Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
If you go through the posts from the beginning of this thread, you will find pictures referred to missing, or out of order. This was due to pictures not coming through in a previous software change, I hope to soon begin the project of retaking and adding pictures into the proper posts. Hopefully this will make this thread a better reference for the ROTA-BEAM.

Stay tuned!
 
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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
102290_5974cb944c254d86e731d4c78178b51e.JPG 102291_ca430c49cc9f30a8e936904379f3c40c.JPG Just found some new information on my oldest ROTA-BEAM brochure.
The original ROTA-BEAM model numbers were:
RB-10....Magnetic mount portable version
RB-20....Permanent toggle bolt mounting
Both of these numbers were soon discontinued and all mountings were RB-11
They were originally available in red dome only, then added amber and blue.
They advertised as easy to change from 6 to 12 Volt, so original may have been 6 Volt only. The change was made by cutting a resistor lead and changing the bulb to a 1196 12 Volt bulb.
This brochure would be dated approximately 1955.
 
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johnnyn

New Member
Nov 23, 2016
7
Lexington
Hey Dmat.
Greetings
Do you have any of the old large whelen lights with the quick disconnect bottom?
I remember the state police here having a few and I bought a corporal a few years back that has it.
 

Jen Walesa

New Member
Jan 24, 2017
1
milwaukee
I have a RB-11 Version 2 "Rota-Beam, Portable 12 volt, Pyle National Company, Chicago, Illinois", with original blue canister. The dome is damaged with a hole in it and the cord is brittle. Looking to sell. Does anyone have any idea how much this is worth?
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
The Quincey light above is too large to be a Peterson 756/North American BB light. I remember this light on Quincey, and there was a company that made a very narrow dual sealed beam light. I believe that this is that light.
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
Bartonsville, IL Police Department Circa 1965: * Willie Brown Facebook Vintage Police Everything.............Nice Rota Beam RB11 dash light with eye shield cover! Back in the early to mid 1950s Whelen was based in Joliet, Illinois, about 130 mile drive NE from Bartonsville.17498473_10212245512710262_9178249111953597971_n.jpg
 
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dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
Hey Dmat.
Greetings
Do you have any of the old large whelen lights with the quick disconnect bottom?
I remember the state police here having a few and I bought a corporal a few years back that has it.

Yes, I have some of the larger Senior lights and a number of Standard sized RB11, Deputy, Corporal, Model 66 with Quick disconnect mounts.
 

coop359

Member
Apr 16, 2012
495
USA Tennessee
I remember Quincy. I only remember the red light being used once. He was responding somewhere with a siren. I thing the first station wagon was an AMC. Then he got the Ford wagon. It had an amber signal stat light with the magnifier type cage
 

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