Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History

[dmathieu]

The search is over, Dan can now retire !

Doug, you and I won't retire until we die. Even then, we'll try to take them with us.

 

[dmathieu]

Here is the difference between the short lived RB10 tag, and the first RB11 tag.

 

[dmathieu]

Picture borrowed from Old Iron Thread.


Rb11s on rear and mid section of Ladder truck.

 

[Liberty703]

Picture borrowed from Old Iron Thread.

Rb11s on rear and mid section of Ladder truck.

Glad you like this one. Picture was about 2 years ago. We were cleaning her up for an aerial service and ram replacement on a down rigger. That truck is virgin '74 ALF, just retired and heard it's to be traded off. Forgotten about the Rb11's mounted mid body. Hopefully someone saves her.

 

[stansdds]

Picture borrowed from Old Iron Thread.

Rb11s on rear and mid section of Ladder truck.

Roto-beams mounted at the rear is nothing new, but the mid-section mounting is rare. I like it and I like it a lot!

 

[kitn1mcc]

Picture borrowed from Old Iron Thread.

Rb11s on rear and mid section of Ladder truck.

is that mexico maine

 

[Liberty703]

is that mexico maine

Yes it is.

 

[kitn1mcc]

hahaha i been there about 7 years ago my buddys dj party out in the woods on the top of mountain on the meed property


heading to portland this weekend

 

[dmathieu]

Vintage Hawaii ROTA-BEAMS

 

[Maxim2Eng]

Vintage Hawaii ROTA-BEAMS

I soooo remember drooling over that article. I can't remember...Motor Trend or Car & driver?


As I recall, when the beacon was removed, there was this ugly a$$ 1/4" phone jack sticking out of the beautiful roof! A few years later, I had a FS 174 with glass dome and a super magnet plate that kept it glued to the roof. 10 ga. lamp cord with a 1/4" phone jack plugged into an aux jack next to the driver seat. No hole in the roof and never lost the light.

 

[dmathieu]

I soooo remember drooling over that article. I can't remember...Motor Trend or Car & driver?

As I recall, when the beacon was removed, there was this ugly a$$ 1/4" phone jack sticking out of the beautiful roof! A few years later, I had a FS 174 with glass dome and a super magnet plate that kept it glued to the roof. 10 ga. lamp cord with a 1/4" phone jack plugged into an aux jack next to the driver seat. No hole in the roof and never lost the light.

Here's the quick disconnect stud/nipple.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

Here's the quick disconnect stud/nipple.

What did you call me?


Pretty slick for back in the day, and at least it is chromed. But I cringe at the thought of drilling any holes in the roof of one of those beautiful cars. Thanks for the article and the follow up.

 

[dmathieu]

I believe there was a rubber boot to slip over this part when the light was removed.

 

[dmathieu]

Here is one of the first version of the DEPUTY. This has a chrome plated brass base as opposed to the newer stainless steel.

 

[tsquale]

Here is one of the first version of the DEPUTY. This has a chrome plated brass base as opposed to the newer stainless steel.

That split dome is NICE Dan!

 

[Skip Goulet]

I soooo remember drooling over that article. I can't remember...Motor Trend or Car & driver?

As I recall, when the beacon was removed, there was this ugly a$$ 1/4" phone jack sticking out of the beautiful roof! A few years later, I had a FS 174 with glass dome and a super magnet plate that kept it glued to the roof. 10 ga. lamp cord with a 1/4" phone jack plugged into an aux jack next to the driver seat. No hole in the roof and never lost the light.

I would've liked to have seen that setup! When I was a kid Ellis Funeral Home ran a magnetic junior beacon on their '58 Chrysler wagon ambulance. They used that eyelet on the bottom that slips over the head of a #10 or 12 sheetmetal screw that's supposed to keep the light stable if those old-style magnets give out. Even with that screw in place they lost that poor light two or three times on ambulance runs. The last time almost destroyed it and it went back to Federal for repairs. When the Junior was repaired, the magnets were removed and the lights was roof-mounted to the car's replacement...a '59 Ford wagon.


A funeral home down in Junction, TX many years ago ran a demountable Sireno beacon on their '57 Ford wagon. Funniest setup I'd ever seen. Instead of drilling the single 1/2" hole for the demountable mount, they mounted a metal strap that had a groove in it where that threaded stud could slide into and be secured with the big wing nut; but it looked awful. Contact was made thru a large phono plug attached to the beacon's power cord and a phono receptacle mounted in the roof. Fortunately they mounted the siren underhood, as there's no telling what they would've done if they had put it outside!

 

[dmathieu]

Quote Originally Posted by Hoser View Post


Dan, did Whelen make any Bike Lights?


Randy, yes they did. Whelen made the very first rotating light ever made for motorcycles.


In the ROTA-BEAM Family thread, I have some posts, article, and pictures of the first motorcycle rotating light ever.


Further on in that thread, I also have pics of a late model ROTA-BEAM mounted on an extendable mast that Whelen used.


Whelen was also the first to mount a strobe head on an extendable motorcycle mount pole, the model 800-ML.


The extendable pole that Whelen used was actualy a heavy duty 1 1/8"/7/8" microphone pole made by Atlas Sound, and modified (by Atlas, I think) to fit the application.


Quote Originally Posted by Hoser View Post


Thanks for the info Dan, I know Ive been through that thread but as a kid all I ever seen in my area was the fireball.


In later years the Whelen strobes became popular on motorcycles, but I never see the ROTA-BEAMs in old cycle pics. Not popular or heavily used, I guess.


The Fire Ball Cycle Signal seems to have cornered the market when it came out.


I still think the ROTA-BEAMs looked cool though!

 

[Lt.214]

Hi All.


Although not specifically named in the roto beam family, I have a 24volt WRM that I would like to share and this is the closest thread without starting a brand new one. It came to me in its original box. If this was used it was not used for very long. Motor is stamped 1961.











I do not have a 24 volt power source to test it fully but with 12volts applied the bulb did burn. Not nearly as bright as I expect at full voltage though. The lens carriage did not rotate, but it does spin freely, so again under full voltage I'm sure it works fine.


This has a glass outer red lens and I believe the inner optics are glass as well.


WHELEN WRM 24V Photos by ccr203 | Photobucket


Thanks and enjoy.


Chris

 

[dmathieu]

The above light is a very old original version aircraft version of the MODEL 66 ROTA-BEAM. Note the design differences of the lens cage in this one vs. newer versions in this thread.


Nice light!!

 

[Lt.214]

The above light is a very old original version aircraft version of the MODEL 66 ROTA-BEAM. Note the design differences of the lens cage in this one vs. newer versions in this thread.

Nice light!!

Thanks Dan,


Its not everyday a novice with Whelen products like I am catches a good Whelen light!!!


Chris

 

[dmathieu]

Chris, remove the mounting ring and flip it around the other way.

 

[Lt.214]

Chris, remove the mounting ring and flip it around the other way.

Thanks Dan, I flipped it during re assembly .


Chris

 

[warubozu47]

I soooo remember drooling over that article. I can't remember...Motor Trend or Car & driver?

As I recall, when the beacon was removed, there was this ugly a$$ 1/4" phone jack sticking out of the beautiful roof! A few years later, I had a FS 174 with glass dome and a super magnet plate that kept it glued to the roof. 10 ga. lamp cord with a 1/4" phone jack plugged into an aux jack next to the driver seat. No hole in the roof and never lost the light.

I managed find a hard copy of this on ebay. Magazine was named "True". If you pm me with your address, I can send you a photocopy of the article.


J.

 

[dmathieu]

In the article it states that the tan Chevy in the lower right picture is a detectives car, and I spy a blue Fire Ball in the driver's side corner of the rear deck.


Thanks Jeff, for the copy of the article!!

 

[dmathieu]

Quote Originally Posted by Skip Goulet View Post


Dan: This would be better on one of your R/B threads, but since I've got you here, I'll mention it. Saw the old Peter Sellars film, "Revenge of the Pink Panther" yesterday, and toward the end of the movie it showed a Hong Kong PD unit with a lightbar that featured a pair of RotaBeams (appeared to be RB11s). I'm not sure of the make of the bar. The "police car" had a blue light on the left and red on the right. In one sequence the car was running "hot" and the lights looked neat, but in the next frame, the left-sided blue light was gone. I don't recall having seen the police car being hit, but one minute both lights were working and the next, the blue one had disappeared.


You're right, at the very end of that chase scene, there was a perfect close up of the red light. They were Whelen corporals. They were magnetic mount on a bar. That's why they wouldn't stay on

 

[dmathieu]

Here's a CLEAR MODEL 44 ROTA-BEAM.


Thanks to John Marcson for the dome.

 

[dmathieu]

All 4 ROTA-BEAMs

 

[kitn1mcc]

sexxy clear lenses

 

[Skip Goulet]

All 4 ROTA-BEAMs

For many years clear domed beacons with clear and colored bulbs have been allowed in Texas with no problem. But one night after our usuall Friday night car races we got pulled over by a rookie DPS trooper just as we were leaving the race track. He first started on me about what the speed limit was on the service road, but because I had just entered the service road that didn't fly. So he took me to the back of the ambulance to show me that the backup lights were on. We were in our Superior Pontiac Consort ambulance, and Superior included a manual backup light switch on most of their coaches, where they could be used as loading lights at night. The switch was just inside the rear door to the left. We had transported to the ER earlier that evening, so one of us may have bumped that switch by accident. So I told the guy that I knew what the problem was and reached in and turned the switch off. But that didn't satisfy the young rooke, and he railed on and on at me until his sergeant got out and told him to ease off that problem was solved. I got back in to leave, and my partner that night who was a police officer at Texas Tech, told he to wait a second. We cracked our windows and could hear the sergeant chewing on the young rookie for acting like such an ass! As it turned out, the rookie's point was that clear to the rear was illegal in Texas. But as I've said, no one has ever had problems with the clear domes with clear bulbs. Must've been that guy's time of the month! :yes:

 

[dmathieu]

Just scored another RB10.


Pictures to follow.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I found one.... woot! actually it found me, I am going to take a look at it tomorrow and depending on its overall shape it may come home with me.


I am really holding out hope that this doesn't turn into another "phantom" light as I don't have one of these.


These are the pictures sent to me on the phone. Looks like an RB11, at least the tag says that. Can anyone give me a rough $$ estimate so I know what ballpark on these are?


***update***


So it has a new home.


Interesting little light, date on the motor says 4-81


Spins nicely, Seller spliced a cigarette lighter adapter to the wires, and the only thing I have done so far is do a quick polish on the dome I don't think it needs much else.

 

[dmathieu]

Congratulations!


Another ROTA-BEAM collector on board!

 

[dmathieu]

Model 44 with split dome

 

[dmathieu]

All completely cleaned up.


Just needs a 6 Volt bulb.

 

[dmathieu]

Matching pair of 6 Volt ROTA-BEAM RB10s

 

[Tristar]

Model 44 with split dome

Very nice!...Was this the one you recently got from the guy in CT?

 

[dmathieu]

Very nice!...Was this the one you recently got from the guy in CT?

Hawaii

 

[dmathieu]

New Hawaii Model 22 pics


For sale on eBay $1500.00!!!


Vintage HPD Hawaii Roto Beam 1969 | eBay

 

[dmathieu]

The very early MODEL 66 base had an enclosed top, very similar to the base used on the CORPORAL, RB11, DEPUTY, and CLEAR-RAY FLASHER, but short in height, like the CORPORAL. The sub-base used to capture the dome clamp ring was mounted on the top of this base, with a very thin cork gasket material in between the bast top and the sub-base. The stainless steel clamp ring clamped the sub-base, dome gasket, and dome together.


There was no sub-base or clamp ring used on the other above lights.


The newer version MODEL 66 used a circular base with an open top. The Base had a lip on the top,and the sub-base sat in top of this lip. The dome sat on top of the sub base with a gasket. The stainless steel clamp ring clamped the base lip, the sub-base, the dome gasket, and the dome all together.


The open circular base, sub-base, gasket, and clamp ring system was also used on the MODELs 22, 33, 44, 55, and 77.


Pictures to follow.

 

[dmathieu]

The very early ROTA-BEAM RB10, RB11, and MODEL 66, as well as the very early aircraft beacons used a slightly different lens cage than the later models.


The early models had very slightly larger, and very slightly thicker magnifying lenses in the lens cages, The lenses were held in only by the small copper retaining clips screwed inside the cage. This method of holding the lenses in place was not enough to hold the lenses in place when vibration was present.


To fix this problem, the design of the cage was slightly altered, and tabs were cut and bent around the lens holes in the cage. These tabs along with the previously used copper retaining clips were enough to keep the lenses in place through the roughest of vibration. The newer lenses are very slightly smaller than the older version.


The lens size difference is small, but enough to make interchanging from on version to the other not the proper fit.


Pictures to follow.