dmathieu
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Federal Jr. Beacon Ray
- Thread starter Captain4164
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Captain4164
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Nope, still rotates real slow. Guess Ill live with it until I can find a 6v motor and see if that helps any
I like the way you made your own quick-disconnect for the junior. You shouldn't have any movement with the three big magnets in place now. I noticed the little "O" siren sitting on the counter in the one pic. Did you use something else on the truck in its place?
Speaking of the quick-disconnects that were "home brew", I saw one on an ambulance in Junction, TX, a small town SW of San Antonio. Back then the ambulance was a '57 Ford wagon with a Sireno siren mounted under the hood. The beacon was a two-lamp Sireno beacon. They mounted a bracket on the roof that resembled the hasp for a gate, but with an opening and space for a slide. The beacon was actually a demountable beacon with the threaded stud that would ordinarily go thru the roof to be held in place by a big wing nut. But what they did was to have a space for the threaded stud to slide along this "hasp" device, and then the wing nut could be applied to hold the light in place. Very strange, but I guess it worked, as I've never heard of them losing the light on the run. They eventually switched that setup to a '64 Buick wagon that replaced the Ford wagon.
It's too bad that the big donut magnets weren't available when the Juniors first came out. I've seen vehicles with Juniors mounted using the old style magnets, and they just didn't hold. The original 15 magnetic model also had the little eyelet mounted to the base that would swing out where it would slip over a #10 or #12 sheet metal screw that could be put in the roof. That was supposed to provide stability in case those magnets failed, but it just didn't work all that well. Ellis Funeral Home here in Midland had a Junior on their '58 Chrysler ambulance, and they lost that light off the top more than once. When the Chrysler was replaced by a '59 Ford wagon they permanently mounted it on the Ford. But then the Ford was replaced by a '63 Chevy wagon, and it was disastrous. By then the old magnets were totally worn out, and Newnie Ellis didn't want to drill holes in the new wagon, so they put some ridiculous suction cups on the bottom of the light. Never worked. It came off on the first run and was so badly damaged that it never went back on. I would've never wanted to have gone on a run in that wagon. After they lost the jr. they simply put red sealed beam where the high beam lights were and had them on an alternating flasher; and the car had NO siren! I saw them on a couple of runs just running with the red lights on and no siren, just using the horn. I just shook my head and groaned!
Speaking of the quick-disconnects that were "home brew", I saw one on an ambulance in Junction, TX, a small town SW of San Antonio. Back then the ambulance was a '57 Ford wagon with a Sireno siren mounted under the hood. The beacon was a two-lamp Sireno beacon. They mounted a bracket on the roof that resembled the hasp for a gate, but with an opening and space for a slide. The beacon was actually a demountable beacon with the threaded stud that would ordinarily go thru the roof to be held in place by a big wing nut. But what they did was to have a space for the threaded stud to slide along this "hasp" device, and then the wing nut could be applied to hold the light in place. Very strange, but I guess it worked, as I've never heard of them losing the light on the run. They eventually switched that setup to a '64 Buick wagon that replaced the Ford wagon.
It's too bad that the big donut magnets weren't available when the Juniors first came out. I've seen vehicles with Juniors mounted using the old style magnets, and they just didn't hold. The original 15 magnetic model also had the little eyelet mounted to the base that would swing out where it would slip over a #10 or #12 sheet metal screw that could be put in the roof. That was supposed to provide stability in case those magnets failed, but it just didn't work all that well. Ellis Funeral Home here in Midland had a Junior on their '58 Chrysler ambulance, and they lost that light off the top more than once. When the Chrysler was replaced by a '59 Ford wagon they permanently mounted it on the Ford. But then the Ford was replaced by a '63 Chevy wagon, and it was disastrous. By then the old magnets were totally worn out, and Newnie Ellis didn't want to drill holes in the new wagon, so they put some ridiculous suction cups on the bottom of the light. Never worked. It came off on the first run and was so badly damaged that it never went back on. I would've never wanted to have gone on a run in that wagon. After they lost the jr. they simply put red sealed beam where the high beam lights were and had them on an alternating flasher; and the car had NO siren! I saw them on a couple of runs just running with the red lights on and no siren, just using the horn. I just shook my head and groaned!
Captain4164
Member
I plan on using the "O", just havent got around to mounting it yet, then dealing with the wiring and how I wanna do the activation switch. For now, the light is done and ready to go. Gotta get working on the pick up bed body work, and Ill talk to a buddy of mine thats pretty much an electrical guru, and see if he can come up with something authentic for the siren.
Captain4164 said:
If you want to stay vintage with the truck, then I'd use a spring-loaded foot switch like the firetrucks have always used. You can get them at most parts stores, and I've seen a few on Ebay in the sirens sections.
Obviously I came to this party late, not to mention uninvited. The item pictured below is a JBR base. Please let me know if it can it be of use in this issue.
Captain4164
Member
fyrboy said:Obviously I came to this party late, not to mention uninvited. The item pictured below is a JBR base. Please let me know if it can it be of use in this issue.
Decent old base. Now where's the rest of the light? I'm sure he could use that for parts, too, at least.
Captain4164
Member
Captain4164
Member
Well I picked up the Jr skirt from the chrome shop today, along with a bunch of other stuff I had done for the truck, all interior stuff, and the Q body cover. I also dropped off the 77G stator and face plate, cant wait to see that cuz its so beat up, and he said it will be no problem to get it smooth.
Anyway, heres the chrome stuff I had done
Anyway, heres the chrome stuff I had done
dmathieu
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Captain4164
Member
Thanks Dan, IM happy with it.
Isnt there someone on here that restores the badges? This one almost doesnt look right on it anymore
Isnt there someone on here that restores the badges? This one almost doesnt look right on it anymore
dmathieu
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Captain4164
Member
dmathieu said:
Thanks. Then to find a 6v motor, got a post in the want ads. Really would like this to spin a little faster
Captain4164 said:
Wow! That Q and the Jr. look nice, although I would've mounted those big magnets on the Jr. a bit different. I'm looking forward to seeing what the doubletone looks like. As to a 6-volt motor for the Jr., someone should have one somewhere. There's a guy in NC that does his own bit of restoration, more on lights than sirens. I'll try to remember to give him a call and see if he might have a 6-volt Jr. motor.
Captain4164
Member
I think they will be ok, the roof of the Power Wagon is so high that you really cant even see the base of the Jr, unless you get up on the running boards, and plus this gives me a way to get my fingers under it to take it off.
Captain4164 said:
Handn't thought about the removal aspect, Nick! But the one pictured looks like the magnets make the light lean to one side a bit. I had a single big magnet on a junior years ago which worked fine. But now it's one of the juniors mounted on my '74 van ambulance....permanently.
Captain4164
Member
Skip Goulet said:
Nah, thats cuz it was sitting on the wire, and on an angle on the hod of my Dakota
Wigwam700
Member
Wigwam700 said:
Speaking of Power Wagons.....this post just jogged my memory a bit. When I was in Lubbock a friend of mine who was an EMT and worked part-time for a private ambulance co., was also on the Red Cross's first aid team that covered sporting events. He had an old Dodge Power Wagon that was built as a Carry-All that he took to a lot of off-road races. He had it dressed out in ambulance mode, with a home-made light bar that had a pair of red 17 beacons, and on the front bumper an extended plate on which he could mount his B&M S8B Siro-Drift siren. Made for a neat looking old truck. Since this was also his work vehicle, the lights and sirens remained off the truck until he took it to an event. Since in Texas he would've been legal to have left it in the emergency vehicle mode, I asked him why he kept the lights and sirens off until needed, and he replied that because it sat outside and where he lived bordered on a rougher neighborhood, he feared theft and/or vandalism. He passed away a few years ago, and I never found out what happened to the old rig or the equipment.
Captain4164
Member
Well, I'm just about done with the mergence warning lights on my Power Wagon. I added the two 6v sealed beams on the cowl. They are custom made, no manufacturer info on them, bought em from a guy on ebay that makes em. I like em cuz they are slim, not too big for the cowl. I added the two to the front and an amber to the rear. The drivers is the solid Ca spec red and the rear amber and passenger side are hooked to a 6v flasher. Only problem now is I need a brighter bulb for the Jr on the roof!
Whatta ya think?!
Whatta ya think?!
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dmathieu
Lifetime VIP Donor
Absolutely beautiful!
Turn those sealed beams so they are level with the truck, not the mounts.
A good bulb for the 15 would be # 1015, if you can find an old old one, (not easily found). The problem with the current 1015s is that they have the wrong shaped filament, therefor not giving you the best beam. The next best choice is # 1183, nice and bright. With the 1183, also get an old one, (readily available on ebay). Only the old ones have the proper v shaped filament.
Turn those sealed beams so they are level with the truck, not the mounts.
A good bulb for the 15 would be # 1015, if you can find an old old one, (not easily found). The problem with the current 1015s is that they have the wrong shaped filament, therefor not giving you the best beam. The next best choice is # 1183, nice and bright. With the 1183, also get an old one, (readily available on ebay). Only the old ones have the proper v shaped filament.
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jradue
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dmathieu
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jradue said:
It's listed as 60.8 Watt, and it is the original spec for the 6Volt Model 15.
The 12Volt 1019 is also a 60 Watt bulb.
I think they were advertised as 100 candle power, not 100 Watt.
jradue
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dmathieu
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jradue
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dmathieu
Lifetime VIP Donor
jradue said:
Probably a totally different bulb. Do you have a picture?
The 1015 12 Volt bulbs that I find are H3 Halogen. Totally different animal, not bayonet style base. Won't work in this light.
dmathieu
Lifetime VIP Donor
jradue said:
Very interesting, That'll work!
I'm surprised that so many different bulbs have that number assigned to them!
jradue
Member
dmathieu said:
These bulbs are getting hard to find, but at that price I bought a few. Apparently they have them in stock. I agree with the bulb number. It appears the modern 1015's are H1 lamps.
Captain4164 said:
Looks nice, Nick. I see you've got the proper tag on the light now. The one you had looked like one from the old Federal Labs division of Federal Sign and Signal. I agree with what's been said, you need the brighter bulb. I guarantee you that the 100-watt bulbs are bright. Many years go I was given an old 12-volt junior that would light up but not rotate. That was many years before Dorgan came on the scene and let people know that the problem was a plastic gear that went bad; and he eventually found a source, which I'm sure Joe is still using. Anyway, we took the 1019 bulb out of the Junior and put it in an old DL8 Mars light that we had gotten from a funeral home that had ceased ambulance ops. The light itself was 6-volt, but by putting that high-powered 12-volt bulb inline, we ran that old light from one ambulance to another for many years with no problems: and was that old light bright!
Captain4164
Member
dmathieu said:
Thanks Dan. I tried to get the sealed beams straighter, but I can't, the base doesn't have enough adjustment in them. And I wanted them off to the side of the window enough that the window can still crank open. I know it looks weird, and Im still gonna try to get them adjusted to be straight instead of leaning over. But I don't think Ill be able to
Ok, Im gonna look into the bulbs and get a 1183. Thanks
THis one??
Box of 3 General Electric 6V Mini Bulbs 1183 New in Box | eBay
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RES347CUE
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Captain4164
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dmathieu
Lifetime VIP Donor
Nick, take off the front ring of the housing and twist the bulb in the ring to the proper orientation and re install the ring. That's all you should have to do. You don't need to disturb the mount.Captain4164 said:
As far as 1183, make sure you get one of the old ones with the "V" shaped filaments.
Captain4164
Member
dmathieu said:
Ohhhh, ok, I thought you meant the whole housing. Ok, Ill do that when I get off duty friday.
I think that link I posted has the V.
Captain4164
Member
dmathieu said:
Dan, took one of the lights apart today. These are well made. He has metal wire clips holding the sealed beams in place, and has two stainless tabs to hold the tit of the BULB from rotating. Unfortunately the lights will stay at an angle like that.
And I got the three 1183 bulbs in the mail today. When I get off this weekend Ill put one in the Jr
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