My Federal Visibar build

[Captain4164]

Our UPS driver has an assistant thats been riding a mountain bike pulling a little trailer. They park a trailer in the shopping center behind our house, and the bike guy rides thru the neighborhood delivering packages, the reloads and delivers more.


Well it was quite a sight to see him with the big box on his trailer that contained this:

 

[mdlighting]

VIDEO

 

[Captain4164]

Bought it from brianmcfa off this site, and he may be sad to know, when it got here, IT WORKED JUST FINE!!! Heres proof:

 

[Captain4164]

VIDEO

Lol, I guess i need to have video already uploaded and ready to attach BEFORE I post anything, you guys are too fast! :haha:

 

[plybeep68]

Sweeet!! Love those Visibars :thumbsup:

 

[mdlighting]

Lol, I guess i need to have video already uploaded and ready to attach BEFORE I post anything, you guys are too fast! :haha:

Yup you know we are very demanding lol

 

[Captain4164]

Sweeet!! Love those Visibars :thumbsup:

This has been my dream bar for the little time that Ive been doing this, now I have one, so i can stop this obsession!! :bonk:


Nice bar, in decent condition, only bad thing is someone drilled holes in it to mount an antenna bracket on it. :duh:

 

[plybeep68]

This has been my dream bar for the little time that Ive been doing this, now I have one, so i can stop this obsession!! :bonk:

Nice bar, in decent condition, only bad thing is someone drilled holes in it to mount an antenna bracket on it. :duh:

Good Luck on stopping!! It's an addiction!!

 

[stansdds]

Nice! The Series A3 was the last version of the model 11 Twin Beacon Ray. If you check the motor, you may find a decal with the date of manufacture.

 

[Captain4164]

Nice! The Series A3 was the last version of the model 11 Twin Beacon Ray. If you check the motor, you may find a decal with the date of manufacture.

Ok, when I get to it Ill check. Thanks

 

[MESDA6]

This has been my dream bar for the little time that Ive been doing this, now I have one, so i can stop this obsession!! :bonk:

Let us know how that works out for ya...... :haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[djmcfall]

The old glossy flyer I have for the twin visa beam says "It looks like a RR crossing wig wag light". To get the bar in sync just loosen the slave light platform, then adjust the gear on the chain until the master is 90 degrees from the slave, that way it will wig way in perfect sync. Cool bar, my old PD had red over the driver and blue over the passenger, complete with after-thought alley lights and the wide horn speaker in the middle (I wish we would have had the chrome speakers in the middle)

 

[JennyCop]

Nice bar, in decent condition, only bad thing is someone drilled holes in it to mount an antenna bracket on it. :duh:

Thats ok, no big deal ! Just add an antenna and a Cp25 speaker to add to its coolness and you will be set! The antenna bracket and antenna will just separate it from the rest and in my opinion thats better.

 

[Wailer]

All it needs is a speaker.

 

[PinballCharlie]

Congrats on your Visibar!!!! I was excited when I first got mine...

 

[ERIC6913]

VIDEO

LOL, really?

 

[Captain4164]

The old glossy flyer I have for the twin visa beam says "It looks like a RR crossing wig wag light". To get the bar in sync just loosen the slave light platform, then adjust the gear on the chain until the master is 90 degrees from the slave, that way it will wig way in perfect sync. Cool bar, my old PD had red over the driver and blue over the passenger, complete with after-thought alley lights and the wide horn speaker in the middle (I wish we would have had the chrome speakers in the middle)

Thanks, i will sync it!

 

[Captain4164]

Thats ok, no big deal ! Just add an antenna and a Cp25 speaker to add to its coolness and you will be set! The antenna bracket and antenna will just separate it from the rest and in my opinion thats better.

it is gonna get a speaker, didnt think about keepin the antenna. :undecided:

 

[Captain4164]

Congrats on your Visibar!!!! I was excited when I first got mine...

Thanks Charlie, I am excited!

 

[Reno911]

I like it!!


I would keep the antenna bracket, maybe put an antenna on it if it doesn't have one. It's just something neat that gives the bar character, something it has had since the department it was used with, something only that department had(bracket, position), and it breaks up the norm

 

[brianmcfa]

I'm thrilled that it worked for you. I'm just happy that it got a new home for someone that could use it. I ended up being able to get an Excaliber for use on an in service patrol truck instead of having to try to use this. Win-win!

Bought it from brianmcfa off this site, and he may be sad to know, when it got here, IT WORKED JUST FINE!!! Heres proof:

 

[jph2]

I'm thrilled that it worked for you. I'm just happy that it got a new home for someone that could use it. I ended up being able to get an Excaliber for use on an in service patrol truck instead of having to try to use this. Win-win!

It does my heart good to hear about these bars being still in service.


As for Santa wearing a brown uniform...

 

[stansdds]

Yeah, but the letters UPS still stand for United Package Smashers.

 

[Captain4164]

I'm thrilled that it worked for you. I'm just happy that it got a new home for someone that could use it. I ended up being able to get an Excaliber for use on an in service patrol truck instead of having to try to use this. Win-win!

Good deal!! Glad it worked out for both of us, Ive been wanting one since I saw Eric's LAFD Chiefs bar

 

[Captain4164]

It does my heart good to hear about these bars being still in service.

As for Santa wearing a brown uniform...

:haha: thats funny

 

[Captain4164]

So what antenna would be the appropriate one for this? Here is the bracket.

 

[Captain4164]

Nice! The Series A3 was the last version of the model 11 Twin Beacon Ray. If you check the motor, you may find a decal with the date of manufacture.

Just in a preliminary look today, dont see anything on the motor, unless its underneath, cant see anything from just taking the dome off and looking on the motor.

 

[Captain4164]

How hard is it to get red Model 11 domes?? These two will ned to be replaced, looks like they got hot or warm and the tops have a side on each dome that are somewhat smashed down.

 

[brianmcfa]

Apparently it's really easy. When I thought I was going to have to use it, I looked into getting a new blue dome. Thy were about $50 and you could still get new ones. The same dome is used for a Model 14, Model 100, and Model 140 I think.

How hard is it to get red Model 11 domes?? These two will ned to be replaced, looks like they got hot or warm and the tops have a side on each dome that are somewhat smashed down.

 

[Captain4164]

Apparently it's really easy. When I thought I was going to have to use it, I looked into getting a new blue dome. Thy were about $50 and you could still get new ones. The same dome is used for a Model 14, Model 100, and Model 140 I think.

Ok, I was wondering if the 14/100 domes would fit it, I have two clear 14/100 domes coming from ebay, Ill try em when they get here

 

[shues]

Ok, I was wondering if the 14/100 domes would fit it, I have two clear 14/100 domes coming from ebay, Ill try em when they get here

Yes, the model 11, model 14, and model 100 all use the very same domes. However, brand new domes from Federal have a frosted top.

 

[Skip Goulet]

So what antenna would be the appropriate one for this? Here is the bracket.

This looks like a standard 3/4" hole mount, Nick. So any good base-load antenna would work; most likely an old Antenna Specialists antenna was originally on the bar. Nice find. I still have a CP25 speaker with the bar mount on it if you decide to attach a siren.

 

[Captain4164]

This looks like a standard 3/4" hole mount, Nick. So any good base-load antenna would work; most likely an old Antenna Specialists antenna was originally on the bar. Nice find. I still have a CP25 speaker with the bar mount on it if you decide to attach a siren.

Thanks Skip. I have two Cp25s, now I need to decide what two bars I wanna put them on, lol. Ill keep an eye out for a proper antenna for it, thanks

 

[Skip Goulet]

Thanks Skip. I have two Cp25s, now I need to decide what two bars I wanna put them on, lol. Ill keep an eye out for a proper antenna for it, thanks

Sounds good, Nick. So far as the antenna you use is concerned, that will be determined by whatever frequency range you'll be using in Northern CA, if you put a radio in it. If you're using common VHF or UHF, the two suggestions you've had so far will work, but if you're using the 800mhz trunking, that requires a very short antenna, and the mount would be somewhat different.

 

[Captain4164]

Its just for looks, its not going on anything

 

[Skip Goulet]

Its just for looks, its not going on anything

Should be a winner, then! Whatever you like on it. The Antenna Specialist antennas looked like the same antennas that they marketed for C.B.s in the '60s and '70s.

 

[Captain4164]

Got the speaker delivered today that will eventually go on this bar. Want to repaint it to black. Should I sand it a little or what? Its fiberglas and whoever painted it did a crappy job, runs all over it. Alos what would the appropriate black paint be to use?


I also got the proper mounting bracket from the same seller.

 

[Captain4164]

Now Im considering making them clear domes, with a red and a clear sealed beam in each beacon, then put lollipops on both sides of the center speaker.....

 

[wfdstation42]

You can wet sand the speaker with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. You can get it at home improvement store. Also the speaker would have been gray from the factory not black.

 

[Captain4164]

You can wet sand the speaker with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. You can get it at home improvement store. Also the speaker would have been gray from the factory not black.

Ok, thanks for the info. Any idea what gray would be appropriate?