Twinsonic 12E question for the masses...

894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
Who knows, with some degree of validity/accuracy here gentlemen, not speculation, in which configuration the rotators on a Twinsonic 12E, were set-up? I utilized one as a kid, on a wrecker I drove, and know how that one was set-up. To this day, I can't believe that that was the way they came, but it was a new bar on a new truck, so I can't dispute how it was. I just can't grasp how/why it would have been that way other than it was a "Friday/Monday" build, as it wasn't something anyone would/should have built it, in my opinion... let's just call it "messed-up".

That being said, and knowing the rarity of an actual 12E, who can accurately tell me how theirs' is set-up or how they were supposed to be set-up. I've heard there may be one or two 12E's floating around and we may have a low-hour or untouched original in the ranks. We can all speculate or set them up the way we want, this is common knowledge. I would like to know how they were SUPPOSED to be set-up... If anyone even REALLY knows!

Let the discussion begin...
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
The rotating assemblies and motor in the Model 12E were identical in rotation direction and the physical location of the rotating assemblies and motor as that of the Model 12. The only real differences are the lack of cascade mirrors, no front or rear stainless trim strips, and the speaker housing was aluminum instead of polished stainless steel.

Options for the 12E included inboard front and rear facing PAR-36 lamps which were normally on a flasher circuit, this would be the Model 12EF. V-mirrors next to the rotating assemblies was also an option, these bars were designated as the Model 12EV. The V-mirrors could be ordered as an option for the 12EF, but when so ordered, the model designation remained 12EF.

On tow trucks, because a forward facing speaker is usually not required, TwinSonic's were either mounted backwards (motor assembly and power terminal on the passenger side) or mounted facing forward (motor assembly and power terminal on the driver's side) and the speaker housing was reversed.
 
Jun 18, 2013
3,709
PA
Interesting on the rarity comment. I have encountered more 12E's then I have 12Fs and lately I have found quite a few 12Fs.

I may have 1 or 2 even in my stash, my understanding was the 12E was just a barebones twinsonic. 2 rotators with nothing else on the inside, then the typical economy setup, plastic speaker tray, aluminum grille, no chrome strips on the front and back.. pretty much what @stansdds already mentioned.

Honestly I always thought the 12EV was a harder bar to find, out of all the TS bars I have worked on the EV was the least common I came across when working on them. And that includes the CTS series bars.. unless we factor in shorts.. but that goes off on a tangent.
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
I'll agree with Stampeed regarding scarcity. Back in the day I saw lots more 12's and 12X's than any other version of the TwinSonic. I don't recall ever seeing a 12F in my corner of the Richmond, VA area. I remember a few 12EF's on tow trucks and they also had the optional V-mirrors. I do not ever recall seeing a 12EV.
 

894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
stansdds: "The rotating assemblies and motor in the Model 12E were identical in rotation direction and the physical location of the rotating assemblies and motor as that of the Model 12."

So you're saying from the front/rear perspective and with 100% authoritative accuracy that the 12E was synchronized/built/designed to flash the rotators simultaneously and not alternately, akin to the Model 11? There's a bet riding on this... Reason being is that I can see the simultaneous sync for the 12, the 12EV, 12X...whichever... but the 12E gets no special attention? I can understand both sides to this debate but what you're saying is that other than the cosmetics, the 12E is no different than any of the 12's? Hell, it has nothing! Give it at least the accolades of an 11! Hell, it has nothing else to go-on! The unit I utilized, as a kid, was f'd up. I knew it to be so 35 years ago before I knew anything about lights. Now I know it was messed-up and trying to set one up the way it should have been, for posterity's sake, is disappointing to me!
 

stansdds

Member
May 25, 2010
3,533
U.S.A., Virginia
A number of users of the various versions of the Twinsonic would reset the rotating assemblies to create an alternating flash pattern, but the factory did not. Perhaps if by special order, Federal Signal would have set one up with an alternating pattern, but this was not the norm. The Model 12E series was simply an economy version of the basic Model 12.
 

coop359

Member
Apr 16, 2012
495
USA Tennessee
Don’t forget the Twin with separate motors for each side and no chains. Those I believe rotated the same direction. As was mentioned the Twin could be out of sync.
 

894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
The unit I utilized had one motor and both rotators were out of sync. This was a fresh/new bar on a new truck so I would have no reason to believe that anyone had messed with it. I guess it was just a "Friday" or "Monday" 12E...

Thanks for the input!
 
Jun 18, 2013
3,709
PA
The unit I utilized had one motor and both rotators were out of sync. This was a fresh/new bar on a new truck so I would have no reason to believe that anyone had messed with it. I guess it was just a "Friday" or "Monday" 12E...

Thanks for the input!

I have never dealt with a NOS or NIB 12E, I have dealt with a 12X and 12 that was NOS and both had the rotators synched from factory. Honestly though that is not something I would get hung up over, as adjusting flash synch on these bars was really simple.
 
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894

Member
Jul 14, 2014
1,028
North Central US
I understand that but the initial question remains unanswered unless we can find an unaltered or NOS unit. I sold NEW Twins, back in my early years but never a 12E. I figured they were useless w/o any mirrors so I never sold one. Until then I have nothing to go on. Only memories of an f'd-up unit on a truck I drove. Just trying to cipher the proper factory issued set-up...
 

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