In 1982 I was a firefighter and I had the SVP -1166 teardrop light, which was the 'off brand' version of the Fireball FB-2. The SVP model was half the cost of the Fireball at only $35 new in 1982, and the SVP-1166 was every bit as bright and reliable as the Fireball. My SVP-1166 had three magnets on the underside and I never had any issues with it coming off the roof. If anything, it stuck a little too well. One difference between the SVP-1166 versus the Fireball light was the power cord. Fireball's used a long straight cord while the SVP-1166 used a coiled cord. Can't tell you how many firefighters (me included) stuck their SVP-1166 on their roof would end up scratching the shit out of the paint when they opened the door because the coil in the cord grabbed onto the door raking the light across the surface of paint making a horrific chalkboard scraping sound. Every firefighter who had an SVP teardrop light had scratches all over the drivers rooftop while the Fireball owners did not! A year later I bought a Whelen Responder and the underside magnet was recessed into the frame and didn't actually contact any surface. I also bought the optional tri-flash mirror and it was vastly superior to my former SVP-1166 teardrop, and the Whelen Responder made almost NO sound compared to the typical teardrop light.
The red Fireball FB-1 is a first generation light. It was manufactured in the 1960s. The bulb that was in the red one was a version of the 1157 50 candle power but the difference was that bulb was not attached at the bottom but was attached by the ring at the top of the bullb. The second generation of the FB-1 was the same light with the exception of the use of the 50 CP 1157 bulb that was attached to the light by 2 points at the bottom of the bulb. In addition, the first lights did use a very dark red plastic dome. The FB-11 was introduced in the mid 1970s. I was in my teens working at Zimco Alarms in Brooklyn, NY. I was attracted to the different lights and sirens of the day. Herb, the owner offered me a job part time and from there, I became a NYC police officer so I had 20 years "to play"
The light in the video with the amber lens, model FBH11, was made from about the mid-to-late 1970's through about 1990-92 and uses what's called "direct drive". The red Fire Ball has a heavier machined brass gear and it's internal design is much different from the amber model. The older red Fire Ball uses a worm gear drive and they're quite L-O-U-D and sound just like a blender. The original Fire Ball uses a special flanged incandescent bulb and the light has three small pivoting magnets on the bottom - there was also a permanent mount model with NO magnets. The amber light is extremely quiet and is my favorite Fire Ball style and uses a far more common 'bayonet' base bulb (in either incandescent or halogen) and the light has a single large rectangular magnet on the bottom. I have the original FB-1 which was made in 1958. There's also a 6-volt model, the FB-2, which is identical to the FB-1 except for it being 6 volts (mine is in near-new condition). The original brass (worm gear) style Fire Ball was made from 1958 until sometime in the 1970's when the internal drive system had a major redesign, which is the amber model seen here. There was one final internal design change which occurred a few years prior to the Fire Ball's cancellation in the early 1990's that involved changing the bulb mount to the newer 'H1' style halogen bulb. Most Fire Ball's were offered with a long straight cord but a few came with a coiled cord. You can always tell if a Fire Ball light has a genuine Federal Signal lens by the 'F7' designation on the underside top of the lens. There were a total of five (5) different colored lenses available for the Fire Ball teardrop light - Red, Blue, Amber, Green & Clear (good luck finding a clear lens though...). Federal Signal Corporation also made the 'Flash Ball', which was considered to be the poor man's Fire Ball. Externally, the Flash Ball looked identical to the Fire Ball except it had a fixed internal reflector that did NOT rotate and was less costly than the Fire Ball. The reflector was permanently fixed and was positioned to the front of the light and contained a flasher unit. There are numerous videos demonstrating the Flash Ball here on UA-cam. Although it was a less desirable light back in the day, today the Flash Ball is far more rare when compared to the Fire Ball and is more sought after by serious collectors. The Flash Ball used the same 'teardrop' style lens as the Fire Ball. During this period Federal Signal also made the "Fire Ball II". I believe it was made from about 1980, or thereabouts, to at least the late 80's, possibly longer. The Fire Ball II looked nothing like the original Fire Ball and was smaller and shaped like a cylinder and had a round magnet on the bottom and utilized a 50-watt halogen bulb and there was an optional "tri-flash" mirror that could be attached if desired that tripled the light output to the front. The Fire Ball II was a high quality revolving light that gained much popularity with emergency services due to its small size and optional mirror offering. The Fire Ball II was also available in Red, Blue, Amber, Green & Clear.
This guy needs to write an encyclopedia entry! Seriously! "Federal Signal Corporation also made the 'Flash Ball'..." Aha. I always wondered what that thing was on the car in "Starsky and Hutch."
this fireball model (FBII) was available in the 80s. it was the newer version of the "kojak" fireball before it was redesigned. i bought an almost new FBII H (H stands for halogen) about 3 months ago for $65 shipped
I got about 15of these from 1957 till the early 90's ,the first 1you got with the square magnet is from the mid 70'sthru 80's the second one is early 60's with the gear drive &3magnets
Very interesting video! I might be able to shed some light on the reason for the 3 small magnets on the FB-1 Fireball. I grew up in Delhi Township (Hamilton County - Cincinnati) and several of the volunteer firemen in Delhi (around 1960 or so) used these Fireballs on their automobiles. They placed them inside the car on the dash, which was made primarily of metal way back in those days, so a large magnet was not needed until individuals started putting the light on their car roof.
I can give you some information on production dates for the Federal Signal Fireball. The teardrop Fireball was made in two major versions, the first was the Model FB-1 (magnetic) and FB-2 (permanent mount), produced 1957-1975, the next version was the model FB-11 (magnetic) and FB-12 (permanent mount) Series A1, produced 1976-1979, a minor revision was made to make the FB-11 and FB-12 Series A2 and was produced 1979-1992.
Very nice video,and very nice light!The first FBH11 was born in 1977 if my memory is good.You can see on the motor the date of the light. And about the FB-1 the first was born in 1957.^^
$2.00 is a great deal! Maybe you and clean it up and polish the dome. As long as the dome isn't cracked, you should be able to get more life out of it and have it turn out nice.
I want one so bad.. only in red.. I am a beacon collector and I'm 15. Where might i find one of these in this condition? My uncle had one as a volunteer fireman many years ago and this light is what got me interested in firefighting and lights.
Actually I am not so sure. My uncle has one that he bought back in the 80's and it is identical to the yellow one.. I have a yellow teardrop stamped with DZ on the top of the dome and I assume it is an older logo for the DeeZee company that copies Federal Signals lights. WOLO does the same. But I have to admit that the company DZ that made my teardrop they did a very good job because it is made almost the same as the yellow Fire Ball in the video
Hello, what for a Bulb was used for the FB1 Volt Watt? In my is a German Osram Bulb with 12V 21W in, but this is not the original. Greetings from Switzerland
In 1982 I was a firefighter and I had the SVP -1166 teardrop light, which was the 'off brand' version of the Fireball FB-2. The SVP model was half the cost of the Fireball at only $35 new in 1982, and the SVP-1166 was every bit as bright and reliable as the Fireball. My SVP-1166 had three magnets on the underside and I never had any issues with it coming off the roof. If anything, it stuck a little too well. One difference between the SVP-1166 versus the Fireball light was the power cord. Fireball's used a long straight cord while the SVP-1166 used a coiled cord. Can't tell you how many firefighters (me included) stuck their SVP-1166 on their roof would end up scratching the shit out of the paint when they opened the door because the coil in the cord grabbed onto the door raking the light across the surface of paint making a horrific chalkboard scraping sound. Every firefighter who had an SVP teardrop light had scratches all over the drivers rooftop while the Fireball owners did not! A year later I bought a Whelen Responder and the underside magnet was recessed into the frame and didn't actually contact any surface. I also bought the optional tri-flash mirror and it was vastly superior to my former SVP-1166 teardrop, and the Whelen Responder made almost NO sound compared to the typical teardrop light.
The red Fireball FB-1 is a first generation light. It was manufactured in the 1960s. The bulb that was in the red one was a version of the 1157 50 candle power but the difference was that bulb was not attached at the bottom but was attached by the ring at the top of the bullb. The second generation of the FB-1 was the same light with the exception of the use of the 50 CP 1157 bulb that was attached to the light by 2 points at the bottom of the bulb. In addition, the first lights did use a very dark red plastic dome. The FB-11 was introduced in the mid 1970s. I was in my teens working at Zimco Alarms in Brooklyn, NY. I was attracted to the different lights and sirens of the day. Herb, the owner offered me a job part time and from there, I became a NYC police officer so I had 20 years "to play"
Telly Savalas favorite 😊
Yep, the famous Kojak light!
The light in the video with the amber lens, model FBH11, was made from about the mid-to-late 1970's through about 1990-92 and uses what's called "direct drive". The red Fire Ball has a heavier machined brass gear and it's internal design is much different from the amber model. The older red Fire Ball uses a worm gear drive and they're quite L-O-U-D and sound just like a blender. The original Fire Ball uses a special flanged incandescent bulb and the light has three small pivoting magnets on the bottom - there was also a permanent mount model with NO magnets. The amber light is extremely quiet and is my favorite Fire Ball style and uses a far more common 'bayonet' base bulb (in either incandescent or halogen) and the light has a single large rectangular magnet on the bottom. I have the original FB-1 which was made in 1958. There's also a 6-volt model, the FB-2, which is identical to the FB-1 except for it being 6 volts (mine is in near-new condition). The original brass (worm gear) style Fire Ball was made from 1958 until sometime in the 1970's when the internal drive system had a major redesign, which is the amber model seen here. There was one final internal design change which occurred a few years prior to the Fire Ball's cancellation in the early 1990's that involved changing the bulb mount to the newer 'H1' style halogen bulb. Most Fire Ball's were offered with a long straight cord but a few came with a coiled cord. You can always tell if a Fire Ball light has a genuine Federal Signal lens by the 'F7' designation on the underside top of the lens. There were a total of five (5) different colored lenses available for the Fire Ball teardrop light - Red, Blue, Amber, Green & Clear (good luck finding a clear lens though...).
Federal Signal Corporation also made the 'Flash Ball', which was considered to be the poor man's Fire Ball. Externally, the Flash Ball looked identical to the Fire Ball except it had a fixed internal reflector that did NOT rotate and was less costly than the Fire Ball. The reflector was permanently fixed and was positioned to the front of the light and contained a flasher unit. There are numerous videos demonstrating the Flash Ball here on UA-cam. Although it was a less desirable light back in the day, today the Flash Ball is far more rare when compared to the Fire Ball and is more sought after by serious collectors. The Flash Ball used the same 'teardrop' style lens as the Fire Ball.
During this period Federal Signal also made the "Fire Ball II". I believe it was made from about 1980, or thereabouts, to at least the late 80's, possibly longer. The Fire Ball II looked nothing like the original Fire Ball and was smaller and shaped like a cylinder and had a round magnet on the bottom and utilized a 50-watt halogen bulb and there was an optional "tri-flash" mirror that could be attached if desired that tripled the light output to the front. The Fire Ball II was a high quality revolving light that gained much popularity with emergency services due to its small size and optional mirror offering. The Fire Ball II was also available in Red, Blue, Amber, Green & Clear.
This guy needs to write an encyclopedia entry! Seriously!
"Federal Signal Corporation also made the 'Flash Ball'..."
Aha. I always wondered what that thing was on the car in "Starsky and Hutch."
this fireball model (FBII) was available in the 80s. it was the newer version of the "kojak" fireball before it was redesigned. i bought an almost new FBII H (H stands for halogen) about 3 months ago for $65 shipped
For $65 you got a hell of a deal.
I got about 15of these from 1957 till the early 90's ,the first 1you got with the square magnet is from the mid 70'sthru 80's the second one is early 60's with the gear drive &3magnets
Very interesting video! I might be able to shed some light on the reason for the 3 small magnets on the FB-1 Fireball. I grew up in Delhi Township (Hamilton County - Cincinnati) and several of the volunteer firemen in Delhi (around 1960 or so) used these Fireballs on their automobiles. They placed them inside the car on the dash, which was made primarily of metal way back in those days, so a large magnet was not needed until individuals started putting the light on their car roof.
John, Excellent comment. I completely forgot about older vehicles having metal dash boards. Thanks for watching.
We use Meguiars Plastx, plastic cleaner/polisher. It seems to work pretty good :)
Actually the amber fireball looks like it's from the mid to late 70's, as it has the modern Federal signal "FS" logo with came out around 1976.
Very nice light
Thanks Eric
I can give you some information on production dates for the Federal Signal Fireball. The teardrop Fireball was made in two major versions, the first was the Model FB-1 (magnetic) and FB-2 (permanent mount), produced 1957-1975, the next version was the model FB-11 (magnetic) and FB-12 (permanent mount) Series A1, produced 1976-1979, a minor revision was made to make the FB-11 and FB-12 Series A2 and was produced 1979-1992.
Fireball FB-1 was made from 1956-1975 (gear drive), Fireball FB-11 was made from 1975-1991 (Rubber drive)
I picked one up at a garage sale for 2 dollars for my first blue light and its kinda seen better days
Very nice video,and very nice light!The first FBH11 was born in 1977 if my memory is good.You can see on the motor the date of the light.
And about the FB-1 the first was born in 1957.^^
$2.00 is a great deal! Maybe you and clean it up and polish the dome. As long as the dome isn't cracked, you should be able to get more life out of it and have it turn out nice.
I want one so bad.. only in red.. I am a beacon collector and I'm 15. Where might i find one of these in this condition? My uncle had one as a volunteer fireman many years ago and this light is what got me interested in firefighting and lights.
What would b good to use to clean up my fireball?
Wow! Thanks for all the great info, I appreciate it.
Actually I am not so sure. My uncle has one that he bought back in the 80's and it is identical to the yellow one.. I have a yellow teardrop stamped with DZ on the top of the dome and I assume it is an older logo for the DeeZee company that copies Federal Signals lights. WOLO does the same. But I have to admit that the company DZ that made my teardrop they did a very good job because it is made almost the same as the yellow Fire Ball in the video
Chinese knock offs.
Thats soooo nice
Kojack , Starsky & Hutch light.
Hello, what for a Bulb was used for the FB1 Volt Watt? In my is a German Osram Bulb with 12V 21W in, but this is not the original. Greetings from Switzerland
You'll need a 36W BA15s.
What type of bulb do these use?
I have one in red. Looking for a Yellow dome. Anybody have an idea on where to purchase one?
Thanks.
the amber one is 1980s era.the older ones are gear driven.
Are they for sale
How much you want for the Red one for Collection
PM Sent
Thank You & Thanks for watching!
Anyone feeling like putting a red one of these on your roof and just pretending you are in lethal weapon XD
The very first production of the fireball was in 1956,by federal sign and signal.🚨