Unknown swap meet light?

Tomhae

Member
Apr 22, 2012
121
Roseville, CA
I found this little light today, initially thinking it might be one of the Rotabeams I've been seeing on here. It seems to be missing a manufacturer tag, based on the two holes in the base. It this point I'm confident it's not a Rotabeam, but I'm hoping some experts here might have an idea . Here's to hoping it's not a cheese ball novelty light...

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CrownVic97

Member
May 21, 2010
3,351
Hazen, ND
This light has a couple of current manufacturers' names on them, but Yankee was the first to design and sell. That could be a Yankee 1162, a NASig BB, or a Peterson 759 beacon. Who holds the design patent? Not sure. It could be NASig, but since their service department apparently sucks a bag of balls, I don't know if you'll get an answer.
 
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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,784
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
This light has a couple of current manufacturers' names on them, but Yankee was the first to design and sell. That could be a Yankee 1162, a NASig BB, or a Peterson 759 beacon. Who holds the design patent? Not sure. It could be NASig, but since their service department apparently sucks a bag of balls, I don't know if you'll get an answer.
All of those and more.

Probably one of the most rebadged lights.

Not sure why, not overly bright, and so-so quality.
 

chief1562

Member
Mar 18, 2011
5,840
Slaterville/NY
All of those and more.

Probably one of the most rebadged lights.

Not sure why, not overly bright, and so-so quality.
And if you but a 795 to make it brighter the thing probably won't turn if it did slow motion.
 

Tomhae

Member
Apr 22, 2012
121
Roseville, CA
Thanks folks. It works as well as can be expected with this design, but not bad for $20 I guess. Seems like the type that would be on the back of a fire engine to me. Seems pretty ineffective as you need to be pretty level with it to see any brightness thru the magnified lenses.
 

MESDA6

Member
Jun 2, 2010
920
Central IL and PHX
I remember seeing these in Amber on the back of every telephone company van on the east coast when I was growing up. Back then, they were fairly effective because you didn't have all of the ambient light and signage distractions along the road like you do now. Now it would look like a candle flickering on most roads. 
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
This light has a couple of current manufacturers' names on them, but Yankee was the first to design and sell. That could be a Yankee 1162, a NASig BB, or a Peterson 759 beacon. Who holds the design patent? Not sure. It could be NASig, but since their service department apparently sucks a bag of balls, I don't know if you'll get an answer.
Actually, North American came out with it first as the Bantam Beam (BB). Yankee and others have had similar models.  N.A. builds for Peterson and others, too, just like Federal built the Champion line of sirens for W.S. Darley.   The one in the pic looks like a BB.  Dietz also had a similar light, but it's a lot larger than the North American model.
 
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Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
I had the version that flashed. Not sure if it was the manufacture. 
The one that flashed was more of a "beehive" light like Dan has an entire thread dedicated to.

North American did that one. 

Short, no metal base.

Not effective 360 degrees. 3 narrow beams only.
Hard to beat the original Juniors, right Dan?  The Dietz version that I have is quite bright: much brighter than the N.A. Bantman beam.  I saw one of the Dietz lights on an ambulance many years ago that had a blue dome, and it was flanked by a pair of red lollipops. That light was very bright. They used the same bulbs as the lollipops (1195?), not the 1019 like the Juniors used which were 100 c.p.
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,784
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
The one that flashed was more of a "beehive" light like Dan has an entire thread dedicated to.

Hard to beat the original Juniors, right Dan?  The Dietz version that I have is quite bright: much brighter than the N.A. Bantman beam.  I saw one of the Dietz lights on an ambulance many years ago that had a blue dome, and it was flanked by a pair of red lollipops. That light was very bright. They used the same bulbs as the lollipops (1195?), not the 1019 like the Juniors used which were 100 c.p.
Skip, that would be the Dietz 261, later the 7-61. I have a full NOS collection of all the colors they made, red, blue, amber, and clear with 2 red, and 2 clear magnifiers.  Nice lights!

N/A also made a 3 magnifying lens flashing light. Same internals as the BB.

1195 would be the bulb.
 
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jdh

Member
May 21, 2010
1,555
Geneva, FL
Skip, that would be the Dietz 261, later the 7-61. I have a full NOS collection of all the colors they made, red, blue, amber, and clear with 2 red, and 2 clear magnifiers.  Nice lights!

N/A also made a 3 magnifying lens flashing light. Same internals as the BB.

1195 would be the bulb.
It was long ago, early 80's. It did not have the bee hive dome. It looked exactly as the one in the picture that started this thread but flashed. I do remember it having an electronic flasher and not a thermal one like a 537. I believe it came off a floor cleaner for a plant that was being scraped out. So the forklift suggestion is closer to its intended application. I have no idea where it went to. I wish I still had it b/c it was a neat odd-ball light.  
 
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