Where to start??

[10-75_Da_Box]

How did some of you start your collection? What was the piece that started it all?

I do not have much of a collection at the moment, but mine started with a Federal Signal Model 143 that I ended up selling to Zapp. Right now I have a Chicago Police Firebeam 3 on the way in.

 

[dmathieu]

I guess my 1st light back in the late 60s, an amber Corporal, and my Dad's blue Fire Ball from 1960-1970.

 

[EHFD_Tower_751]

Mine was an all light streethawk with center oscilater, wish i had stopped after i got an mx7000 lol

Now can say i have more code 3 bars than other bars in my collection, last count i was up to 33 and that includes bars needing parts

 

[bpollard]

my grandfather gave me a Fireball that he had retired from service that he used as Chief when i was around 12. It had blown off the roof and was really busted up. I got it working and eventually put a new dome on it. Used it on the dash of my first car.

Bob

 

[cmb56]

My interest for lights and sirens started sometime in the beginning of the 70s and I experimented with some red and blue Bosch lenses before I bought my first complete new light in 1974, that was a Dietz 240-1 made in 1966, from the Swedish distributor.

It was a leftover from the red light era before Sweden changed to approved blue lights in 1970.

The second light was a Dietz 7-41 bought in 1975 new from Dietz through the same distributor.

Unfortunatly I traded the 240-1 for a Federal 175 in the early 80s but I still have the 7-41 in my collection.

I usually never sell or trade anything in my collection and I think it has happend two or three times over the years.

Michael

 

[CrownVic97]

I say go for the pieces that always interested you as a kid or have fond memories of from TV/movies and go from there. Most of my lightbars are AeroDynics and Code 3/Force 4 XL lightbars because those were my favorites in real life and on the screen. With beacons, anything sealed beam is a winner. If you come across some and they are in good shape and fairly priced, don't hesitate to pull the trigger. Dash lights are kind of "here and there." If they are collectibles like Federal Fireballs/FireBeams, Whelen Deputies/Corporals, Code 3 Oscilasers or early-model Dashlasers or Dietz compact beacons, then prices can widely vary. But, if you know it's a bargain, bring it home with ya .

Another way is to advertise locally. Throw a want ad in the paper. I've done that before and got results! You never know where your connections start in this hobby.

 

[Skulldigger]

My first light was a Smith & Wesson L11 Pancake. It sat on my dash for nearly 30 years. But collecting started after I found a Candy Cane, Aerotwinsonic sitting in the back of an antique store. Been hooked ever since. Seemed reasonable after retiring, having ridden under these lights for nearly 37 years.

 

[kerry4951]

My first light was the result of needing to find a Whelen 5000PA strobe light for a restored police car project that I was restoring. I needed one of those holy grails and during my search it opened my eyes up to all the other neat vintage lights. I stick to all vintage stuff, try to stay in the time frame of pre 1990. The collection has now grown to over 100 single lights and about a dozen light bars. The garage that I had built several years back was suppose to be for lawn mowers and weed wackers. I even have them hanging down out of the ceiling.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

My "collection" started with the last light I used as a volunteer firefighter and never got around to selling: Whelen DMS (short, magnet base) with a clear dome. I added red cruise lights ("stained glass" hobby paint) and put a Pyrex tube (also painted red with "Spitfire" stripes) over the strobe tube...very effective and never came loose. I also held on to my PA2100 and TS100. The next light was one of my faves: FedSig 174 with a red glass dome beautifully restored by John "Sirenman" Dorgan (RIP).

It's been downhill from there....each with a personal connection save the NOS SignalStat 350, DualComm, and the Aurora Borealis. Not as many as Kerry (or nicely labeled) but I can light em up all at once!



Yup, including the sirens...all with the help of two Optima batteries.
Of course, everything is properly fused.

 

[kerry4951]

My "collection" started with the last light I used as a volunteer firefighter and never got around to selling: Whelen DMS (short, magnet base) with a clear dome. I added red cruise lights ("stained glass" hobby paint) and put a Pyrex tube (also painted red with "Spitfire" stripes) over the strobe tube...very effective and never came loose. I also held on to my PA2100 and TS100. The next light was one of my faves: FedSig 174 with a red glass dome beautifully restored by John "Sirenman" Dorgan (RIP).

It's been downhill from there....each with a personal connection save the NOS SignalStat 350, DualComm, and the Aurora Borealis. Not as many as Kerry (or nicely labeled) but I can light em up all at once!
View attachment 206693
View attachment 206694
View attachment 206695
Yup, including the sirens...all with the help of two Optima batteries.
Of course, everything is properly fused.
View attachment 206696

I really like your switch panel. Nice job!! Mine are all wired and each one has its own switch too. No use having a collection if you cant "light em up". Cant run them all at the same time but with 7 Pyramid power supplies I can light a lot of them up together.

 

[lotsofbars]

I started when I was around 13 in 2008, when I saw a truck for sale with a shiny 52" Aerodynic Model 24 EAH with candy cane lenses. I called and asked the guy if he'd consider selling it. He shot me the very reasonable price of $80, so I came by and he helped me take it off the truck and bring it home. I still have that bar, and it works flawlessly. Started my love of collecting and I never intend to stop.

 

[toon80]

I started with a 24R all red aerotwin. Other lights that followed were Dominion Automotive which were big in Canada at the time. I am now focused on Aerodynics, old dominion lights, and old province of Québec police lightbars as well as older Montréal PD lightbars.
I have about 12 different models of Aerodynics, and 5 originals and replicas of Québec and Montréal PD bars. As for Dominion, I have about 30 of them, with many rare ones.

I try to stick to a few different kinds of lights and not spead out too much, but that's my personal vision of it.

 

[NPS Ranger]

My first dashlight was a North American Signal TR-1 back in the 1960's bought from the JC Whitney catalog, they are still made today. Next came a Vitalite model 121, then a Fireball FB2 which I still have, now it's mostly all LED but I still miss the era when stuff was made in the USA and built to last.

 

[Dave-O]

I guess my first was a Tomar PL II, RB. Now I have 3 Tomar PL IIs, 2 strobe and 1 LED. Then I acquired a giant MX7000 that came off of a Saint Johns County, FL Fire truck. I'm well on my way to well-rounded addiction.

Here's my list of future wants:

Smith and Wesson RB light bar
Tomar 950N
Code 360 RB
A giant candy cane Aerodynic
Maybe a StreetHawk????

I'm trying to get lightbars that I've had on each of my previous patrol vehicles.

 

[H20]

Everyone started somewhere; I found my first on OfferUp, a streethawk for $40.00. Like some of the others here I look for bars that I've either had on my patrol cars or bars that i grew up seeing locally and in movies.

Ask around your local fire department and police department for surplus items; you'd be surprised to find a lot of smaller towns are willing to give the old stuff away. That or they can point you towards their auctions.