Fleet strobe beacon?

Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
My apologies to mods, admin whoever you may be. I've been making a ton of threads the past two weeks. Feel free to delete any of my past threads. I e just had a lot of time off and keeping busy on my light bar hobby, lol.

Today I found a cool, large beacon strobe I have no idea where to put this thread, but it kinda seemed vintage or older due to the strobe and not being LED. It feels and looks industrial and is quite heavy for it's size. I tested it out and I tellya, it's super bright. I want to say barely used, because it doesn't have a scratch on it.

The tag says "Fleet Strobe" and it feels as quality as any federal signal, code 3 product.

Someone in town had it up for sale for 20 dollars, I'm thinking it was for a snow plow or some sort of construction outfit. Very heavy duty built
 

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Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
Anyone know what this is? I found it for sale locally for 10 bucks. I think it's vintage, because it has a metal base and an older style beacon rotator, not sure of the term. She says about 8 inches wide and 5 inches tall
 

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Lt.214

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
587
Southwest Ohio USA
Signal Stat model 350 beacon. Mine is a gen3 version with the gears at the bottom of the internal shaft.
 

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Lt.214

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
587
Southwest Ohio USA
Are they anything special, collectable or anything, or just some common light worth nothing? It looks old and for the money I might get it
Common for their production timeframe. Collectable? If you like sealed beam beacons, sure. By no means is that beacon a rare light. In it's time it was a competitor with Federal Signal model 14, Yankee model 351 and just about any other maker's 2 sealed beam light. The weak part of this light was the motor assembly which was inside the bulb carriage and was prone to failure. So for $10 to add to your collection I would say yes, but again, not a light that is on the level of some other manufacturers products of that time.

Chris
 
It’s a later generation 350...uses the same bulb/rotator assembly in the DualComm. 1st generation was a solid assy; 2nd & 3rd gen, the assy added copious vent holes as the motor life was shortened by heat. Gen 1 & 2, the gears are located internally at the top of the shaft. Gen 3 the gears were at the bottom of the shaft (can’t tell from your pic).

I became an “expert” at SignalStat two beam rotators when I started my quest to repair my clear dome DualComm project I got for $50. It has 1st gen rotators.

$10? Helluva deal! One on eBay without dome or retaining ring ring is asking $40. Red domes are still relatively easy to get…blue nearly impossible. Never saw a clear. Great buy!
 
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Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
I'm happy I went and got this light! It's absolutely gorgeous. I like how the rotator is like a lighthouse type beacon, not a bulb and mirror, never saw that before. It looks to be all metal except for the dome and the rotator is huge. The amber dome is very ce shape, just some very minor scratches that I think can just be polished out. There is one red wire from the bottom. I assume the light grounds out when attached to a car or something. All and all this is a cool light. I sat it on my edge 9000 for size reference.
 

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Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
Gen 1 & 2, the gears are located internally at the top of the shaft.
Yepp, I took a pic of the gears in this and they are at the top. I tried to get a good shot of them in there. This light is cool as heck, the lenses and rotating assembly are huge and it looks like a lighthouse beacon.... I'll be keeping this one for life.
 

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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Putting the mechanism and motor inside the rotating assembly was a pretty brilliant idea at the time. It also proved to be a major failure point so if you have one of these intact I would definitely hang on to it. They represent an interesting design and period in lights.
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
Putting the mechanism and motor inside the rotating assembly was a pretty brilliant idea at the time. It also proved to be a major failure point so if you have one of these intact I would definitely hang on to it. They represent an interesting design and period in lights.
Yes, I think the primary culprits of failure were heat build up combined with plastic drive mechanism gears resulted in the gears failing.
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Yes, I think the primary culprits of failure were heat build up combined with plastic drive mechanism gears resulted in the gears failing.
I would agree. These assemblies were used in a few lightbars as well. It was pretty common to get these bars with one bar rotator; and they were not easy to repair. The gears would get brittle and crack in my experience. I love the idea in theory, but in practice it wasn't durable. I wonder if a different material for the gears would have helped?
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
I would agree. These assemblies were used in a few lightbars as well. It was pretty common to get these bars with one bar rotator; and they were not easy to repair. The gears would get brittle and crack in my experience. I love the idea in theory, but in practice it wasn't durable. I wonder if a different material for the gears would have helped?
Probably would have been more durable with brass gears, but that would have increased the price.
 

Lt.214

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
587
Southwest Ohio USA
I always liked the duocomm /911 bars that used these rotator assembly's. I have two in the collection and working on restoring the duocomm to old Ohio highway patrol configuration. Both bars I have are still functional so that's a plus. Below is the all blue one I have
 

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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Probably would have been more durable with brass gears, but that would have increased the price.
That was what I figured. When these were being produced replacing the rotator replaced the motor, gears and all. That was a pretty easy swap out when the parts were available. I suppose there was no reason to really beef them up.
 
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Heat is always the demon of anything mechanical. What I like about the design of the SignalStat rotator is that it allowed a much lower profile for par 36 beacon.
33836B11-40EB-4EF4-86D2-54DEFC3B4282.jpeg Granted, it’s a 14M, but it’s a substantial height difference and I always thought the 14 was a smart looking beacon, but….

I'm happy I went and got this light! It's absolutely gorgeous.
Glad you snagged it! Excellent score! It’s a gen 2 rotator and the red SignalStat label is not faded…near NOS (The red dye was always the first to fade in weather).

I always liked the duocomm /911 bars that used these rotator assembly's. I have two in the collection and working on restoring the duocomm to old Ohio highway patrol configuration. Both bars I have are still functional so that's a plus. Below is the all blue one I have
Gorgeous specimine! My clear domes are severely clouded…even after extensive sanding and polishing they remain milky.

SignalStat DualComms and Dietz/Yankee/NAPA 911s were very similar in design, but there are many subtle differences, even in the rotators. 911s always had the gears located toward the bottom of the shaft and vents in the top of the rotators (like chimneys). SS moved their motors toward the base late in theIr evolution.
AF974CCC-7674-4CA6-8CF0-09343397B812.jpeg
 
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Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
I found this very local to me for 30.00 it looks vintage and she says it was still in the box with original instructions, apparently it was never used and sat in the garage for many years she says. So what is this?

I'll probably go get it for that price, it does look neat and is sealed beam.
 

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Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
The current ones may be made in China, but if yours is really NOS from 30 years ago I'd snap it up at that price, if you're into amber sealed beam beacons.
She says never hooked up and been in garage for many years, with original box and instructions. They salvaged the screws and mounting kit. here is the ad she put up. It's not far of a drive so I might take a chance. I could use this on something. I have no idea how to tell how old it is, here is another picture, including the installation sheet she put up
 

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stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
She says never hooked up and been in garage for many years, with original box and instructions. They salvaged the screws and mounting kit. here is the ad she put up. It's not far of a drive so I might take a chance. I could use this on something. I have no idea how to tell how old it is, here is another picture, including the installation sheet she put up
Look for a date on the motor. Many beacons and lightbars produced from the mid-1970's and later will have label on the drive motor and there is often a date on that label.
 

Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
Look for a date on the motor. Many beacons and lightbars produced from the mid-1970's and later will have label on the drive motor and there is often a date on that label.
So I ended up Gett ng that Grote model 7622. Not sure if this is a vintage one, but it is quality, large and cool. I got it for 20 dollars. Video will show the rest and excuse the crudeness of this video, I just wanted to get it on here to show
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
I am not a Grote specialist, but that might just be a part number on the motor.
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Not a bad buy no matter what the build date because well, $20 is a good price for any NOS sealed beam light. The drive / power transfer mechanism changed on these around around 2000. If I recall the white "transfer box" that is on yours first appeared in the late 1990s early 2000s when Able 2 / ShoMe started rebranding these. Here are some examples.

1989, spindle and brush design
58.jpg

This is 2001 or 2002, white transfer box design
2002.jpg


Still worth $20, and I have to keep reminding myself that 2002 was over 20 years ago.
 

Eric2.0

Member
Jan 22, 2020
201
East Coast
20 dollars was a steal and I didn't not believe this one was made in China. It has weight and the base is all metal, not plastic like the ecco blaze I had. It looks and feels quality. light is huge too, bigger than my recent signal stat 350.

Her husband got it for a truck, but decided he didn't want to Perma mount it to his new truck, so it sat in the garage for many years she said. It was in it's original box, but it was destroyed and had mouse shit in it lol She salvaged the manual and the mounting hardware, along with the rubber gaskets and wire through roof grommet.

Here it is on my Corolla just for laughs....looks bigger IRL, the camera makes it look small with the wide lens.
 

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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
20 dollars was a steal and I didn't not believe this one was made in China. It has weight and the base is all metal, not plastic like the ecco blaze I had. It looks and feels quality. light is huge too, bigger than my recent signal stat 350.

Her husband got it for a truck, but decided he didn't want to Perma mount it to his new truck, so it sat in the garage for many years she said. It was in it's original box, but it was destroyed and had mouse shit in it lol She salvaged the manual and the mounting hardware, along with the rubber gaskets and wire through roof grommet.

Here it is on my Corolla just for laughs....looks bigger IRL, the camera makes it look small with the wide lens.
They were still quality lights after the 2000 gearbox change. This looks like a good one. 1999-2001 makes it over 20 years old and eligible for historical plates in some states. Well worth $20.
 

NPS Ranger

Member
May 21, 2010
1,988
Penn's Woods
Her husband got it for a truck, but decided he didn't want to Perma mount it to his new truck, so it sat in the garage for many years she said.

OK everybody be honest, who has bought a new blinky and then couldn't bear to drill holes in the new wheels, so the blinky sat on the shelf in the garage gathering dust?
 

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