Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History
- Thread starter dmathieu
- Start date
what color wires are coming off of it. also check the motor i wonder if maybe it was missed marked
rwo978 said:
Whelen does offer the purple dome. They're shown in their "funeral lighting" section. A wrecker service in Odessa is running Edge bars on their trucks, and those bars all have purple domes. Most unusual, and eye-catching, if you're not expecting it.
The Model RB6 single and double faced reflector models took the place of the Models 33 and 77 which had taken the place of the Senior Deputy Model 44.
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Is this where we call out the Classic Emergency Equipment Inquisition Team (CEE-IT) and proclaim heresy?
Actually, that does not look bad. Adding a rise to the base of the LED assembly might make it a bit more effective, but it's not at all a bad modification... assuming that you did not gut a perfectly good Roto-beam to do this.
Actually, that does not look bad. Adding a rise to the base of the LED assembly might make it a bit more effective, but it's not at all a bad modification... assuming that you did not gut a perfectly good Roto-beam to do this.
stansdds said:
LOL you may have to call the CEE-IT...
After sleeping on it, I may actually go completely retro and add a LED cruise light housing on the top of the LED cage. That would look more "accurate"; if I did that, I could leave the flat plate in there rather than use a raised one. I did decommission both the new Rota-Beam and and older Model 44 to do this. Both can be restored to their original condition.
warubozu47 said:
So you did commit an act of heresy! You leave us no choice, prepare yourself for...
I actually really like it. I'm not normally one for the whole "new into old retrofit" game but I think this came out exceptionally well.warubozu47 said:
stansdds said:
That's what you call monk--eying around!
When I first glanced at that video it reminded me of the late Bro. Dave Gardner's comic routine in which he making fun of the day that Brutus killed Julius Caesar. According to Gardner's routine Caesar says to Brutus: "Et tu Brute?" (You, too, Brutus?) and Brutus says, "No man, I ain't et nothin'."
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Skip Goulet said:
The R416 actually was designed to look like a rotator. It has different patterns fast, slow,sweep, etc. Pretty cool!
lotsofbars said:
Yeah, I agree, but thought i'd give it a try; it has started to grow on me. lol
warubozu47 said:
I was just on the Grote website and they have a rotating LED beacon in blue and amber only. Looks nice. No price given.
MINT! MINT! Near if not NOS Original 1st version Deputy in Whelen's original darker blue.Instead of the later rivets, the dome has screw and barrel nuts to slide under the dome retainers. The base is not stainless steel, but chrome plated what looks like copper color underneath in an unplated portion.
I included pics of the older, deeper and the newer, lighter Whelen blues. The pics do not do it justice. This light is near perfect, and the blue is darker than the pictures show.
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whats the story on these ones? my buddy mike has one with the flash mirrors and his was the first I have ever seen, so after reading this thread I deem you are the expert on these so I figured you could give me some history/rarity of these if they are rare at all. Thanks
See page one of this thread.
New in late 1977-early 1978. Took the place of the Corporal. They were advertised to compete with the Federal Fire Ball.
Somewhat rare in really nice/NOS condition, but they are out there.
Nice new looking mirrors are somewhat rarer. I had a bunch professionally made, exact copies. Sold all but the two I kept.
New in late 1977-early 1978. Took the place of the Corporal. They were advertised to compete with the Federal Fire Ball.
Somewhat rare in really nice/NOS condition, but they are out there.
Nice new looking mirrors are somewhat rarer. I had a bunch professionally made, exact copies. Sold all but the two I kept.
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That's a nice, old Deputy. I really like the old blue vs. the pale, sickly blue used later in production. It probably is copper beneath the chrome plating. Cheap chome plating would be chrome directly over nickel, but the bond is poor and the chrome can crack and peel. The proper way to chrome steel is to first plate the surface with a thin layer of copper, then a thin layer of nickel and finally a layer of chrome. It is expensive, but it is more durable.
Aaahhh, that's why the copper! I never knew them to make a copper base.
Whelen's first RB10s ans RB11s had chrome plated steel bases, then started using chrome over brass. I believe this Deputy is brass as it is not attracted to a magnet.
Thanks for the info.
Whelen's first RB10s ans RB11s had chrome plated steel bases, then started using chrome over brass. I believe this Deputy is brass as it is not attracted to a magnet.
Thanks for the info.
Here's another beauty!Very first version ROTA BEAM RB11, 1955 vintage.
Looks to be NOS, never used, in original shipping can.
There are many noticable differences between Version 1, and Version 3, which is the one Whelen produced untill 1992.
This light was rebadged for Pyle National Company, Chicago, Illinois, and named the PORTABLE instead of the Whelen badged RB11.
This is my 2nd Version 1 Pyle Rebadge, and I have a Version.2 Pyle Rebadge.
I believe Whelen had it's first roots in Illinois.
See page one of this thread for further information and pictures.
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Just bought this NOS GLASS dome that fits the Whelen Rota-Beam Model 66, and vintage WRM aircraft lights.
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That's an unusual light, Dan. Pyle National is now North American. I know they were building their own lights in '55. I wonder why they had Whelen build this one for them. Interesting, indeed, and nice. I had a nice red Responder w/o the mirror attachment that disappeared on me a while back.