Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History
- Thread starter dmathieu
- Start date
I get it!
He means the car hanging off of the tow truck.
You're right, you don't see that anymore.
He means the car hanging off of the tow truck.
You're right, you don't see that anymore.
RED Whelen Model 44 ROTA-BEAM, Hawaii Style (Reproduction)Base and clamp ring polished to a mirror finish, beautiful red dome, cigarette lighter plug with on/off switch, 2 switches in the base, to control the Hawaii style cruise light, and rotator.
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ford-dealer said:It is for "Cruising"....
Sorry..... I HAD to!
:haha: i knew someone would say that
In all seriousness though.... it has multiple purposes.
1. Some agencies (Still to this Day) want "High Profile" patrol. Visit Hawaii. They are required to have the "Crusie Lights" on after dark. It makes it easy to locate a LEO if you need one on the streets downtown. It is also a crime deterent. It makes the patrol cars very visible, which in theory makes criminals nervous.
2. My Opinion... but when "Cruise Lights" are illuminated in a strobe beacon or lightbar, it offers a consistency of signal. If you look at a revolving beacon, besides the "Flash", it has no real "Dark Time". The "Cruise Light" gives the same consistency of signal to the "Dark Time" between strobes firing.
3. As a side note... even today, Whelen offers the "Cruise Light" feature on their LED bars. Same principle.
Does that help?
1. Some agencies (Still to this Day) want "High Profile" patrol. Visit Hawaii. They are required to have the "Crusie Lights" on after dark. It makes it easy to locate a LEO if you need one on the streets downtown. It is also a crime deterent. It makes the patrol cars very visible, which in theory makes criminals nervous.
2. My Opinion... but when "Cruise Lights" are illuminated in a strobe beacon or lightbar, it offers a consistency of signal. If you look at a revolving beacon, besides the "Flash", it has no real "Dark Time". The "Cruise Light" gives the same consistency of signal to the "Dark Time" between strobes firing.
3. As a side note... even today, Whelen offers the "Cruise Light" feature on their LED bars. Same principle.
Does that help?
ford-dealer said:
The "dark time" was one of Federal's considerations when they first marketed the 174 wig-wag beacons. Not only did you get the double flash with the light oscillating back and forth, but Federal claimed that it gave a longer "dwell" time as well.
Here are some different Corporal, Deputy, and RB11 domes that I acquiredI'll post pics installed on lights when I receive them.
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Pictures (from another member), just to show that this light was out there.Other than the RB10 tag, it looks to be almost exactly the same as the 2 Version 1 RB11s that I have pictured on page one of this thread.
The only differences in RB10, and RB11, that I can see, is the motor/gear train is more easily removed on the RB11, due to enlarging the spindle hole in the base, so the lens cage mount will fit through the hole, rather than being pressed on to the spindle. The second difference is the addition of a mounting security "eye" clip on the bottom, to slip over a small screw mounted in the roof of the vehicle, to help secure the magnetic mounted light. This security clip was used only on the version 1 RB11, and was discontinued with the Version 2 RB11.
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dmathieu said:
This one's like the one I found at a funeral home in Hale Center, TX in the early '80s. It had the same type of plug and the small magnets, plus it had an inline switch in the cord. Very nice old light. Nice enough that someone stole it!
In old catalogs the RB11, DEPUTY, MODEL66, and CORPORAL were advertised as putting out 10,000 beam candlepower.
This is substantially less than the 35,000 beam candlepower in a 4416 par 36 sealed beam.
BUT...
The EFFECTIVE BEAM CANDLEPOWER of the ROTA-BEAM was 1057 in clear, and sealed beam was 1134 in clear, not such a great difference.
The ROTA BEAM had an adjustable focal point (bulb vs. Magnifying lenses). When adjusted at horizontal, the greatest light output was achieved, delivering a nice, bright, sharp, intense beam.
This is substantially less than the 35,000 beam candlepower in a 4416 par 36 sealed beam.
BUT...
The EFFECTIVE BEAM CANDLEPOWER of the ROTA-BEAM was 1057 in clear, and sealed beam was 1134 in clear, not such a great difference.
The ROTA BEAM had an adjustable focal point (bulb vs. Magnifying lenses). When adjusted at horizontal, the greatest light output was achieved, delivering a nice, bright, sharp, intense beam.
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Just purchased 4 of these vintage original Whelen steel mounting plates for my ROTA-BEAM museum.NOTE: I have to say, that the ROTA-BEAM magnets do not stick very well to today's thin automobile roofs, BUT.... they stick amazingly well when using these steel mounting plates.
The original (First Version) instruction sheet reads as follows:
Important Notice
(Particularly for owners of late model cars)
Under certain conditions, extra security is required to hold the portable model Rota-Beam firmly to the car top as, for example
1. Lead applied to car tops prior to painting, to join sections of the metal due to alterations and repairs.
2. Lead base paint or enamel in original coat or refinishing.
3.Aluminum alloy rooftops instead of steel.
4. Heavy applications of wax.
A special steel mounting plate, 1/16" thick, and slightly larger in diameter than the Rota-Beam base, is now available. When the light is centered properly on this plate there is no possibility of the light sliding when in use even at the highest speeds.
The plate is supplied with a ground coat, two mounting screws and complete instructions for mounting on top of car roof. The customer should have the plate finished at his local refinishers to exactly match the color of the car top. Two holes should then be drilled with a #45 drill, (approximately 1/16" dia.) to match the holes in the plate and the #4 drive screws used to mount the plate permanently to the roof.
Having been finished to match the rest of the car the plate is almost invisible, does not detract from the appearance of the car nor its resale value, and the Rota-Beam now has a positive surface for the magnets to grip evenly and firmly at all times.
The Second Version of instructions reads as follows: Whelen Engeneering Company
Deep River, Connecticut
Proper use of magnetic lights:
These lights are designed to be used on the dashboard, inside the car. If their use is required on the rooftop, such as at the scene of a fire or accident, it is satisfactory to attach the light to the rooftop WHEN THE CAR IS NOT IN MOTION.
If a magnetic light is required when the car is in motion, we have available a steel mounting plate, 1/16" thick and slightly larger in diameter than the base of the light. The plate is supplied with a ground coat, and the customer should have it painted to match the color of the car top, and mount it in place with the two small drive screws furnished. Two holes should be drilled for this purpose, using a #45 drill, approximately 1/16" diameter.
Having been finished to match the color of the car, the plate is almost invisible, yet it does provide a positive steel surface for the magnets (Permanent, self energizing) to adhere to. Many of today's cars do not have pure steel rooftops and magnets will not adhere to anything but pure steel.
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dmathieu said:
I like what the bulletin says about "even at the highest speeds". I guess 35 mph was considered high speed back then. When Ellis Funeral Home here put their then-new 1958 Chrysler wagon ambulance into service, they used a Model 15 Jr. beacon, applying the small eyelet available for slipping over a sheet-metal screw put into the roof. With those old style magnets, even with the extra security of that eyelet, they lost that light more than once at highway speeds on emergency runs, and had to send it back to Federal for repairs. Too bad the "donut" magnets now in use on portable lights and lightbars weren't available then.
My 3rd Model 55Here's my third ROTA-BEAM MODEL 55, 2 permanent mount, and 1 Hawaii version with cruise light and quick disconnect mount.
This is actually only the 3rd that I have ever seen.
Only the tag makes it different from the MODEL 22.
The MODEL 22 / 55 both have heavy duty motors, and the MODEL 44 has a light duty motor.
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Among other lights, here is an ad for a Whelen CLEAR-RAY FLASHER in a late 1950s catalog.
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dmathieu said:
Wow! Haven't seen a SASO catalog in some time, Dan. They've been out of business for a few years now. They were located in Grand Prairie, TX, a Dallas suburbn, and I used to visit their showroom when I went to Dallas. They had some very nice stuff. When I had my ambulance service in Lubbock, all our badges came through SASO. Did you notice the price on the Unity slip on red lens like the one you have??
Skip Goulet said:
These were my absolute favorite reading material back in the late 1950s-1960s.
dmathieu said:
Ditto! My favorites besides the SASO cagalog were the W.S. Darley catalogs and Federal's Catalog 300 series.
MESDA6 said:
That's pretty neat. I requested a catalog. I know they shut down after A.W. Sowell, one of the original owners died. It says that a woman now owns the place. Maybe a daughter? We learn something new every day.
dmathieu said:
Nice, Dan. I still have a current Darley catalog. Quite a few changes since 1965. I have a copy of the siren/light catalog pages from the 1958 catalog from Halprin Supply in Los Angeles. They were a big fire equipment co. Going price for a Q in that catalog was a whopping $200 for a Q2B. The brake was still optional, making the brakeless Q2A considerably cheaper.
Referring back to the first post in this thread:Here is a possible reason why Whelen's first light had a name change from ROTO-BEAM to ROTA-BEAM.
Maybe the name was already taken.
I believe MARS also had a RB10. This may be why Whelen went to Model RB11 from the original RB10 without a design change.
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Here are all 3 versions / vintages of the FREEZ-ALARM by WhelenThese lights were put in a window seen by a neighbor, or passing traffic to alert when your heat was not working.
When the temperature in the room goes below that set on the control switch, the light turns on and begins to flash.
The first used a ROTA-BEAM base and dome, a frosted bulb and has an older version switch/control.
The second used a ROTA-BEAM base and dome, a clear bulb, had a separate small steady burn pilot light, and a newer switch.
The third used the base and dome of the newer RESPONDER.
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