I measured everything on the car,…
When these photos were taken,…
Well, I measured after the restoration and you measured before… Is there a possibility that the Radome was changed during the restoration? Because it does seem smaller pre-restoration. I was actually pretty surprised that it measured so big when I took my measurements.
You guys are using a tape measure to measure a circular object, and you don’t think they’re the same because there is a 5/8" measurement error?
The plans Kris karlsson made, and the measurements drcaron took if anything… prove that they’re the same.
Why? Because the length measurement and the plans almost perfectly agree with where the seam is on the Radome itself.
The diameter is well within the error possible by eyeballing something round with a tape measure.
Why is there a conspiracy regarding this piece?
Is it possible there are different sizes of Oxygen bottles, and some people have the wrong size?
If Sean’s radome is 5", his oxygen bottle is likely much larger than 5-5/8" OD.
EDIT: I looked at it in photoshop, and Sean’s oxygen bottle would be approx. 7" in diameter, vs 5-5/8" for the one drcaron posted.
If you have an oxygen bottle. Are you absolutely sure you have the right one? Seems like to me that there would be different sizes.
when this thread was first posted, i have to admit i was pretty skeptical, but after measuring some of my tanks, and looking at the original blue prints they used to create the rack, i gotta say im a believer.
the orginal blueprints call for a
6"Ø x 9" plastic (metal) dome as a marine radar
platform to fit aerials & dome
please note: overall height of dome from ground to clear firehouse entrance
using a seamstress tape i measured the tanks i have came out to 18" circumference, the other one was a hair less but being stamped parts its understandable, but an 18" circumference comes to a 5.72 Ø
and using prop making logic, i have no problem believing they would have chopped a tank up to make the part, its close to what the blueprint would have called for and readily available. (well at the time)
I’m willing to believe it’s a cut-down tank as well. They were still reasonably common by 1989 when they build Ecto-1A’s roof rack, so it seems plausible they had a spare from their visit to one of the part depots which they then cut down. 
I don’t know if you guys see the welding joint on the A-6 thank but I think is matching the one on radome .
Martin
It’s also hard to imagine them at the shop finding this stuff and going “yeah, half of that third tank is exactly what we need to make the Radome, let’s instead go track down some other cone-shaped object and try to make it work. Whatever delays the shoot..”
I think another hint is the 1A’s radome being yellow. it’s like they just threw down the stock tank, tossed some quick yellow spraypaint over the yellow that was there and went on with the build.
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TexasBuster,
The ecto-1a make me think of something about the paint i know that the made somes of those A-6 oxygen tank white for the small air plane and I think the are still available today .
This is why that we can see on ecto-1a the color turning white on the oxygen tank and the radome after all those year exposed on the on the sun but the one on the ecto-1 are still yellow .
Martin
Is anyone else going to take up the task of measuring their oxygen tanks and report their diameters?
My plan was to visit Ecto-1 at Sony, measure the raydome, take pictures and compare everything to the A-6 tank. However, I discovered that Ecto-1 has gone on a promotional tour for the 30th anniversary and isn’t currently parked at Sony. My visit is on hold since I haven’t been able to find any mention of it being scheduled to be at any particular place (in southern California). Now, my group is going to be at Wondercon Easter weekend and there is a slight possibility that Ecto-1 will be on display there. If so, I’ll be armed with measuring tape and a camera to record my findings. However, if Ecto-1 doesn’t make the rounds at the so-cal cons, i’ll just have to wait until the car makes it way back to Sony.
As far as measuring the A-6 tank, I can have pictures of ours with measurements on site by the end of the day.
EDIT: I have just found out that the Ecto-1 is in fact back at Sony. However, instead of sitting on the backlot bearing the elements, it is now on Sony’s “Main Street” which is part of the tour. It looks to be parked right near the gift shop.
Also, I will post pictures of the A-6 tanks when I can. I don’t have immediate access to them and I need to wait until a group member is able to take the pictures.
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I had always thought it may have been a variation of a fire siren, it has a similar recessed weld line. The A6 tanks have what looks like a raised weld line.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/for/4474673312.html
Here are the pictures measuring the A-6 tanks that I said I would post but never did.
The tanks measure about 13" from the top where the nozzle attaches to the bottom of the tank.
Here are the first two tanks I measured:
When I measured the length of the tanks, I started from the bottom of the valve threading and went all the way to the bottom.
All of them measured 16 1/4".
Now the width:
Tank 1:
Tank 2:
Now, let’s add a third tank. All different manufacturers.
Here you can see the measurements are the same.
To cut the tank for a raydome, it looks like that cut will need to be made somewhere around 9.5" to 10.5" (going from the valve threading).
And plush for scale.
Eventually, I will measure the Raydome on the real Ecto-1 with this exact measuring tape and get pictures. I will have that opportunity later this year.
Great job on the fab of the raydome! Are those just pictures of the screen used Ecto-1A raydome or did you recently purchase it? Also, it looks like you’re building a 1A just by seeing the Sonobuoy in the background behind the naked lightbar? Washington-Ferno cot too. You’re part collecting right now. Excellent!
Not my fab on the radome but it is from the Northern Illinois Ecto1A brothers who are building a fantastic 1A replica right now and are absolutely nailing all the hard to find parts, although my garage does look similar with all my ecto parts strewn about. The other two pics are the screen used 1A radome.