Indiana State Police Grote bar find

[kadetklapp]

So last night while working a detail I got partial payment in the form of an “old lightbar”. I recognized it immediately as a pair of Grote 7620 beacons with the wide aluminum crossbar and rear speaker housing from a mid 80s Indiana State Police car. Can anyone give me info on the siren setup that was used on these? Pics forthcoming…

 

[kadetklapp]

Pardon my horrible garage. But here it is…

 

[dmathieu]

Is that a Whelen bar mount speaker?

 

[kadetklapp]

This is what the bar would’ve looked like intact

 

[dmathieu]

Yours has a different speaker though.

 

[kadetklapp]

I assumed it was just the back half of the speaker housing

 

[dmathieu]

It is, but the mounts are totally different.

 

[kadetklapp]

Hmmm the plot thickens. What can you tell me about the siren manufacturer for this setup?

 

[dmathieu]

Speaker on yours looks Whelen, other possibly Federal CP.

 

[kadetklapp]

Anyone recall what siren was spec’d for ISP and if they used multiple manufacturers? I’m also curious who made the cross bar

 

[kadetklapp]

Speaker on yours looks Whelen, other possibly Federal CP.

You are apparently correct.

 

[kadetklapp]

Mounts have an interesting name. I’m nearly certain this is a ISP bar, based on the flat mounting feet, and wide cross bar, but the siren is perplexing, and not finding a data tag is odd.

 

[kadetklapp]

Whelen SA-1515, which certainly was NOT used by ISP. Electromechanical siren.

 

[dmathieu]

Like these

 

[kadetklapp]

I’m so confused. I’m going to have to go to the ISP museum.

 

[kadetklapp]

This photo is from the ISP Museum FB page. 1984? Dodge St. Regis I believe.

 

[JohnMarcson]

While it is very similar to the ISP bars I wouldn't be surprised if other locations in Indiana a the time copied them. This is pretty clearly a Whelen speaker, which was not a "cheap replacement", so I don't know why it would end up on a true ISP bar. It suppose it is possible they used they briefly, but I think a "local copycat" bar is more likely. Think of how many local agencies used the Ohio state patrol Whelen edge but modified small parts like the rear floods etc.

 

[Mars Light]

I found a crossbar with two GROTE 7620 and a FS speaker. At each end are Unity spotlights (directed forward) mounted. Was this configuration an option with the ISP?

 

[Mars Light]

Indiana State Police Motor Carriage Enforcement

 

[QUICKONE]

Mounts have an interesting name. I’m nearly certain this is a ISP bar, based on the flat mounting feet, and wide cross bar, but the siren is perplexing, and not finding a data tag is odd.

Not sure by the picture angle, but this mount is sometimes called a "Pillow Block"...don't ask me why..lol

Its used to mount a flat surface to a round bar.

 

[Mars Light]

Today I got the ISP Motor Carrier Enforcement GROTE crossbar.





Need a lot of elbow grease, it´s a rusty thing.

 

[W2CK]

Not sure by the picture angle, but this mount is sometimes called a "Pillow Block"...don't ask me why..lol

Its used to mount a flat surface to a round bar.

Hi,

The term 'pillow block' appears to be following a standard machine shop term for mounting a shaft bearing. That's a round shaft mounted to a flat surface.


Pic is of a bearing mounting called a pillow block., I can see why that term would have crossed over to light bar mounts.

Stan

 

[QUICKONE]

Hi,

The term 'pillow block' appears to be following a standard machine shop term for mounting a shaft bearing. That's a round shaft mounted to a flat surface.

View attachment 251140
Pic is of a bearing mounting called a pillow block., I can see why that term would have crossed over to light bar mounts.

Stan

You posted a Machinist Pillow Block.

We're talking about automotive auxiliary lighting mounts.



I guess you overlooked my signature line.

NASIG Pillow Block

Btw, great job on the Google Search. j/k

 

[W2CK]

You posted a Machinist Pillow Block.

We're talking about automotive auxiliary lighting mounts.



I guess you overlooked my signature line.

NASIG Pillow Block

Btw, great job on the Google Search. j/k

Hi,

Yep. Exactly. The question was why those mounts are often referred to as Pillow Blocks. It's a misnomer, of course. I'd call it a clamp myself. But likely that term came out of the mouth of a machinist making those in the very beginning.

On the search, I knew that Grainger would have some really nice pics of actual pillow blocks. I wasn't disappointed.

Stan

 

[Mars Light]

The ISP lightbar is now restored.
- (1) UNITY H1 replacement
- (1) beacon light is new, the other got some spare parts
- a lot of screws are new
- both domes are wetsanded and polished.
- both name plates are self printed and sticked on original plate
- all parts cleaned
- selfmade endcaps with custom logo.
- speaker inside newly painted (dismantling was not possible), outside only polished



And, of course, in action:



And a video:

 

[stansdds]

Beautiful restoration.

The ISP lightbar is now restored.
- (1) UNITY H1 replacement
- (1) beacon light is new, the other got some spare parts
- a lot of screws are new
- both domes are wetsanded and polished.
- both name plates are self printed and sticked on original plate
- all parts cleaned
- selfmade endcaps with custom logo.
- speaker inside newly painted (dismantling was not possible), outside only polished
View attachment 251541 View attachment 251542 View attachment 251543 View attachment 251544
View attachment 251545View attachment 251546
View attachment 251547 View attachment 251548
And, of course, in action:

View attachment 251549 View attachment 251550
View attachment 251551
And a video:

Beautiful restoration!

 

[QUICKONE]

The ISP lightbar is now restored.
- (1) UNITY H1 replacement
- (1) beacon light is new, the other got some spare parts
- a lot of screws are new
- both domes are wetsanded and polished.
- both name plates are self printed and sticked on original plate
- all parts cleaned
- selfmade endcaps with custom logo.
- speaker inside newly painted (dismantling was not possible), outside only polished
View attachment 251541 View attachment 251542 View attachment 251543 View attachment 251544
View attachment 251545View attachment 251546
View attachment 251547 View attachment 251548
And, of course, in action:

View attachment 251549 View attachment 251550
View attachment 251551
And a video:

Excellent work.

I have a Grote 4 Lamp Beacon that's NIB but rotates a lot slower than yours. I'll have to break it down and see whats going on.

Btw, If you lave a source on additional H1 Unity Housings please send a PM. Grote no longer makes their PAR36 and PAR46 Chrome housings

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

Hey! That came out really nice.

Stan

 

[Mars Light]

Excellent work.

I have a Grote 4 Lamp Beacon that's NIB but rotates a lot slower than yours. I'll have to break it down and see whats going on.

Btw, If you lave a source on additional H1 Unity Housings please send a PM. Grote no longer makes their PAR36 and PAR46 Chrome housings

That's right. The new GROTE beacon I got runs slower. So I changed the motor unit for a similar speed on both lights.

I found the replacement on FB. But on ebay is the Unity H1 also available.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Excellent work.

I have a Grote 4 Lamp Beacon that's NIB but rotates a lot slower than yours. I'll have to break it down and see whats going on.

Btw, If you lave a source on additional H1 Unity Housings please send a PM. Grote no longer makes their PAR36 and PAR46 Chrome housings

I may be remembering this wrong, but I believe the 4 beam and 2 beam lights ended up with different motors, the 4 beam being slower due to having twice the bulbs. However using a 2 beam motor with a 4 beam light is one way people kept the faster flash.

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

As I recall the Grote PAR-36 beacons, they have a design which are the same for 2-bulb and 4-bulb except for the number of bulbs. A quick check of the Grote website shows what I recall. The 2-bulb has the slots in the plate for 4 bulbs, just not the other two bulbs and bulb retainers. I can see where the motor could turn a bit more slowly with a 4 bulb load v a 2 bulb one.

I do also recall, however, that back some many years now, that Grote had a larger diameter 4-bulb unit than their 2-bulb unit ala the Federal 184 v 14. So these might well have had different motors. And, of course, there were likely running changes to the motors over all the years.

There used to be a fairly large number of these style lights on volunteer Fire Chief cars back in the 1970s and early 1980s that I worked on. Some were Federal Twin Beacon Ray units but most were just a plain bar with two independent lights and the Grote ones were pretty common. It is good to see one again.

Stan

 

[JohnMarcson]

Hi,

As I recall the Grote PAR-36 beacons, they have a design which are the same for 2-bulb and 4-bulb except for the number of bulbs. A quick check of the Grote website shows what I recall. The 2-bulb has the slots in the plate for 4 bulbs, just not the other two bulbs and bulb retainers. I can see where the motor could turn a bit more slowly with a 4 bulb load v a 2 bulb one.

I do also recall, however, that back some many years now, that Grote had a larger diameter 4-bulb unit than their 2-bulb unit ala the Federal 184 v 14. So these might well have had different motors. And, of course, there were likely running changes to the motors over all the years.

There used to be a fairly large number of these style lights on volunteer Fire Chief cars back in the 1970s and early 1980s that I worked on. Some were Federal Twin Beacon Ray units but most were just a plain bar with two independent lights and the Grote ones were pretty common. It is good to see one again.

Stan

I agree..... That seems right sequence/model wise. I don't know the correlation vs. causation on the speed, I do know that in order to get the pair of 4 bulb ones I had to go the same speed I had to rob from a 2 bulb version. I think the same thing happened with my Dominion Canadian crossbar. I don't know if it was an intentional "2 bulb speed" and "4 bulb speed", it might have more to do with production periods actually.

I am glad to see a nice Grote restoration! This looks great and brings back memories of Chicago road trips through Indiana. I also like the faster speed for the 4 bulb version no matter the origin. Again, cool bar restored very well

 

[Mars Light]

Thanks, guys.

There are two different motors.
The earlier version:


The actual version:


By the way, this was the condition when received...

After restoration and with new parts: