Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History

[JohnMarcson]

Federal's 174 oscillated 95 degrees, Whelen's oscillated 205 degrees. It's a big difference between the two!

Whelen's is based off of an oscillating anti-collision light they made for airplanes..... it too had a wide travel distance when it oscillated.

 

[dmathieu]

This is the only one like this, that I've ever seen.


120 volt Hose-McCann Telephone Co.,Inc Watertight Rotating Beacon, With WHELEN ROTA-BEAM RB11 internals.

 

[dmathieu]

And another Hose McCann Appleton fixture, also with 120 Volt Whelen RB11 internals.

 

[patrol530]

Excellent, we need a 120vac thread.

 

[flahotrod]

Excellent, we need a 120vac thread.

YES!!! :thumbsup:


I love 120vac lights & beacons. They are so much easier to display indoors when you don't have to come up with a power converter.

 

[kitn1mcc]

i have several 120volt a 120volt thread would be gooder

 

[dmathieu]

MODEL 22 with heavy duty cast pipe mount

 

[toon80]

And another Hose McCann Appleton fixture, also with 120 Volt Whelen RB11 internals.

Now this is a nice light!

 

[Skip Goulet]

Dan: Does Whelen still have parts available for the RB11s, etc.? I'd like to put a clear dome with the colored lenses (like some of the old Juniors) on mine. Are all these lights still in your collection, or some that you've just photographed over the years? I'd love to have that old Trippe Hi-Ball!

 

[dmathieu]

Skip,


All of these ROTA-BEAMs are still in my collection.


I have a Trippe Hi-ball for sale with amber, red, and blue domes.


Whelen has no more parts for the OLD ROTA-BEAM series lights. Good luck finding a clear dome.

 

[Hoser]

Here is a Whelen strobe on Ebay VINTAGE FIRE TRUCK STROBE LIGHT WHELEN STROBE LIGHT 2 MICHIGAN FIRE DEPARTMENT | eBay

 

[dmathieu]

Added my new ROTA-BEAM crossbar.

 

[Hoser]

Very Nice Dan, its a beauty.

 

[dmathieu]

These lights have been altered to accept "cruise light" sockets and bulbs inside the top of the domes.
The original factory raised lens cage mounting plate has been replaced with a flat sheet metal mounting plate, alowing the lens cage to sit lower under the dome, making room for a replacement bulb socket assembly with a cruise light bulb sticking out towards the top of the dome.
Pictured here are 2 or 3 slightly different versions of this bulb socket assembly change,( pictures 4 and 5 are different from the first 3 ), so I am not sure if the cruise light add on was done by Whelen as a special modification for Hawaii, or if the modifications were done by the departments themselves. Because the alterations are not uniform, I tend toward the latter.
All of the Hawaii version ROTA-BEAM MODEL 22,44, or 55 lights, that I have seen, used either the older, or the newer version of Whelen's Quick Disconnect mounting system. See the post, in this thread, titled ROTA-BEAM Mounting Options, for pictures of these quick disconnect mounting systems. The problem with the cruise light, and the quick disconnect (QD) mount is that the QD nipples had only one pole, and grounded through the body of the nipple. This does not leave an electrical connection for the cruise light to operate seperately from the rotator, and on the above lights.
I found some pics of a QD nipple , from another member, that has a QD nipple and plate that has 2 poles. This QD mount would allow seperate control of the rotator and the cruise light.

 

[Skip Goulet]

Nice! Book'em, Danno! :haha:

 

[Wigwam700]

Nice! Book'em, Danno! :haha:

Murder 1

 

[dmathieu]

2007 Ford F250

 

[kitn1mcc]

did you perm mount it

 

[dmathieu]

Yes, with the factory permanent mount clips.

 

[kitn1mcc]

that's ballsy


what you gonna do with your L31

 

[dmathieu]

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, before they started using lightbars, The Connecticut State Police/CSP used RED magnetic mounted portable DEPUTYs, and CORPORALs, (especially since manufactured in Connecticut), along with Federal Vitalites, and Fire Balls as their primary emergency lights.


Below is one of the DEPUTYs, etched with CSP and the trooper's badge number.

 

[JohnMarcson]

According to a 1966 Whelen Rota Beam brochure that I have, the Oscillating Commander light was called the RB - COMMANDER. It was considered part of the Rota Beam family.

I just got a usable clear dome for my oscillating RB-Commander...... pictures and video soon.

 

[dmathieu]

Here are some pics of my TWIN MODEL 44 with Whelen Bar Mount siren speaker, and blue and red domes.

 

[plybeep68]

WOW!! That's Sweet!

 

[dmathieu]

Here are my 2 newly refurbished Whelen MODEL 66 ROTA-BEAMs.


Both have glass domes, and newly chromed bases. Both are magnetic mount with cord and plug.


They are different vintages:


The red is an original version, appx. late 1950s - 1960. It has a different lens cage, a different base gasket, and a chrome plated brass base.


The amber is a newer version with a chromed stainless steel base.

 

[Skip Goulet]

Nice, Dan! Verrry nice!

 

[dmathieu]

Picture of twin ROTA-BEAM Branch Guard mounts mounted on chrome fire truck rear grab bar.


More pictures to come when Refurb is completed and lights added..


2 refurbished Branch Guard Mounts with Near mint MODEL 66 ROTA-BEAMs, with NOS domes, installed. Waiting for rechroming on bar.

 

[dmathieu]

Mounting options for ROTA-BEAMs added, on page 1.

 

[Skip Goulet]

More OLD brochures of product line, and CORPORAL.

Pictures of Whelen's first version of their Quick Disconnect mount for ROTA-BEAMs.

First pix I've seen of that quick disconnect in a long time. I've only seen one in actual use. In the small town of Big Lake, TX, the guy who managed Maples Funeral Home had one of these on a '64 Ford wagon that served as his ambulance and removal vehicle. The only way you could tell that it was a portable setup was the cord coming down through the driver's door. Probably had a tiny siren, too, but I never saw it. Oscar Maples, who owned the Big Lake operation and the home office in Kermit, TX, was soooo tight that he squeaked when he walked!

 

[dmathieu]

Added Connecticut State Police DEPUTY.

 

[stansdds]

Niiiiice! :thumbsup:

 

[Skip Goulet]

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, before they started using lightbars, The CSP used RED magnetic mounted portable DEPUTYs, and CORPORALs, along with Federal Vitalites, and Fire Balls as their primary emergency lights.
Below is one of the DEPUTYs, etched with CSP and the trooper's badge number.

Nice little Deputy, Dan. I wonder why they etched the lights that way. I would've been afraid of it effecting the resale value.

 

[dmathieu]

Probably a theft deterent.


Little did they know that it ,now, probably makes it worth more, knowing the history of the light, especially to a CSP collector or cruiser buff.

 

[Skip Goulet]

Probably a theft deterent.
Little did they know that it ,now, probably makes it worth more, knowing the history of the light, especially to a CSP collector or cruiser buff.

Makes sense, Dan; but you wouldn't think someone would steal something like that. But my old original RB11 (had an inline switch) was stolen right off the dash of the ambulance that I usually drove. Never could prove it, but I always figured it was a young guy we had to let go (and we didn't often get rid of our volunteers. This was an exception). Maybe the original Connnecticut officer will see your post with "his" light.

 

[dmathieu]

Here is my ROTA-BEAM collection so far, as of 2/22/13

 

[Hoser]

Nice Dan! Going to need bigger shelves.

 

[warubozu47]

Found these while cleaning up our storage tunnel (cave) this morning...


Updated, with happier (cleaned) looking lenses...

 

[Hoser]

Found these while cleaning up our storage tunnel (cave) this morning...

Updated, with happier (cleaned) looking lenses...

What kind of mount are those? Nice find.

 

[Skip Goulet]

Found these while cleaning up our storage tunnel (cave) this morning...

Updated, with happier (cleaned) looking lenses...

Nice! I wouldn't mind having the little 66. Who in Hawaii could run red? I thought everything was all-blue there.

 

[warubozu47]

Nice! I wouldn't mind having the little 66. Who in Hawaii could run red? I thought everything was all-blue there.

Sorry, all three have been spoken for. EMS, Fire, Medical Examiners, Emergency Managment, and ocean safety run red or a combo of red/yellow/white.