crt6mrt-265
Member
well.. at least I got to see the Apollo dash lights in my color in the sun. I really like them. as for the way the install was done, I'm more medical then a pro installer so I'll say... seizure?
2010 crown vic all feniex emergency equipment for sheriff dept
- Thread starter 911graphicsandlighting
- Start date
Zapp Brannigan
Lifetime VIP Donor
Here I'll end this thread for y'all. After reviewing the video, I can honestly say I like ZERO things about this install. I mean I was hoping I'd be able to say "well at least the 4200 looked good" but can't even say that! I don't care if its flush mounted on an official havis mount or not. I've seen rigged up mounts that work just as well. But in the video while demoing the siren you go to press against the button and the whole controller moved.
The entire choices of lighting were poor 360 degrees. The flash patterns were hideous. The sync was hideous. Every piece of equipment was crooked. I'm trying to throw you a bone here or at least a life preserver but I can't find anything done right. I mean I could be super generic saying the surface stars aren't the absolute worst thing you could have put there but that would be ruined by the sync of them and that they are crooked and not even. Sorry but its true.
I think you said it best yourself. You sure did collect a check. Unfortunately the install creates a public safety and officer safety hazard. It also means that you will likely not receive repeat business and you will positively never have anyone walk up to that officer saying his lights look awesome, where did he get them done at. Rather they will be asking what company to avoid.
I also hope you have really good liability insurance. Because when someone gets hurt related to this you know who the first person getting sued is.
The entire choices of lighting were poor 360 degrees. The flash patterns were hideous. The sync was hideous. Every piece of equipment was crooked. I'm trying to throw you a bone here or at least a life preserver but I can't find anything done right. I mean I could be super generic saying the surface stars aren't the absolute worst thing you could have put there but that would be ruined by the sync of them and that they are crooked and not even. Sorry but its true.
I think you said it best yourself. You sure did collect a check. Unfortunately the install creates a public safety and officer safety hazard. It also means that you will likely not receive repeat business and you will positively never have anyone walk up to that officer saying his lights look awesome, where did he get them done at. Rather they will be asking what company to avoid.
I also hope you have really good liability insurance. Because when someone gets hurt related to this you know who the first person getting sued is.
You're not helping your case at all, Matt.
You think you're getting bashed? Just take a look back at all the threads in the ring that started with someone using poor grammar, spelling, and doing bad installs.. THOSE are bashing, but for good reason. Your thread hasn't reached that threshold.... yet.
You think you're getting bashed? Just take a look back at all the threads in the ring that started with someone using poor grammar, spelling, and doing bad installs.. THOSE are bashing, but for good reason. Your thread hasn't reached that threshold.... yet.
GPC
Member
Couple of other questions.
1. How long did this install take?
2. How much per hour do you charge to do installs?
1. How long did this install take?
2. How much per hour do you charge to do installs?
GPC said:
with the high quality work done i would say about 15 minutes and a whole roll of 3m double sided tape, the rate i have no idea on that. probably very expensive for the quality of work.
GPC
Member
MEVS06 said:
See what the sad part is is that he probably had the car for like three weeks and it still looked like that.
HILO
Member
MEVS06 said:
Your wrong about the roll of double sided tape. I clearly see a package of permatex on the windshield.....
GPC
Member
I had the car for 15 hrs. The sad part is that no one but a few has offered constructive input most has been how bad and how fucked up it is. I thought it was some where constructive input would come into play to help each other but i see its not. I see its more or less if it is not completely perfect your just the laugh of the group. For the ones that wants to make fun of it i will take a learning experience from it
GPC
Member
911graphicsandlighting said:
Holy crap! You had the car for 15hrs and it still looks like that?
So let's assume you charge $85/hr for install work so $85/hr x 15hrs = $1,275. If that was my car I would want to burn your shop to the ground and hang a sign on the car with your company name on it saying this dumbass did this install.
HILO
Member
GPC said:
Perhaps he permatexed his hands to the car by mistake, that will take some time to work free...
Y'all are both wrong. This guy used zip ties and great value (Walmart generic) of Elmer's glue. Hopefully he stopped in the personal lubricant section before handing the customer the bill. The install took one hour. And half of that was spent eating the glue.
911graphicsandlighting said:
Constructive Input:
First off I'm not perfect but im offering the advice you seem to be asking for.
1) IT looks plain Tacky all around
2) Mount the Light Heads Straight
3) Change The patterns (Quick in the front but nothing INSANE) vs Slow& Synced to the rear.
4) Flash the Same colors when possible at the Same time on Same Pattern
5) Remove some of the weird ass looking lights in the placement you have.
6) The grammar/Lack of spell check does make ALL of your posts difficult to read.
There is the list broken down of what you should definately fix. Im not a 15 man shop, but I know for damn sure that if I have ONE CAR for 15 hours, Let alone a CVPI im gonna make it perfect. If it was a more difficult car that is understandable, but its a damn CVPI.
I have to agree with everyones comments..It looks like when someone gives you criticism you revert to "The chief wanted it that way" "it was a result of this" .. "well that is because of that" blah blah, if you want the advice just say okay thanks, i should have fixed that, i should have done it differenet, otherwise the bashing is gonna REALLY start
Good Luck..
911graphicsandlighting said:
The rear patterns look better.
The grill lights still look cockeyed or crooked to me... maybe it's just me. It's better, though.
julietbravosierra
Member
I like what I see in the video. I would have gone with a nice quad flash on the apollo 2x's though.
GPC
Member
Zapp Brannigan
Lifetime VIP Donor
GPC said:
I guess they were semi-wrong about what they said with polishing a turd. It does look better, but you know, even if you polish a turd, at the end of the day, its still a turd...
If it makes the customer happy, that's really what matters. It's not that it looks bad, but it could have been a lot better. Replace the side Cannon's with some actual side warning (interior or exterior), change the flash pattern on the rear, give him something else for the front, and it would be alright. Just what I would do. If you got paid, and the customer is 110% happy and will give you more business, that's what matters, I suppose.
Eh. Rear is better and sync is right but seems a bit too slow. Set em on the one step faster pattern (it's just a tad faster) and the back is good. Front ehhhhh not feeling it at all. I'm sure some people will argue with me on this but try flipping the master / slave on the upper windshield or grill. So they are still in sync just flashing opposing colors. And the surface mounted stars on the side still just look goofy to me. But definite an improvement.
If you open up the Apollo 2x's, you should be able to sync all 4 light heads in the two different lights by running a sync wire between them. That may help with the overall appearance of the front.
The cannons on the side don't bother me... I have a pair mounted in the front of our demo car and they're astoundingly bright. We use the dual mode as a flood/scene light, and it works pretty well.
The cannons on the side don't bother me... I have a pair mounted in the front of our demo car and they're astoundingly bright. We use the dual mode as a flood/scene light, and it works pretty well.
Kd8bao
Member
DJIceman97 said:
I like the cannons but I think the T6 would have been a better option and they are cheaper. And now the T6 come with gasket malls it nicer for surface mount.
I agree it was a the choice of the sheriff and the reason for doing the cannons was to replace the sos intersector lights on the mirror and because the way the cannons give off the light he chose those along with it being cheaper than the intersectors
911graphicsandlighting said:
I think intersectors are WAY more effective and look WAY nicer. Not just twice but like 10x. And the price difference isn't that much. Especially for a law enforcement vehicle. If it was a fire department vehicle that was using the side lights primarily to block off a scene sure go with little bright twinkly lights. But I keep saying it, you need surface area of the light to help people see what the heck the light is (look at a full size exterior lightbar vs interior lightbars). It's not that ilbs aren't bright, it's that they are 1" high vs 3" on an exterior. The SOS intersectors are x the size of a cannon. Clearing an intersection they'd be 4x more effective in my book.
Again you can pawn the choice of lights on the sheriff if you'd like. And it may or may not be the case. But I promise if you showed him a video of a canon side by side with an intersector there is a 97% chance he'd pony up the $ difference.
To me they may be bright but have you ever walked down the street and caught a glimpse of something shiny. You look around. Oh look a shiny dime the sun just reflected off of. That's what the surface mounted canons look like to me. Little twinkly things. At night no worries during the day you'd be 10x better off with some larger 5mm lights so that people can actually see emergency vehicle colors rather than a little dime
Thing is they do have inter sectors on all there other cars so he does know the coverage that they have including having them on his own vehicle that he drives everyday. Now that say he add the cannons to his also for additional side lighting.