Usually, the older dome colors are deeper/darker than the newer domes. Not in this case though.

 

[vidal2b]

Very nice !!!


"Magnifique", as we say in France !

 

[Phillyrube]

RARE original Harley equipment.

Cool, a dew rag!

 

[Skip Goulet]

I just received this very nice original FB-1 version green dome for the Fire Ball (left)
The one on the left is the original 1960s version (unstamped top), and is a lighter color.


The one on the right is a newer (F7 stamped top), and is a little darker green

I like the green, Dan. I had a green Hotshot that I found at a flea market many years ago. I'm curious to know who is allowed to run green, such as volunteers in certain areas, etc. Of late I keep hearing that green is now reserved for command vehicles. As I've mentioned in other threads, the '67 Olds ambulance we had, which came from Lyons, Ill., had a big green tunnel light on the driver's side. Green wasn't allowed in TX at the time, so we replaced it with a big red sealed-beams. Another note for your interest, Dan, green sealed-beams weren't available then, so this one was a bulb reflector setup.

 

[dmathieu]

P/n 67625-64


s/n b1 3z

 

[coop359]

Hi guys - No one mentioned Starsky and Hutch with the Gran Torino - the early days of the show - Zebra 3 ran with a still burn Flashball to meet the Cal. law. They had to make sure it was facing forward on the roof to be seen. Later years they switched to the Federal Fireball FBH II which revolved. Coop

 

[coop359]

Hi guys - No one mentioned Starsky and Hutch with the Gran Torino - the early days of the show - Zebra 3 ran with a still burn Flashball to meet the Cal. law. They had to make sure it was facing forward on the roof to be seen. Later years they switched to the Federal Fireball FBH II which revolved. Coop

Forgot about Kojak TV show. He used a FB1 on the roof with a coiled cord which was not a stock cord. Streets of San Francisco - Federal Vitalite on the roof.

 

[dmathieu]

Hi guys - No one mentioned Starsky and Hutch with the Gran Torino - the early days of the show - Zebra 3 ran with a still burn Flashball to meet the Cal. law. They had to make sure it was facing forward on the roof to be seen. Later years they switched to the Federal Fireball FBH II which revolved. Coop

I never saw a "still burn" Flash Ball. I often wondered if Federal made one for the California market. Do you have any pictures from the show?

 

[TheGatekeeper]

Dunno for pictures, but check YouTube, there are several clips of the first season opening credits where the steady red FlashBall is clearly visible...

 

[dmathieu]

Dunno for pictures, but check YouTube, there are several clips of the first season opening credits where the steady red FlashBall is clearly visible...

Every one that I see, has the Flash Ball flashing, not steady on.

 

[stansdds]

And on Starsky and Hutch the first two seasons it was not a FlashBall, but was a Signal Stat 384, which is slightly larger than the Federal Signal FireBall and FlashBall, but the same concept. They used the FBH-11 FireBall on the last two seasons. I do seem to recall that in a few scenes the Signal Stat 384 did not flash, but that was likely due to a failure of the flasher. Many tv shows featuring marked and unmarked California cars got the steady red to the front and flashing amber to the rear wrong.

 

[TheGatekeeper]

Dunno for pictures, but check YouTube, there are several clips of the first season opening credits where the steady red FlashBall is clearly visible...

Now that you mention it, I too remember the FB not rotating, yet flashing in S&H... Didn't question the earlier post, but I think the FlashBall does..well, flash, but not rotate.

 

[A-TAD]

Here is a Fireball I purchased online. It looks like the parts are mixed from different models.


The band says FB12 Series A1, dome is marked F 7 and I am not sure what the base with rotator is.


It has the older metal gears but has some unknown part on it, the cylinder at the back the positive wire goes to.


I circled where the positive wire connects to it and where the neg wire connects under the screw in the bottom of the picture.


This is not factory as the bare wires are just squished under the screws.


Does anyone know what model this is and where the factory pos and neg wires should connect?











Thanks for your help!

 

[dmathieu]

That is an FB-2, which is the permanent mount version original Fire Ball. The screw circled is the grounding screw. Not sure what the cylindar on the back is, but it looks similar to those on 24 Volt military version federal lights. Just a guess.


The retaining band, and F-7 dome are not original to this light.


The 2 screws under/near the red wire are pos. and neg. connection screws.

 

[TheGatekeeper]

Back in 1989, I had traded one FBII for a caseload of FBs at different states of decay... Must have been 10 in the box, most of them having come off patrol bikes, a couple in better shape from unmarked units.


Those from the bikes were all cannibalized as yours... I ended up rebuilding 4, in good working order, with parts from the eight motorcycle models.

 

[badbrad]

I got this several years ago... not sure where.. maybe e bay... still NIB marked FB1 3w or 8 W.


clear lense, 2 wire set up. looks like one wire to run the light second wire to run motor. Included hardware in box is mounting plate and pull switch, I assume to stop the light at a desired spot to use a work light.

 

[dmathieu]

The model # is FB13W.


This is a permanent mount light with motorcycle mounting plate and hardware. The switch is just a on off switch for the rotator.
"NOTE" I now believe this mounting information to be wrong, sorry.



This is not a common model #.


This is a newer version of the Fire Ball.


PM sent.

 

[Abacus]

Actually the first flashball in S&H was a Signal stat. Much discussed here.


I collected the flash balls till I was told the correction.!


The comparison is in my showcase

 

[dmathieu]

Just received this NOS original version (no F7 markings) amber FB-1 Fire Ball/FB-F Flash Ball dome.

 

[Skip Goulet]

Just received this NOS original version (no F7 markings) amber FB-1 Fire Ball/FB-F Flash Ball dome.

Dan: This would be better on one of your R/B threads, but since I've got you here, I'll mention it. Saw the old Peter Sellars film, "Revenge of the Pink Panther" yesterday, and toward the end of the movie it showed a Hong Kong PD unit with a lightbar that featured a pair of RotaBeams (appeared to be RB11s). I'm not sure of the make of the bar. The "police car" had a blue light on the left and red on the right. In one sequence the car was running "hot" and the lights looked neat, but in the next frame, the left-sided blue light was gone. I don't recall having seen the police car being hit, but one minute both lights were working and the next, the blue one had disappeared.

 

[dmathieu]

Dan: This would be better on one of your R/B threads, but since I've got you here, I'll mention it. Saw the old Peter Sellars film, "Revenge of the Pink Panther" yesterday, and toward the end of the movie it showed a Hong Kong PD unit with a lightbar that featured a pair of RotaBeams (appeared to be RB11s). I'm not sure of the make of the bar. The "police car" had a blue light on the left and red on the right. In one sequence the car was running "hot" and the lights looked neat, but in the next frame, the left-sided blue light was gone. I don't recall having seen the police car being hit, but one minute both lights were working and the next, the blue one had disappeared.

You're right, at the very end of that chase scene, there was a perfect close up of the red light. They were Whelen corporals. They were magnetic mount on a bar. That's why they wouldn't stay on

 

[Skip Goulet]

You're right, at the very end of that chase scene, there was a perfect close up of the red light. They were Whelen corporals. They were magnetic mount on a bar. That's why they wouldn't stay on

I never noticed that they were magnetic mounts, Dan. You've got a good eye for an old fart! Well if my vision is going, I shudder to think what next!

 

[Retirednccop]

More pictures.

And


Links to already posted Fire Ball information.


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/question-about-federal-fireballs-10008/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/fire-ball-family-14732/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/rare-second-generation-flashball-44049/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/my-federal-fireball-family-5-colors-france-23214/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/flash-ball-23329/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/any-way-find-info-fireball-fb-1-a-18215/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/federal-signal-fire-ball-emergency-light-bank-37735/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/you-federal-fireball-fans-27227/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/electrical-question-excellent-fb1-23646/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/my-fire-ball-family-links-better-pics-added-22969/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/just-arrived-my-new-federal-signal-french-c-i-e-blue-fireball-46569/

Any idea where I can get new bulbs with the locking base. ?

 

[solid_snake]

Hello Fireball's fan!


I bought that Clear FBH11 on Ebay few days ago.The thing as you can see,there is no "F7" on the top of the dome...?I know there is fireball domes with no markings like the ruby dome or amber or green for the FB1.


You think Federal made clear dome with no markings on it?

 

[dmathieu]

Yes, Federal made clear when they were not marking the domes.


Based on the old H1 bulb (with the metal filament hanger) in this light, it could be one of the first FBH11s, and the dome may be original to this light. I'm not sure exactly when they first started marking the domes.

 

[solid_snake]

Thanks for the answer .


On the motor of the FBh11 it's '78.So 1978 I think.