Hello, can anyone (Jon marcson)? Tell me anything about these? Were they warning lights, brake lights or either way? Cannot find these specific lights in any catalogs or online, just 2 halogen bulbs. Thanks
Whelen scene lights
- Thread starter Dingo
- Start date
JohnMarcson
Administrator
You were right that this is something I know a bit about. It combines my ambulance nerd side and my Whelen nerd side.
All lights of this design are "descended from" the MAX Beam strobe head. It debuted in the early 1980s as a stand alone large footprint remote directional strobe head. Right after Max Beams came the Scene Light which served as the halogen version and was marketed as the flood light to compliment the Max Beam strobe. Very soon after (1984) people wanted halogen warning so they threw colored lenses on it and it kept the scene light name and it also served as a halogen warning model.
Later (1988/89) a separate colored warning halogen version was called "halo beam" was designed for warning, but these were not introduced as a separate product until 1989. Also at that time the scene light got different internal optic options and was a flood light only. So from the early 1980s until 1988/89 you had Max Beam strobes and halogen Scene Lights (in clear and colors for warning and illumination), then in 1988/89 the Halo Beam was introduced and split from the scene light.
Early 1980s, Likely 1982 - Max Beam strobe debuts
Within a year approx. 1983 - The Scene Light is launched as a flood light
1984 - The Scene light keeps the name but now has colored lenses as an option
1988/89 - The Halo Beam hits the market as the halogen warning version of the Max Beam / Scene Light
1988/89 - The Scene light gets internal optic options and is only a flood light product
I would be interested in purchasing these as they represent an interesting period between products.
1992 - All halogen versions are called halo beam, the scene light being renamed "halo beam scene light"
1992 - The "dimension based" series comes out in strobe and halogen; 97 (9x7), 64 (6x4), 73 (7x3), and 52 (5x2). They are re-lamp-able with twist-lick strobe or halogen bulbs and would be offered alongside the Max beam and Halo Beam.
1993 - The Max Beam and Halo Beam product lines are phased out and the dimension based heads take over.
1994 - The Max Beam line is discontinued. The micromax and minimax (the smaller versions of the Max Beam) are still offered. The micro max is still used on its own and in other products (respond-a-strobe and solo strobe) for years. The mini max (although the same size as the 73 series) is marketed as the "side beam" and is kept relevant by the ability to have halogen/strobe combo heads. Both products were offered into the mid 2000s.
I would possibly be interested in buying these, my halogen versions say "Halo Beam" and my "Scene Light" versions are the later internal optic flood specific ones. I would like to have a examples of the 5 year period where the scene light had colored lens options.
Documents-
Initial offering of the Scene light, approx. 1983 just after the Max Beam Strobe (note the reusing of the strobe stock image)
Same product, listed in clear flood
Late 1984 the scene light was specifically offered with colored lenses to speak to the lack of a halogen warning version. Note this page states you must "specify a color".
1988/1989 the halogen warning version was renamed "halo beam" and separated from the scene light product.
New optic "flood only" Scene Light as offered in 1988/89
All lights of this design are "descended from" the MAX Beam strobe head. It debuted in the early 1980s as a stand alone large footprint remote directional strobe head. Right after Max Beams came the Scene Light which served as the halogen version and was marketed as the flood light to compliment the Max Beam strobe. Very soon after (1984) people wanted halogen warning so they threw colored lenses on it and it kept the scene light name and it also served as a halogen warning model.
Later (1988/89) a separate colored warning halogen version was called "halo beam" was designed for warning, but these were not introduced as a separate product until 1989. Also at that time the scene light got different internal optic options and was a flood light only. So from the early 1980s until 1988/89 you had Max Beam strobes and halogen Scene Lights (in clear and colors for warning and illumination), then in 1988/89 the Halo Beam was introduced and split from the scene light.
Early 1980s, Likely 1982 - Max Beam strobe debuts
Within a year approx. 1983 - The Scene Light is launched as a flood light
1984 - The Scene light keeps the name but now has colored lenses as an option
1988/89 - The Halo Beam hits the market as the halogen warning version of the Max Beam / Scene Light
1988/89 - The Scene light gets internal optic options and is only a flood light product
I would be interested in purchasing these as they represent an interesting period between products.
1992 - All halogen versions are called halo beam, the scene light being renamed "halo beam scene light"
1992 - The "dimension based" series comes out in strobe and halogen; 97 (9x7), 64 (6x4), 73 (7x3), and 52 (5x2). They are re-lamp-able with twist-lick strobe or halogen bulbs and would be offered alongside the Max beam and Halo Beam.
1993 - The Max Beam and Halo Beam product lines are phased out and the dimension based heads take over.
1994 - The Max Beam line is discontinued. The micromax and minimax (the smaller versions of the Max Beam) are still offered. The micro max is still used on its own and in other products (respond-a-strobe and solo strobe) for years. The mini max (although the same size as the 73 series) is marketed as the "side beam" and is kept relevant by the ability to have halogen/strobe combo heads. Both products were offered into the mid 2000s.
I would possibly be interested in buying these, my halogen versions say "Halo Beam" and my "Scene Light" versions are the later internal optic flood specific ones. I would like to have a examples of the 5 year period where the scene light had colored lens options.
Documents-
Initial offering of the Scene light, approx. 1983 just after the Max Beam Strobe (note the reusing of the strobe stock image)
Same product, listed in clear flood
Late 1984 the scene light was specifically offered with colored lenses to speak to the lack of a halogen warning version. Note this page states you must "specify a color".
1988/1989 the halogen warning version was renamed "halo beam" and separated from the scene light product.
New optic "flood only" Scene Light as offered in 1988/89
JohnMarcson
Administrator
No problem, it is counterintuitive to see a colored lens on a scene light. Weldon had the incandescent / non-strobe ambulance "primary/secondary flashing corner box light" market wrapped up with the 10xx and 20xx series. Whelen may have been surprised to see people wanting the Max Beam platform in halogen warning. They designed their ambulance system as a complete strobe system with the only halogen components being the floods. Luckily it was as simple as adding colored lens from the strobe version to turn the scene lights into halogen flashers and Whelen was well on their way to being the main producer of ambulance "box lights" and Weldon never really caught back up. The twist lock bulbs that made the 97, 73, and 64 lights use one reflector for halogen or strobe really drove the nail in that coffin. I am obviously happy to go on about the history of ambulance lights from around when I first got into EMS.
DefianceEngineCompany
Member