dmathieu
Lifetime VIP Donor
Definitely one of my rarest RotO-BeamsBETTER THAN I COULD HAVE HOPED!!!!
NOS 1st Whelen Automotive Light ROTO-BEAM RB10 BLUE
This is the darkest blue that I've ever seen, with a purple look from some angles. The pictures do not do it justice. This is Whelen's first stab at blue domes.View attachment 219985View attachment 219986View attachment 219987View attachment 219988View attachment 219989
Shipped from Joliet, Illinois to Undertaker's Supply Co. Pennsylvania on 7/26/55 or 56.
Included original shipping box, storage can, instructions, brochure, and newspaper packing.
It was one of the first lights to allow separate colors (based on degrees of sweep) to the front, side and rear. I just added a NOS clear dome one mine. The larger sweep of the commander made it superior to the 174 imho. You could do red/clear to the front and red/amber to the rear with the clear and amber overlapping the sides. I have convinced myself I have the only one left. Someone prove me wrong. I don't know of any other examples left than mine.The Whelen Roto-Beam Commander was interesting. As good as the Federal Signal 174 Super Beacon Ray was, the RB Commander might have actually been more effective, especially with alternating colored and clear bulbs. I'm guessing by their scarcity that the RB Commander was no where near as popular as the Federal Signal beacons.
Never seen one on eBay and you can find all sorts of stuff there. I think Federal Signal had so saturated and dominated the emergency beacon market by the time Whelen joined the party that Whelen simply could not out compete Federal Signal. What Whelen had that Federal Signal did not offer were the compact beacons, Corporal and RB-66, and strobes. Whelen really dominated the strobe market for a long time before Federal Signal tried to get in on that action.It was one of the first lights to allow separate colors (based on degrees of sweep) to the front, side and rear. I just added a NOS clear dome one mine. The larger sweep of the commander made it superior to the 174 imho. You could do red/clear to the front and red/amber to the rear with the clear and amber overlapping the sides. I have convinced myself I have the only one left. Someone prove me wrong. I don't know of any other examples left than mine.
No idea specifically but I want to say it was roughly one hour in. In spite of having a number of well known and up & coming actors it was pretty bad and a sleeper. After the first 15 minutes or so the only reason I kept watching was due to the era vehicles, lights, equipment, guns, early 70's vibe, etc. It was an on-demand download from Tubi IIRC, I had never heard of it prior.At what time stamp in the movie was this seen?
Ought to be pretty darned effective with that halogen bulb.This winter's plow light.
Whelen's larger Rota-Beam Model 22 Senior, Factory Magnet mount fitted with 50 Watt Halogen bulb.
Great dome! Is the blue that deep/dark in reality or is the camera lens adding to it? I know alot of the early dome colors were deeper/richer than later, more modern colors across many of the manufacturers in the early days.I bought this, just for what it is. A rare split domed 66 year old first generation Rota-Beam.
I think I will keep it with it's copious "patina"
That "stab" looks like it didn't heal fully lol. Seriously though, early split domes are often not 50/50 or the glue has hardened. Very cool.Now in my posession. Works great and quiet. Appx. 66 years old, Whelen's 1st stab at split domes.
Th Corporal has a small portion of the lens obstructed by the rubber gasket at the bottom of the dome. This has no real effect on brightness or effectiveness.That's pretty cool, the additional half lenses in between. What kind of light output do those have?
Sometimes when I look at some of these older Rotabeams, at least the smaller ones, it seems to me the rotating lens holder sits really low in relation to the height of the dome, and it almost looks like the bottom portion of the lenses is cut off by the upper edge of the skirt...
!st is WRM aircraft light which for a time had the extra magnifying glasses.
In the pic with 3, 1st is aircraft light, but if no extra magnifyers, same lens cage as Corporal and Model 66. 2nd is Deputy and RB11. 3rd is Senior, Senior Deputy, Models 22, 44, and 55.