SaschaUE
Member
now, now, now, thank you for the compliment, but I don't have that many lolBeautifully done, as usual. Now, you only have 663 more to do to catch up to Eric.....
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.It looks like a later version with the larger dome. I prefer the large dome over the smaller early domes with the slanted sides.
not easy to find a factory that made this "old style" i wrote a lot of mails. but i found a factory.Nice,
On a side note where can you get parts re-plated?
I have some CTS holders I need replated in Cadmium (I think)
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.It looks like a later version with the larger dome. I prefer the large dome over the smaller early domes with the slanted sides.
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.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.
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?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.
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.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?