Mini-Beacons on a Ferndale MI Police Go-Cart (1977)

LRGJr72

LRGJr72

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May 29, 2010
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Detroit, Michigan
Anyone know anything about these little rotating lights, which I assume were battery-powered? Pics are of my sister and I during a 1977 visit from the Ferndale Police crime prevention van, which had huge ears attached to each side ("to indicate an openness to community info") and a trailer with two go-carts custom painted to exact Ferndale Police vehicle colors and graphics of that time.


ai69.photobucket.com_albums_i57_lrgjr72_n574731905_1488803_589.jpg


ai69.photobucket.com_albums_i57_lrgjr72_n574731905_1794304_1284.jpg
 
Those beacons were available in Auto Parts Stores, and Automotive Departments of many chain stores at the time. They usually had a rubber suction cup attached to the bottom. I think they took a couple of C or D batteries. They spun fast and were really noisy. They also came with all 3 lenses, red, amber and blue.


There were also some versions that plugged into a 12v outlet. The 12v model that i remember was a FEDTRO brand. You can still find some of those as well as the 2 sided FEDTRO flashing light on EBay. I also see them from time to time in antique shops.
 
They where made by different Hong-Kong and Chinese manufacturers.


There was both battery operated and cigarette lighter plug versions.


The bulb was a standard flash light bulb.
 
I bought one for like 10 bucks in the early 90's at a discount store near Toronto.. It was a neat thing to play with when I was around 7..


Dammit the light bug bit me early!
 
I had one many, many years ago. I ended up cutting the bottom skirt shorter, attaching magnets and gluing stryofoam inside the base to dampen the noise. Not a particularly effective light, but a neat project.
 
I ordered one from the back of a boy's life magazine I was given at scouts when I was 7. Loud as hell, took d batteries. I remember being disapointed that it didn't have 2 sealed beams like the drawn picture in the ad.
 
JohnMarcson said:
I ordered one from the back of a boy's life magazine I was given at scouts when I was 7. Loud as hell, took d batteries. I remember being disapointed that it didn't have 2 sealed beams like the drawn picture in the ad.
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I remember those ads! We are telling our ages............. I see them on Flea Bay sometimes.
 
I had one as well, I think it used 3 D batteries, had a flashlight bulb and was noisy as can be. Suction cup bottom and red/amber/blue lens.
 
We used to call them "make believe" lights, because of their lack of effectiveness, but they sure look good on the little cars in the pictures. Perfect size! I've thought about making a small subcollection in my beacon collection, just for nostalgia.


Dan
 
Man, I cannot believe how many people had these as kids.


I remeber my uncle letting me order one out of the JCWhitney catalog. When it arrived, it was the best thing I ever got.


It only came with a red lens and was a cig plug but I had an adaptor that allowed it to be plugged in 120v outlets. I think I was about 12 and I always had an early fascination with lights. I always wanted the Signal Stat Dual Comm bars they sold in the JCW catalog.
 
Back in the early 1980s I had two lights that looked somewhat similar and had amber domes. The light was called a 'Roto Flasher' and it operated on three 'D' size batteries.
 
There were a bunch of different brands out there, all made in Hong Kong, and all similar in size and shape,and workings. Some were battery operated, and some had cig lighter plugs. they were advertised as being good for road side breakdowns.


Dan
 
motorolamaniac said:
Man, I cannot believe how many people had these as kids.
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Yes, count me in as well. Me and my brother bought two of them many years ago.


Sirenman has a picture of one with lighterplug:


awww.sirenman.com_complete_b89.jpg


The Fedtro beacon looks similar, but not the same:


ai305.photobucket.com_albums_nn228_fyrik_elightbars_fedtronew.jpg
 
Guess I'll have to admit to be a prior owner of a few of these about 30 years ago, literally. I would get them at Western Auto for $15 apiece, which I thought was pretty pricey.
 
Ive always wanted to see the inside and rotator of those. A friend had one, I was supposed to ask about it, but he tossed it out i think
 
Ya I has a few differnt ones. One like pictured, one that was part of a fake hardhat and was attached to the top, one that was about 5-6" in diameter had a cone like dome, and just had a flashing flashlight bulb in it, and one that had 4 amber lamps that "poked" out from a cone, one in each quadrent with another one on top, they all flashed at differnt speeds/times.


I wish I still has them, but it was a looooong time ago. Sometime in the 70's
 
MX7000Guy said:
I had one of those when I was very young. God I'd love to find one again, I believe it even had a fake Q siren on it.... I got bit by the blinky light bug at a very young age.


Pic for reference, me in the early 80's:


[Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...9_435872522148_513797148_4992308_553197_n.jpg
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Holy crap!! I had one of these helmets too!! Totally forgot. And AMAZINGLY there's one on eBay right now for..... $199 :


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT


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