Thread: FHP Lightbar

Who makes it? Is it custom for FHP? Why the change from all blue to red/blue?

Code 3 javelin with a photo cell for red day/blue night. Made for FHP.

...and recently discontinued.

Originally Posted by HILO

Code 3 javelin with a photo cell for red day/blue night. Made for FHP.

+1 Code 3 is popular in Florida

Originally Posted by HILO

Code 3 javelin with a photo cell for red day/blue night. Made for FHP.

ok, thanks!

Originally Posted by HILO

Code 3 javelin with a photo cell for red day/blue night. Made for FHP.

Yes

Anyone know what they are switching to?

So they can be seen. Day and night. When they are responding to MVA's they use all the colors. Once car is on scene it changes. Also The rear window of FHP cars have 2 amber bars 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom of the window. Always flashing all at 1 time. I don't think any of the troopers can change the pattern only seen it a few times with a local trooper near me who added a lot of lights to his charger. such as fog light red / more push bumper lights etc.

Originally Posted by RL1

Anyone know what they are switching to?

Not sure. FHP took over the FDOT last year (the officer who inspect Trucks) and there cars are all white with blue stripes and use They use ALL Blue Liberty bars.

Here is DOT that was taken over by FHP
rnpca3079-vi.jpg

Here is a Newer charger looks like the bar is different.
cnpca18473a-vi.jpg

They are keeping the javalin's as they retire old vehicles. I was told they stock piled them when they were made so they have tons still NIB.

They use to run vectors, they are still a few out there.

Most of the time when Ive seen these the troopers have them overridden to r/b instead of just red in the day.

another video

I always thought this was an example of someone taking a study and following it blindly. FHP did a study and found red showed up better in the day, blue at night. So instead of running red/blue all the time they over engineered a lightbar that looks like a fire truck during the day.

I've never liked the way they split the light bar at up like that. Nor have I like the flash patterns. Any of the new duo colored lightbars would be great candidates for them (code 3 rx2700 mc, whelen liberty duo, FS Vision SLR) in the future.

EDIT: I guess this is why they love that steady on steady off pattern: "The worst lights in the study in signaling the relative motion of the patrol car were lights that alternated flashes from side to side. Some illusion of red-receding was found; however, almost no support was found for blue approaching. Perhaps the wavelength of the blue source was not short enough (it would tend to violet and not meet current color standards as the wavelength gets shorter) for the effect to manifest itself."

"Another factor in how readily an object is detected is its contrast to the background. Having a lightbar that has a large number of flashes so that there is never an off time may not be as conspicuous as a lightbar that flashes completely off/on."

"When moving, the lightbar flashes random and quickly all the modules, red and blue, whether day or night. This gives us many flashes in red, blue, and white. When stopped the entire lightbar flashes as one complete unit at 90 flashes per minute in the color chosen according to the ambient light. Moving: a multi-flash “dancing” pattern; Stopped: a solid large slower flashing unit"

Originally Posted by JohnMarcson

I always thought this was an example of someone taking a study and following it blindly. FHP did a study and found red showed up better in the bay, blue at night. So instead of running red/blue all the time they over engineered a lightbar that looks like a fire truck during the day.

I was at police fleet in louisville, ky about 6 years ago and there was a presentation by Jim Wells of FHP, he is with the office of equipment, compliance, and testing that did a light study and here is an atricle on it Florida Highway Patrol Experimental Lighting Study | Police Fleet Manager Magazine. He had way to much time on his hands. I do like the effort they put into it but, it reminds me of Wile E. Coyote.

Is it just me, or does that new FHP Charger look sick...although I'm not a big fan of the lightbar.

God, I'm a police car/lightbar nerd.

Originally Posted by fleetcomm

I was at police fleet in louisville, ky about 6 years ago and there was a presentation by Jim Wells of FHP, he is with the office of equipment, compliance, and testing that did a light study and here is an atricle on it Florida Highway Patrol Experimental Lighting Study | Police Fleet Manager Magazine. He had way to much time on his hands. I do like the effort they put into it but, it reminds me of Wile E. Coyote.

I read a write up on something similar..... way to over analyze something... I appreciate the effort but take a step back for a minute and examine how something will work and be used in the field. A nice red/blue bar with red/blue and amber secondary LEDs set to a slow flash...with like colors flashed together would be just as effective if not more so than a single color.... even if that single color is "the right" color.

Originally Posted by chono

Most of the time when Ive seen these the troopers have them overridden to r/b instead of just red in the day.

In response mode they are r/b with a faster flash pattern, they only switch to the single color and slower flash pattern when the car is put into park...

Originally Posted by 5309

Also The rear window of FHP cars have 2 amber bars 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom of the window. Always flashing all at 1 time. I don't think any of the troopers can change the pattern

The rear windown lights are also code 3 (custom wingman bars) and can be used as directional arrows as well, although most troopers don't regularly use them as such. I have only recently started seeing the t/a feature used more with all the troopers in the construction areas around i4, and the i4/275 junction.

Originally Posted by LawMan902

...construction areas around i4, and the i4/275 junction.

Ah, so you're in my neck of the woods...

I've never liked these bars. I think they are no where near as good looking as other bars out there. Motor Carrier Compliance Officers (DOT), as pictured below, run all blue Liberty bars and they are far more recognizable at a further distance than the Javelin. Their pattern is very fast, but very effective in my opinion. I think FHP should go to Liberty bars, if not Duo, then at least all blue. Ultimately, they should go to the Vision SLR to carry on a piece of that tradition while having all of the features they need... according to the studies

Originally Posted by Jman423

Ah, so you're in my neck of the woods...

I've never liked these bars. I think they are no where near as good looking as other bars out there. Motor Carrier Compliance Officers (DOT), as pictured below, run all blue Liberty bars and they are far more recognizable at a further distance than the Javelin. Their pattern is very fast, but very effective in my opinion. I think FHP should go to Liberty bars, if not Duo, then at least all blue. Ultimately, they should go to the Vision SLR to carry on a piece of that tradition while having all of the features they need... according to the studies

I'm sure FHP had the best interest of safety and being seen but, the manufacture will provide what we need for at a better price. I don't think code 3 sold very many of these outside of florida.

I work with the FHP and DOT guys on the highway and the troopers are 10 times brighter. I don't think any of the cars use red only in day light. They always at a minimum have a blue light on below the rvm. The DOT cars blue is a very light, almost teal blue. I saw one in pursuit and only noticed the wig wag from a distance. The FHP set up is blinding. The rear at night is blue from the javelin and amber from the two inner rows of light bars, amazingly bright. I'm still very impressed at their lights and see them everyday.

Beware if you find one of these bars used. They require a particular control module specific to FHP and Code 3 will NOT sell one to anyone not holding FHP purchase privileges. The bar is basically useless without it.

i've noticed lately that the chargers always seem to have the R/B simultaneously now (day or night), as opposed to the older CVPIs w/ the red daytime/blue nighttime.

Also, what they meant by "red only" was that the lightbar flashes red only during the day; there is always a code3 warrior dashlight in blue at all times right below the RVM.

Originally Posted by emtanderson51

...The bar is basically useless without it.

They are equally useless even with the module...

I dont know i think it looks BAD ASS and i want one on my Patrol Tahoe.

Originally Posted by Flashguy

I work with the FHP and DOT guys on the highway and the troopers are 10 times brighter. I don't think any of the cars use red only in day light. They always at a minimum have a blue light on below the rvm. The DOT cars blue is a very light, almost teal blue. I saw one in pursuit and only noticed the wig wag from a distance. The FHP set up is blinding. The rear at night is blue from the javelin and amber from the two inner rows of light bars, amazingly bright. I'm still very impressed at their lights and see them everyday.

Remember FHP and DOT have merged recently. they are all troopers so who knows what they have in store for the future. maybe phase out all of the old DOT white cars with the liberty bars.

Originally Posted by Jman423

Ah, so you're in my neck of the woods...

I've never liked these bars. I think they are no where near as good looking as other bars out there. Motor Carrier Compliance Officers (DOT), as pictured below, run all blue Liberty bars and they are far more recognizable at a further distance than the Javelin. Their pattern is very fast, but very effective in my opinion. I think FHP should go to Liberty bars, if not Duo, then at least all blue. Ultimately, they should go to the Vision SLR to carry on a piece of that tradition while having all of the features they need... according to the studies

Yes, I am in the Tampa area...

I am not particularly fond of the Javelin bars myself.. I always wondered why FHP went to C3 after using FedSig for so long. As far back as I can remember they've used FedSig from the Jet's to the Vectors. I also kinda wonder why they decided to be different and go with C3, considering every other state agency (DEP, FWC, ABT, FDLE, Emergency Management,former DOT, etc...) uses Whelen products now. I personally wish they would've stayed with FedSig, or just jumped on the Whelen bandwagon with everyone else. I personally think an Arjent would look great on the Chargers, and the solaris modules are stupid bright...

Originally Posted by LawMan902

Yes, I am in the Tampa area...

I am not particularly fond of the Javelin bars myself.. I always wondered why FHP went to C3 after using FedSig for so long. As far back as I can remember they've used FedSig from the Jet's to the Vectors. I also kinda wonder why they decided to be different and go with C3, considering every other state agency (DEP, FWC, ABT, FDLE, Emergency Management,former DOT, etc...) uses Whelen products now. I personally wish they would've stayed with FedSig, or just jumped on the Whelen bandwagon with everyone else. I personally think an Arjent would look great on the Chargers, and the solaris modules are stupid bright...

I agree, I am not a fan of Javelin either.

I've only seen the Vision SLR inside at IACP 2010, so I haven't had the chance to see one outside yet... but I wonder if they would ever go back down that path.

I hear there is a dipswitch on the C3 controller that allows the Trooper to lock the Javelin in "moving" mode even when stopped, but that they started cracking down on them for tampering. Then I heard some Troopers were leaving their car in neutral with the parking brake on to keep it flashing all colors... again addressed by higher offices. All of this was first hand from Troopers that work in the same building as I do.

If I was LEO, I don't think I could resist the urge to improve my lighting setup as I see fit. They've supposedly handed down rules that prevent the use of personally added lighting to patrol cars, but I see plenty of custom lighting out there from time to time.

"I also kinda wonder why they decided to be different and go with C3."

FHP after the light study had venders build a lightbar to meet the findings the study had discovered and code 3 was the winner.

Originally Posted by fleetcomm

"I also kinda wonder why they decided to be different and go with C3."

FHP after the light study had venders build a lightbar to meet the findings the study had discovered and code 3 was the winner.

I don't think C3 did any winning with this lightbar IMO. lol

I really don't like it. Obviously someone has a difference of opinion though.. They look ok in response mode with the R/B combo, although the pattern could use a bit of improvement. BUT, you could get the same effect with dual colored heads in a lower profile bar that would have better aerodynamics and not look like C3 took a big bulky SD and stacked LED heads in it lol... They may look good on SUV's, and decent on a CVPI, but not digging them with the profile and the lines of the sleek and stealthy Chargers...