2012 Chevy Tahoe - Media Photographer Installation

[FoothillCommunications]

Hello all,

I figured I should start posting our installs we conduct up on the board for others to view.. Please feel free to ask any questions or make any suggestions!

About the vehicle:

-Customer is a photographer for several fire departments as well as news media outlets.

-Customer came to us with all equipment already in hand (Warning lights as well as console). All we had provided was the electrical components.

-All lighting equipment is controlled via two switches at the top of the console, one for the rear lights and one for the front lights.

-All scanners and Motorola CDM's are run into a audio mixer that outputs to one Motorola Speaker surface mounted inside the console to the drivers front. Audio is excellent on all receivers and it being mixed into one speaker is flawless!

-All radio/scanner equipment as well as warning lights are ran into separate rig runners for lights/radios respectively, with master breakers inside the engine compartment.

Equipment:

1 - Soundoff Signal Pinnacle (Amber) in front visor area.

1 - SHO-ME 31'' LED Light Stick (Amber) in rear back window. Using SHO-ME T/A Controller as well in console.

2 - Whelen PAR36 Fog Replacements (Amber) in front fogs.

4 - Grill Lights (Amber) Unknown brand on these.. They are not labeled and were supplied by customer. Probably some chinese knockoff!

1 - Tomar Spider Rear lightbar (Amber)

1 - Troy full length console.

1 - Motorola CDM1550 used as a scanner.

1 - Motorola CDM1550LS used on local LTR system.

4 - Uniden Scanners all programmed identically.

1 - Magnetic Mic used on CDM1550LS.. We are selling a lot of these awesome things!























(Added video)

 

[twodogs603]

I'll take it.

 

[acala91]

Holy scanners batman! Install looks great! I'd like to see a video if that's possible. The rear external lightbar is called a Spider and it is made by Tomar.


TOMAR | Spider Rear SUV lightbar

 

[strobecrazy]

Nice, looking forward to the vid.

 

[FoothillCommunications]

As requested:

 

[proudfirefighter]

Nope. Not good enough, definitely too few scanners there!


Joking aside, looks like a nice install, eagerly awaiting the video.

 

[FoothillCommunications]

Holy scanners batman! Install looks great! I'd like to see a video if that's possible. The rear external lightbar is called a Spider and it is made by Tomar.

TOMAR | Spider Rear SUV lightbar

Thanks for the guidance! Updated the description with that. :thumbsup:


Added the video to the original post for those interested...

 

[factorone33]

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. :sadcry:


But seriously, as a scanner/radio nut, that's a slick setup. //schemes//

 

[lafd55]

Nice install and console. Can't say I am a fan of the lights to the front(IMHO there is no need for them), but definitely the rear if parked on major roads.

 

[K9Vic]

Being that I do the exact same for the local fire departments and sometimes news agencies. The scanners are needed, but the lights are way over kill IMHO. In my Tahoe I had just a rear amber Whelen TAM85 behind the rear glass tailgate, lower amber EP911 LS12 where the hitch would be. In the front just strobes and rear in the rear tail lights that did not alternate. I do not see why that much lighting is needed for a this job role, but to each his own.


I just sold the Tahoe and my current Caprice has just some amber Axixtech led on a license plate bracket with non-alternating tail light flashers in the red lenses and amber LED in the backup lights. It also has amber sidekick lights, but nothing in the front. I only run two scanners as I only cover my surrounding cites only and really do not go out too much except really for fires as that is good for their training.

 

[strobecrazy]

Nicely done. Can't wait to see more of your installs.

 

[Troop]

Wow, that's a nice looking Tahoe. Looks like a clean install, too. Thanks for sharing.

 

[acala91]

Love the front end. All the flash patterns look great; really a nice install. It does seem overkill for the intended purpose but who cares.

 

[Ren12]

Great job I'm a fan. Looking forward to see some more of your installs.

 

[tvsjr]

In the future, consider a receiver multicoupler rather than 4 antennas. Stridsberg has some good solutions - I'm running one of their 4-port units in the truck to drive 2 scanners, another receiver, and a spectrum analyzer (when required).

 

[FoothillCommunications]

Love the front end. All the flash patterns look great; really a nice install. It does seem overkill for the intended purpose but who cares.

Thanks! Flash patterns are something we take pride in alot because split patterns of a small light head = half of the warning power! Photobucket seems to lag a little on the video side so we will probably use youtube for any additional videos in the future..

In the future, consider a receiver multicoupler rather than 4 antennas. Stridsberg has some good solutions - I'm running one of their 4-port units in the truck to drive 2 scanners, another receiver, and a spectrum analyzer (when required).

Generally we would recommend the same, but with this project the customer bought us everything ready to install!


Again, thank you all. We hope to be posting many more of our installs in the next few days..

 

[DJIceman97]

Very nice. I admit, a little overkill, but better than hazard flashers. Only thing I would say would be to add a TLF or LAW strobes in the reverse lights, I'm just not a fan of high lighting without anything mid-ship, but that's just me. For what he needs, it is excellent, especially since I'm a radio/scanner nut as well

 

[RyanZ71]

I love it. Great job on the install. Just remind him that he has antennas on the top and to be careful where he parks it and drives to as some of us have found out the hard way. :duh:


If this were my vehicle (yes I know you are just installing what he wants and I am not criticizing you at all trust me) I would remove the fog light flashers and slow down the back end lights just a bit. Going too fast for me.

 

[Eric1249]

Seems like a bit over kill. I would think there would be more to the rear then the front

 

[SikDMAX]

I like the top console modification that was done with the cig lighter plugs and traction control button - you guys do that or the owner?  Zaks rig I think?