Trying to identify a light/beacon from my childhood...

Doyle257

Member
Jan 13, 2015
658
Cheektowaga, NY
When I was a kid in the 80's and 90's, my father was a Vol FF. He had this little magnet mount light that I'm trying to Identify and possibly obtain. I have no pictures, and hopefully I wasnt hallucinating when I was young. LOL I have also consumed a vast amount of alcohol since then, so bear with me.

Round light, with a single, non moving bulb in the middle of a rotating set of lenses(8-10?), inside of a Plastic? flat top dome. Chrome/silver base, with red printing on the tag? I think 1 big magnet on the bottom that covered the bottom of the whole light?

Am I crazy, or is this something that did exist?!
 

Sparky_911

Supporting Donor
May 15, 2013
2,648
Central Illinois
Mr dad used to keep an old 1st gen teardrop fireball on his dash for the same thing.

I'm guessing whelen corporal/ rota beam. The red label says FS junior beacon ray, but those didnt come in flat tops. Unless it was a frankenbeacon.
 

shues

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
10,276
NW Indiana
Could it have been any of these?

 
May 21, 2010
2,201
Elmira, ny
Maybe wrong......but could it gave been a whelen responder with the mirror??

The bulb is stationary, has spots for a big magnet and 2 small ones, the label is red, has a stationary bulb inside a rotating head and the bulb reflects of the mirrors??

Just a shot in farrrrrrrr out space, but just a dumb guess (but hey thats my specialty.......dumb guesses :) )15833782757991646013271277554760.jpg15833783201424931186309483022911.jpg
 

Nolines

Member
Apr 5, 2018
1,678
Margate, FL
That must be a newer version, mine has a large magnet in the center and a cigar plug wire coming out the side, maybe he's looking for one of the old hotshot rotating lights, I had one of those before someone stole it from my car!
 

Doyle257

Member
Jan 13, 2015
658
Cheektowaga, NY
The rotating filter was more round-ish...(Perhaps octagonal?)

I asked him yesterday, and he thinks it may still be in pieces in his garage...also known as the pit of doom...I will update if I can come across it
 

DLBFalcon

Member
Aug 22, 2013
112
Colorado
Was it a dash light or up on top of the vehicle? I'm not familiar with lights that had 8 rotating filters...most I've seen is 3 filters or so. When I read smaller lights with magnets for some reason these older dash lights popped in my head. (I may be way off, but this is what came to mind.) I know these don't have a silver base like you mentioned, but possibly the Code 3 Dashlaser, Federal Signal Firebeam or even the old SVP pancake light?? (The SVP light has a big silver bottom...might be the silver base you're thinking of?) Also, have you seen this forum on this site about lights with rotating filters? (They're like the lights other members previously posted out above.) Possibly any of these? https://elightbars.org/forums/threads/most-rebadged-rotating-light.88190/
 

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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
I've never seen a light with 8 or 10 rotating lenses. 3 or 4 as the norm, with Whelen's Rota-Beam being the first, with 3 in all of their lights. I hope you find your Dad's, so this mystery will be solved.
 

Nolines

Member
Apr 5, 2018
1,678
Margate, FL
What about that big ugly one that had a permanent set of mirrors ( small ones attached to the top that hung down ) off to the sides but was open to the back and had multiple filters a couple inches long around the whole light black metal top and bottom and a big magnet on the bottom???
 

894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
Not calling you out, Doyle, but I'm starting to lean toward the "hallucinating" theme... Dan's right, there were no multiples of rotating lenses over 4 that I EVER remember in all my years... Not even the window-hanging, store-front units had more than 4... We're all waiting for the results of your dad's search... the mystery continues... Maybe call Scooby! o_O

I think Dan has it w/ the "Peterson" or "North American" or any one of the hundred others that N/A private-labeled for...
 

Doyle257

Member
Jan 13, 2015
658
Cheektowaga, NY
Not calling you out, Doyle, but I'm starting to lean toward the "hallucinating" theme... Dan's right, there were no multiples of rotating lenses over 4 that I EVER remember in all my years... Not even the window-hanging, store-front units had more than 4... We're all waiting for the results of your dad's search... the mystery continues... Maybe call Scooby! o_O

I think Dan has it w/ the "Peterson" or "North American" or any one of the hundred others that N/A private-labeled for...
Im starting to question my own sanity as well. LOL

I have not had an opportunity to dig into his garage, with both of them being at an...accelerated age...I dont want to potentially infect them...so some day when we're allowed to see each other again, I will continue the search
 

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