I drive an unmarked '22 Ford PIU equipped with Whelen Inner Edge FST lightbars in the windshield. The lightheads are very visible when off, so to make it less obvious it's a police vehicle I'm getting a tint strip across the top of the windshield. The only other front emergency lights are high beam wig-wags so I don't want the Whelens to become too hard to see on a bright day. What tint percentage would be recommended to make the lightheads almost completely unnoticeable when off without impacting their visibility too much when I need to run code?
Suggested Windshield Strip Tint Percentage - Whelen Inner Edge FST
- Thread starter texasblueline
- Start date
tsquale
Lifetime VIP Donor
If that is your primary warning, I wouldn't tint below 50%. A better option may be the ol pantyhose method. Buy black pantyhose, cut each leg off and stretch one over each housing.
tsquale
Lifetime VIP Donor
1. I think they do an average job disguising the light without sacrificing the output as much as tint does.
2. In the times I have used them and seen them used, it is easier to stretch them over the housing. I've seen them used on single and dual Talons/Avengers and the various interior lightbars. In the OPs case, I would stretch one over each side of the interior lightbar.
3. I have always "tied" the end off and not had an issue. Once it's there, its there. Glue may work as well but I haven't tried that.
I went through my files and don't have any photos of it in use unfortunately.
Thanks for the info tsquale! I've heard of this trick a while ago and totally forgot about it until this post. I have an admin/undercover squad coming up where I was planning on using a tint strip on the upper windshield but was not crazy about how much the output would be reduced. This seems like it's a fair compromise between concealment and light output.
firebuff17
Member
I ran a rear deck FedSig Halogen 8 head SM bar in one of my unmarked sedans with the pantyhose stretched over the entire length and it worked very well, you had to look hard to notice there was a long something mounted there and it's light output was hardly if at all effected and no the heat didn't melt it.
NPS Ranger
Member
Thanks for the suggestion @tsquale . I got some pantyhose and tried it today, however I could only get it over the driver side housing. The passenger side has a cable connecting at each end of the housing, so I can't work the hose from one end of the housing to the other like I did on the driver's side. The housing is too wide to try to slide it on from front to back and the hose kept tearing.
It does somewhat cut down on how noticeable the clear lenses are and the lights seem just about as bright, but the housing itself is still obvious since it's flush against the top of the windshield. I think the hose would work well for a light that's not flush against the glass, and maybe if I got even more opaque hose it'd make the housing less visible but I worry that'd cut down on the light output too. Since I can't get it over the passenger side anyways I'll probably get a strip of 50% tint across the top of the windshield to camouflage them better.
For reference, here's a before and after picture of the hose on the driver side housing at about high noon:
It does somewhat cut down on how noticeable the clear lenses are and the lights seem just about as bright, but the housing itself is still obvious since it's flush against the top of the windshield. I think the hose would work well for a light that's not flush against the glass, and maybe if I got even more opaque hose it'd make the housing less visible but I worry that'd cut down on the light output too. Since I can't get it over the passenger side anyways I'll probably get a strip of 50% tint across the top of the windshield to camouflage them better.
For reference, here's a before and after picture of the hose on the driver side housing at about high noon:
NoLimitSquads
Member
Having had multiple departments request this, here are some things that Ive learned. Most often, I do a 35% strip. 35% still doesn’t completely hide the light. However, I use Whelen lights, and 35% doesn’t cut down the light too bad, it still shines through plenty bright. Another option, is to do a lighter tint like 50% on a tint strip, and also on the light heads, that will make the light nearly invisible, but it cuts the light down a bit more than the 35% strip only. Another thing that Ive noticed, the tint strip is way less obvious if you cut it to match the curve of the top of the windshield. Don’t do it ghetto style and just use a straight piece of tint that arcs across the windshield. So, having said that, do whatever works for you, but those are the things that I have done. However the 50% strip, and pantyhose seems like it might be the best route. As far as the side with two cables, you need to remove both sides of the light bar, and slide the panty hose over the drivers side, over the cable that connects the two sides, and then to the passenger side.
Seems like a lot of work for what is an obvious law enforcement vehicle...
What did you end up doing?
What did you end up doing?
It would be pretty hard to get the tolerances exactly correct and it would introduce more potential points for rattles squeaks and other irritating noises....
StEaLtH2
Member
Not to mention the dust/pollen collection that louvers would attract…..
I wish there was a practical solution to subdue the appearance without negating output
I wish there was a practical solution to subdue the appearance without negating output