TwinSonic Model 12 back from the dead

Picked this one up just prior to Turkeyday, its been sitting in the back of the 4Runner for awhile so I figured I would pull it out and give it the once over.

Seller admitted they might have fried the bar, and since I could not get it to work, blew a fuse when I attempted to power up. He admitted to possibly connecting 110v AC to it.. and yeah.

I was not in a real hurry to do anything with this as I am working on another light currently. So its gonna sit at least for the time being.

It does have a happy ending though..


Here is how it was presented to me.. so rear with the speaker grille flipped. so FrontBack?


Front with the speaker grille flipped.. and BackFront?

Initial observation was something is up with the wiring lead coming into the light, several screws missing on both speaker grille and endcaps.. obviously seller was in here.. stomach knot starts forming..


Internals are dirty but in very good condition.. early series A1 everything other then bulbs appear to be correct.


My correcting of the wiring mess this guy created.. nothing appeared to be charred or burned up. Wiring mess remains still in the picture coming into the frame. Just dirty.


And how I left it after putting it all back together..

The wiring lead was a complete disaster, it was connected tot he speaker leads and then to ground. But it was not just 2 wires.. he had 5 or more connected to each other with electrical tape.. So if this guy did in fact run anything to it.. it either went nowhere.. thank god no speaker, or he just shorted as he energized straight to ground.

This is probably exactly what blew the fuse on my jump pack.. remember folks FUSE,FUSE,FUSE.. and legit fuses not Amazon garbage.


The positive.. the bar works.. he did not fry it. Condition.. dirty needs some TLC and there is some chain binding occuring.

The negatives.. some cracks on the one dome, but fine for display. Missing some endcap screws and speaker grille screws. And at least 2 of 4 bulbs are wrong.

Its too cold to work on stuff outside.. I did make some video on this.. but it will be posted at a later date when I have some time.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Picked this one up just prior to Turkeyday, its been sitting in the back of the 4Runner for awhile so I figured I would pull it out and give it the once over.

Seller admitted they might have fried the bar, and since I could not get it to work, blew a fuse when I attempted to power up. He admitted to possibly connecting 110v AC to it.. and yeah.

I was not in a real hurry to do anything with this as I am working on another light currently. So its gonna sit at least for the time being.

It does have a happy ending though..

View attachment 256609
Here is how it was presented to me.. so rear with the speaker grille flipped. so FrontBack?

View attachment 256610
Front with the speaker grille flipped.. and BackFront?

Initial observation was something is up with the wiring lead coming into the light, several screws missing on both speaker grille and endcaps.. obviously seller was in here.. stomach knot starts forming..

View attachment 256611
Internals are dirty but in very good condition.. early series A1 everything other then bulbs appear to be correct.

View attachment 256612
My correcting of the wiring mess this guy created.. nothing appeared to be charred or burned up. Wiring mess remains still in the picture coming into the frame. Just dirty.

View attachment 256608
And how I left it after putting it all back together..

The wiring lead was a complete disaster, it was connected tot he speaker leads and then to ground. But it was not just 2 wires.. he had 5 or more connected to each other with electrical tape.. So if this guy did in fact run anything to it.. it either went nowhere.. thank god no speaker, or he just shorted as he energized straight to ground.

This is probably exactly what blew the fuse on my jump pack.. remember folks FUSE,FUSE,FUSE.. and legit fuses not Amazon garbage.


The positive.. the bar works.. he did not fry it. Condition.. dirty needs some TLC and there is some chain binding occuring.

The negatives.. some cracks on the one dome, but fine for display. Missing some endcap screws and speaker grille screws. And at least 2 of 4 bulbs are wrong.

Its too cold to work on stuff outside.. I did make some video on this.. but it will be posted at a later date when I have some time.

I'm just curious as to how he applied the 110V to it!

 

[Maxim2Eng]

I’ve seen “reverse” mounting on model 12s on many wreckers so the “hand clap” flash soul be toward the business end of the action.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I'm just curious as to how he applied the 110V to it!

Yeah, I was genuinely concerned but it came from the Hills have eyes part of PA.. lol wait thats the whole state.. lmao..

I’ve seen “reverse” mounting on model 12s on many wreckers so the “hand clap” flash soul be toward the business end of the action.

possibly, but this guy was not the brightest bulb in the pack, willing to bet it also had screws and he lost all of them.

 

[stansdds]

Kind of sounds like a real Bubba had that TwinSonic. Glad you saved it from what was certain doom. Connecting it to 110 VAC? Glad he was such a poor electrician that he could not actually create a working circuit.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Yeah, I was genuinely concerned but it came from the Hills have eyes part of PA.. lol wait thats the whole state.. lmao..


possibly, but this guy was not the brightest bulb in the pack, willing to bet it also had screws and he lost all of them.

I didn't understand the reference until I Googled it and immediately started hearing Dueling Banjos coming from my auditory cortex--yikes!

 

[stansdds]

I didn't understand the reference until I Googled it and immediately started hearing Dueling Banjos coming from my auditory cortex--yikes!

It's all good until you hear someone say, "you got a purty mouth".

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

so outside of overpriced lightbarparts website. does anyone have a lead on any of the screws for the endcaps and the speaker grille. I need at least 2 for endcaps and 3 for the speaker grille.

I'm not paying $50+ for 4 or 5 screws.. sorry not sorry.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

so outside of overpriced lightbarparts website. does anyone have a lead on any of the screws for the endcaps and the speaker grille. I need at least 2 for endcaps and 3 for the speaker grille.

I'm not paying $50+ for 4 or 5 screws.. sorry not sorry.

I looked through my miscellaneous hardware stash but didn't find any. They're 8/32 size and at my hardware store today, I only found stainless round headed Phillips head versions, not the flatter rounded flathead types. Maybe no one makes them anymore(?).

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

They are still made, but not what I call a Common Screw. Which tends to let out hardware stores. You need a specialty fastener store, such as Fastenal.

Stan

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

8-32 round head slotted. need to measure length. I'm not worried about factory correct.

 

[shues]

I sold a whole whack of TwinSonic parts at a swap meet last fall, including the screws you need. I will have to check if I have any more kicking around.

 

[ex416]

i believe the length is 1/2 inch. the factory screws are slotted truss head stainless steel screws. it has been a while, but it seems to me that the screws for the speaker housing were a little shorter than the end cap screws. maybe 3/8 inch, with them also being slotted truss head screws.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I found these on the bay.. I might look for 1/2 inch as well, but these will probably do the job just fine.

I found the 1/2 length ones as well.. oh boy 200 maybe I should start selling packs for $50... lol

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I found these on the bay.. I might look for 1/2 inch as well, but these will probably do the job just fine.

I found the 1/2 length ones as well.. oh boy 200 maybe I should start selling packs for $50... lol

Pardon Our Interruption...

If you do buy them, I'll take a few off your hands just to streamline the oddball assortment of screws I have holding some of my speaker grills on. However, I would appreciate you taking pity on your fellow collectors and maybe only marking them up 800% instead of a 1,000%. After all, it IS the giving time of year!

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

If you do buy them, I'll take a few off your hands just to streamline the oddball assortment of screws I have holding some of my speaker grills on. However, I would appreciate you taking pity on your fellow collectors and maybe only marking them up 800% instead of a 1,000%. After all, it IS the giving time of year!

Tis the season... I'll give you "Friend" prices... $49.99

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

screws in hand, this might be getting bumped forward as my Aero Project has stalled due to parts.

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

I know how that goes. I haven't finished my Aero either.

Glad you found the screws.

Stan

 

[btdbad10]

Woah! I absolutely love twinsonics, and I would love to have one some day. Though, they are just expensive haha.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Just a comparison picture between factory and the ones I picked up.
Factory on the inside and new outside.

longer I believe are for the endcaps, and the shorter are for the speaker grille.. I think. TBH I don't think it matters nothing stopping you from using either.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

And its coming apart. someone has been here before and I found 2 broken off screws, oh well nothing too bad.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

YT video hit..

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

got some real work done on this bar, gearbox, mirrors, and rotator bases clean.
I dropped the chains in a cup of full strength simple green, and gonna let them baste for abit.
No visible damage or excessive wear in the gearbox, nor on the cogs for the chains.

The frame will be the challenge as its easiest to clean with a power washer, but with winter.. gonna be a challenge.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I think I have finished the cleaning part, now time to start reassembly.. also debating if I wanna get some of those LED spot Par36 bulbs that I keep see people playing with to test them out.

 

[stansdds]

LED spotlights generally do not have the focused beam of light that is produced by incandescent or halogen PAR spotlight bulbs, so they do not have the same "pop" effect.

 

[CrownVic97]

LED spotlights generally do not have the focused beam of light that is produced by incandescent or halogen PAR spotlight bulbs, so they do not have the same "pop" effect.

These guys have LED bulbs that are awesome at getting the focused "pop" of a sealed beam

Search Results Page

Search Results Page

www.techni-lux.com

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

These guys have LED bulbs that are awesome at getting the focused "pop" of a sealed beam

Search Results Page

Search Results Page

www.techni-lux.com

Bingo! Now I need to figure out how to place an order.. the bulbs will easily double what I paid for the bar.. joy

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

and swing and miss..

I tried calling the site, apparently they don't deal with the lowly folks like myself.
You need to jump through hoops if you want to order.

So on that note. PASS.

 

[NPS Ranger]

Don't feel bad, all of the bulbs listed in that link are described as "pin spot." The functionality of the 4416 sealed beam was based on its filament shape that produced a "blade" of intensity instead of a "spot." When you oriented the bulb so the blade was vertical and put it in a rotating light, the flash cutoff was sharp and even worked if you were a little bit above or below the plane of the light. Newer bulbs including the halogen and LED PAR replacements, have a blob of light instead of that sharp cutoff.

 

[Benno]

and swing and miss..

I tried calling the site, apparently they don't deal with the lowly folks like myself.
You need to jump through hoops if you want to order.

So on that note. PASS.

You can find these LED bulbs on ebay also!
(Unfortunately, I can't insert a working link )

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

I bought a few different ones off of eBay and they were not suitable for warning beacons and bars. As already noted, a Blob of light goes by, not a Flash. Fortunately, they were cheap and, even more fortunately, they work fine as tractor work lights.

Some even worked on the 76 year old tractor with a 6 volt electrical system. That has all of a 10 amp 3-brush generator (an old design that does not use a voltage regulator) and can only run two incandescent sealed beam lamps. The one on the right side fender swivels to be either forward or rearward facing. Now it sports three lights, so always two forward and one rearward. And, some amps to spare.

So, the LED ones which were disappointing in a beacon worked out wonderfully on tractors. But I am done trying any more of them.

Stan

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I think I found the seller on ebay selling the bulbs. I still want to see with my own eyes.

Remember folks.. nobody is making 4464 or 4416 bulbs anymore. Eventually the supply will run out.. hopefully for not a long while.. but you know what I mean.

 

[ex416]

pm sent

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

I will be interested in what you think about what you get. I figure, at some point in time, someone will produce an LED model that does the job. Maybe that time is now. I certainly hope so.

I would like to re-bulb a 4-bulb beacon such that I could put magnets on the bottom and get away with a modern vehicle power outlet without overdrawing the current with incandescent bulbs. But, that needs an LED design that pops like the old bulbs do.

Stan

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

been abit, figured I would take a quickie of where its sitting now

Its mostly reassembled, some wiring block hookups and then remount the rotators.

I did a good run on the motor with how it sits, and lubed the cogs.. I will give it another good burn in once I get the rotators back on.

So now I am at the crossroads.. I have some feet (I think) so add those.. next up are lenses.. I am batting trying a set of the new repro lenses.. thinking blue, or green. maybe blue/geen..

and the bulbs.. I really want to try these LED bulbs.. but between the bulbs and the lenses takes this bar into the stratosphere price wise.