2013 Explorer Install

VolEms

Member
May 24, 2010
2,112
NY, USA
Front:


Tomar 200-8 High Power R/W lightstick. White takedown override


Whelen Headlight Flasher


4 Rect-14 Upper Grill


8 head Rect-14 lightstick lower grill


Fog lights 2 Vertex Red and White. Changed OEM bulb to white vertex with flash override when LEDs activated


Ion and Soundoff intersect on mirrors


Side:


2 vertex Red and White hideaways for intersect


4 Rect-14 on each side of roof rack


White Rect-14 steady override for Ally lights


Rear:


Tomar 200-8 Red Blue high power lightstick


Rect-25 Red & Blue by Plate on slow single flash


8 Vertex hideaways. 2 red in each break and 2 Blue in each reverse. They fit nicely.


4 Whelen Sa315p Speakers


Fed Sig SS2000


Whelen Alpha 200watt


Grover 1510 Air Horn with compressor


Motorola PM1500


Siren and radio on gooseneck mount

 
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VolEms

Member
May 24, 2010
2,112
NY, USA
Sorry for bad vid. I will try to take my own vid and post. It's a civi model the highest trim with the double sunroof. I wanted to do a console but was a rush job. I hope to change some of the flashpatterns mainly on the front roof stick. I don't see why people are not doing headlight flashers on the Explorer. It's not that hard and it's very effective.


The customer wanted to be very visible with nothing in the windows and no lightbar. I think we did a good job.
 
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twodogs603

Member
Sep 7, 2011
1,196
Norfolk,VA
VolEms said:
Sorry for bad vid. The customer wanted the car. I will try to take my own vid and post. It's a civi model the highest trim with the double sunroof. I wanted to do a console but was a rush job. I hope to change some of the flashpatterns mainly on the front roof stick. I don't see why people are not doing headlight flashers on the Explorer. It's not that hard and it's very effective.

Because of the design of the headlight system. Some on here that are more familier with it will be chiming in Im sure and can give you more reasons why not to do it.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
That thing needs more 360 coverage!!!


All joking aside, there's way too much going on up front, with basically a dozen rect 14's in the grill when 2-4 would be plenty. I do love the use of the tomar 200 sticks as a covert exterior lightbar application, but those patterns need to be slowed down IMO; the customer needs to realize that the front is a tacky-looking pink blur & that he needs to have the rear stick slowed down to a single flash/wigwag-speed pattern to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. As for the vertexes to the rear, the customer could've gone with a brighter single LAW per housing, rather than paying for 2x as many vertex. I give you 100% props on your solid install skills but particular vollies in the NYC area (*cough cough*) don't need train horns & 400 watts of electronic siren noisemakers on a POV & something like 60 LEDs to move traffic. If 200 watts if plenty for a 105' ladder, I don't think he needs the 400
 

VolEms

Member
May 24, 2010
2,112
NY, USA
It's not just the vollies in NY. I think all of NY and NJ like very bright high powered LEDs. Tomar can't believe how I only order high power. They tell me most customers order standard power.
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
Was that a UFO or a Hatzolah POV??? I couldn't tell because I was blind!!!


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Overkill to the extreme, but I guess it's on par with the 'group'.
 

tvsjr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
611
TX
I get it... more blinky lights is better, right? But let's try to keep the overkill from turning into a pink and purple blob, which is what you've created here. Not only have you spend a shitload of money for all the lights, but you've dramatically reduced the effectiveness.


The issue with Explorer/PI Utility headlights is simple. They are projector housings. One filament, one brightness output... with a shutter that raises and lowers to raise/lower the beam. If you're using a regular flasher, it's quite likely that those shutters are moving up and down constantly, which will wear them out prematurely... and that's going to be an expensive replacement. There is now a module that is specifically designed for this, but it's not a Whelen product. Have fun when your customer comes back and is pissed that you caused his headlamp assemblies to fail. Then again, if he can afford this giant waste of blinkylights, he probably doesn't care.


:weird:
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
tvsjr said:
The issue with Explorer/PI Utility headlights is simple. They are projector housings. One filament, one brightness output... with a shutter that raises and lowers to raise/lower the beam. If you're using a regular flasher, it's quite likely that those shutters are moving up and down constantly, which will wear them out prematurely... and that's going to be an expensive replacement. There is now a module that is specifically designed for this, but it's not a Whelen product. Have fun when your customer comes back and is pissed that you caused his headlamp assemblies to fail. Then again, if he can afford this giant waste of blinkylights, he probably doesn't care.

:weird:

There is a way to 'override' the shutters thru the use of relays and other eletrical components, opening them, and then using a standard HLF; we have them on our 1 new sedan and 2 new utilities. The HLF is wired with the parking light cutoff, so the HLF only works when the headlights & the parking lights are completely off.


Seems to me that this utility needs to be wacked up-side the engine, or T-boned, by these utilities. More better.


End of California chase, with CHP Explorers
 

Eric1249

Member
Jul 12, 2010
2,277
Waukesha WI USA
I agree that it is overkill. The rear is a good example of a slow pattern like on the plate lights and random/fast on the stick and how the slower pattern is more effective.
 

lafd55

Member
May 27, 2010
2,393
New York, USA
We definitely know who uses this vehicle, hahahaha. Such a joke and FAIL!!! When will you guys learn that a lot is not better...
 

tvsjr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
611
TX
rwo978 said:
There is a way to 'override' the shutters thru the use of relays and other eletrical components, opening them, and then using a standard HLF; we have them on our 1 new sedan and 2 new utilities. The HLF is wired with the parking light cutoff, so the HLF only works when the headlights & the parking lights are completely off.

Yep, that's the special flasher I'm referring to. Basically they're forcing the shutters open then burning the bulbs at 40% for "low beam" and 100% for high beam/flash. Of course, this still causes a non-low-beam pattern to be emitted... which could still fall afoul of various DOT/NHTSA regulations.
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
tvsjr said:
Yep, that's the special flasher I'm referring to. Basically they're forcing the shutters open then burning the bulbs at 40% for "low beam" and 100% for high beam/flash. Of course, this still causes a non-low-beam pattern to be emitted... which could still fall afoul of various DOT/NHTSA regulations.

While there are specialty ones, ours only use relays, a couple other electrical components I haven't been able to see due to shrink wrap, tape, and loom, and a standard SoundOff HLF.


Jared/Code4 does our vehicles. Can't find a vid of our new 3 (the older 2 are on his channel, those didn't have the HLF but surface mount inserts instead). But, here's another utility he did; I'd assume the HLF is the same setup.

 
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VolEms

Member
May 24, 2010
2,112
NY, USA
Again what the customer wants they get. I think with the front pattern fixed it will look a lot better.
 
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ERM

Member
May 22, 2010
720
Omaha, NE
I'm not going to hijack his thread promoting our product, but you can HEAR what he did. He connected the flasher to the shutters. That is the loud clicking noise you hear in the video. That WILL cause premature failure. I count at least 120 fpm. In 10 minutes, the shutters have cycled 1200 times! How many usable cycles do you think the shutter system is good for? :nono:
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
ERM said:
I'm not going to hijack his thread promoting our product, but you can HEAR what he did. He connected the flasher to the shutters. That is the loud clicking noise you hear in the video. That WILL cause premature failure. I count at least 120 fpm. In 10 minutes, the shutters have cycled 1200 times! How many usable cycles do you think the shutter system is good for? :nono:

VolEms said:
It's still working. And was used many times. Time will tell.

Ugh, Tony's right... And I can't imagine those are too cheap to fix.


You found the shutter wire, wire the HLF to OPEN the shutters and pulse the bulb only.
 

ERM

Member
May 22, 2010
720
Omaha, NE
VolEms said:
It's still working. And was used many times. Time will tell.

Not the point I'm trying to make. If it's rated for 100,000 cycles, you're going to meet that limitation much sooner than later. Everything mechanical has a rated usage. Normal wear and tear will make it years before that's exceeded. Unusual wear and tear could make it months or even weeks (depending if they go to scene and leave it on like they like to do).


The cost of one headlight is around $400-500. YOU will be responsible for that seeing YOU did the installation.


As I said, I'm not trying to hijack your thread or post negative critiquing comments like above. I'm just trying to be helpful, and in the long run, save your reputation by showing you know what you're doing.


I have nothing to gain or lose by helping you. You have more to gain by taking advise from those who know. That's why you posted in the first place, right?


Tony
 

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