Just in!! My Federal Signal Prototype 185 Beacon

[stansdds]

I wonder why the 185 wasn't marketed. I had to look twice to notice the 5th bulb. Remarkable!

The lamp holders in that prototype are the skeletonized design, introduced by Fed Sig in 1978, so this must have been made in the late 70's or early 80's. Sealed beam beacons and lightbars were losing ground to those that used reflectors and halogen bulbs by the late 1970's. I expect Fed Sig could see the writing on the wall and halted the development of sealed beam beacons and lightbars.

 

[Skip Goulet]

The lamp holders in that prototype are the skeletonized design, introduced by Fed Sig in 1978, so this must have been made in the late 70's or early 80's. Sealed beam beacons and lightbars were losing ground to those that used reflectors and halogen bulbs by the late 1970's. I expect Fed Sig could see the writing on the wall and halted the development of sealed beam beacons and lightbars.

I agree with you on that. But also in 1978, Federal dropped all of their mechanical sirens except for the Q because of the growing competiton at the time of electronic sirens. Now everyone is going back to the big mechanicals which is helping keep Federal and B&M in business. And remarkably speaking, the little Screamin' Eagle siren, which looks like a small version of a B&M Super Chief, seems to be doing well. These sirens are only about 6 1/2" in diameter, but have a decent sound for something so small. I was surprised! The Odessa F.D. is using them on all their ambulances, plus the Batt. Chief's car, and they swear by them. That having been said, the Eagle sells for more than a Q or Super Chief. Odessa added three new big Braun International Super ambulances a few months ago, and they had the Eagle along with a Whelen electronic and a train-type airhorn (ouch). It cost OFD $4000 per each Eagle they bought just for the bumper modifications on those big rigs. Go figure!