Yesterday i finished my Federal Signal Model 173 restoration
Federal Signal Model 173
- Thread starter SaschaUE
- Start date
solid_snake
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dmathieu
Lifetime VIP Donor
toon80
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Scoot163
Member
Stampeed Valkyrie
Member
Nice,
On a side note where can you get parts re-plated?
I have some CTS holders I need replated in Cadmium (I think)
On a side note where can you get parts re-plated?
I have some CTS holders I need replated in Cadmium (I think)
AuroraBorealis
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JennyCop
Member
Amazing, I love to see this type of work. Great job and great detailed pics!
PinballCharlie
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ex416
Member
It looks like a later version with the larger dome. I prefer the large dome over the smaller early domes with the slanted sides.
tsquale
Lifetime VIP Donor
Federal began to make a few 17's and 173's with the large dome in 1964, so from 1964 through 1967 you could find both large and small dome 17's and 173's. Federal standardized all of the Beacon Ray's to use the large dome in 1968.
billforbush
Member
not easy to find a factory that made this "old style" i wrote a lot of mails. but i found a factory.
in the USA in dont know. maybe Eric or Ryan knows that?
DefianceEngineCompany
Member
kitn1mcc
Member
I think you're right. Unless it's just a photo angle, that does appear to be the wider skirt with the wider dome. Good eye! I didn't notice that myself first time around. The 173s all came in the smaller skirt and older-style smaller domes. An unusual light that I have is a 174 inside the smaller skirt with the smaller red dome. It was a special build for W. S. Darley, as it is labeled as a "Champion" light. Federal built all of Darley's Champion line of sirens for many years. They were standard-build Federal sirens, and the only way you could tell the difference was in brackets and occasionally in the rear housings on chrome models; and the Champion sirens were priced considerably lower than the standard Federal model.
If they made the 17s and 173s with the large dome from '64-'67 they must've been few and far between. I worked around the city shop in Odessa back then and the only beacons that I saw with the large domes and skirts in that time period were the red-domed (why they did it they way is beyond me) 175s they used on PD units. Couldn't figure it out.They had those 175s set up where they could freeze the downward-pointing bulb to use as a takedown light, but under the red dome, it defeated its own purpose. In Lubbock our '69 Suburban at AID Ambulance came with one of the wide-skirted, large domed 17s. That was a first for us: the Suburban and the new-styled beacon.
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894
Member
WHOA...DUUUUUDE! Un-friggin' believeable. I wish I had the kind of time/money it took to do THAT kind of work! I have too many other hobbies, I guess.
The use of large domes on 17's and 173's in the 1964 through 1967 time frame does appear to be sporadic and the 173 seems to have been more likely to have the large dome during this period. I do not know the reason for the intermittent use of large domes during this period. Perhaps Federal was having parts inventory shortages and they substituted large skirts and domes until they could resupply their supply of small domes and/or skirts?
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Parts inventory problems have always been a problem with Federal. You can call for a part and they think they have it, so wait for a week or two and not get anything, and then find out they didn't have it to begin with.
Scoot163
Member
Skulldigger
Member
are you sure?
saw a lot of beacon ray vid´s on youtube. and the lights turn clockwise, and counter clockwise. maybe older lights rotate clockwise?
saw a lot of beacon ray vid´s on youtube. and the lights turn clockwise, and counter clockwise. maybe older lights rotate clockwise?
Skulldigger
Member
Maybe someone else has a different experience, but I've never seen one go clockwise. As long as the wire coming from your motor is connected directly to the hot wire, you should be fine. If the ground is crossed it would make the motor spin backwards, although everything would work.
The hot wire should connect to the terminal where the brush contact is for the lights, the motor wire should also connect to that terminal. The ground wire should be connected somewhere else. I usually put those on one of the screws that holds the motor housing to the plate.
The hot wire should connect to the terminal where the brush contact is for the lights, the motor wire should also connect to that terminal. The ground wire should be connected somewhere else. I usually put those on one of the screws that holds the motor housing to the plate.
kerry4951
Member
My older Federal Enterprises Mdl 17 beacon rotates clockwise. This was pre Fed Signal, made between 1948 and 1952. All my other fed Signal lights rotate counter clockwise.
I have 6 beacon ray´s
Two rotates clockwise and 4 counter clockwise.
Thanks Skulldigger, but i connect the hot wire to the brush contact, ( Motor too ) and it go clockwise, and if i chance hot and ground, the light rotates clockwise too.
It is a old Motor, i think this is factory made.
the newer style of Motor ( small/round ) can change the direction of rotation, if you change hot and ground.
thanks Kerry, for the Information. i think my light is an old one.
Two rotates clockwise and 4 counter clockwise.
Thanks Skulldigger, but i connect the hot wire to the brush contact, ( Motor too ) and it go clockwise, and if i chance hot and ground, the light rotates clockwise too.
It is a old Motor, i think this is factory made.
the newer style of Motor ( small/round ) can change the direction of rotation, if you change hot and ground.
thanks Kerry, for the Information. i think my light is an old one.
Skulldigger
Member