2013 Tahoe PPV Install Tomorrow

GPD496

Member
Sep 28, 2013
24
Texas
Tomorrow's the big day. I'll start the Light/siren install on my 2013 Tahoe PPV. These are the Plans... any tips and/or suggestions welcome


HLF/TLF


Strobes n' More E48- front grill RRRRBBBB


SNM E48- rear window RRRRBBBB


SNM E44 Rear Tow Hitch area RRBB


SNM E6- 2 on each running board (2 all blue, 2 all red)


heres the question. I have 6 Whelen Vertex's not real sure where these will go yet.


I also have a Whelen 295-SLSA6 Siren and 2 Whelen speakers to go in the front grill.


I'll try and post pictures throughout the install.


:thumbsup: :bonk:
 

Kd8bao

Member
Mar 8, 2012
793
Independence, Ohio
2 in reverse lights


2 in bottom of lift gate, back mounted through panel for when gate is up


2 front turn signal area


Or


2 surface mounted on front quarter panel under the mirror area
 

GPD496

Member
Sep 28, 2013
24
Texas
Kd8bao said:
2 in reverse lights
2 in bottom of lift gate, back mounted through panel for when gate is up


2 front turn signal area


Or


2 surface mounted on front quarter panel under the mirror area

How about two under the mirrors and 1 in each wheel well?
 

Storm4200

Member
Nov 2, 2011
2,912
NJ
reverse lights, and a pair in front DRLs, and front turnsignals. SYNCED to flash large foot prints. or surface mount a pair to the sides of the front bumper and a pair to the sides of the rear bumper. Do NOT do wheel wells
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
GPD496 said:
Tomorrow's the big day. I'll start the Light/siren install on my 2013 Tahoe PPV. These are the Plans... any tips and/or suggestions welcome

HLF/TLF


Strobes n' More E48- front grill RRRRBBBB


SNM E48- rear window RRRRBBBB


SNM E44 Rear Tow Hitch area RRBB


SNM E6- 2 on each running board (2 all blue, 2 all red)


heres the question. I have 6 Whelen Vertex's not real sure where these will go yet.


I also have a Whelen 295-SLSA6 Siren and 2 Whelen speakers to go in the front grill.


I'll try and post pictures throughout the install.


:thumbsup: :bonk:

The split vertexes are junk & should be placed in a non-critical area IMO. That being said, I'd move the E6 to have 1 as intersection warning (side of front bumper shell) & one to the side behind the rear wheel well. If you do that, you will have adequate side coverage and can mount the vertexes on the running boards (3 each; flash all blue --> all red). Also, the split vertexes are very weak and don't offer a true 180 output, so I highly recommend against using them under the mirrors (unless u want a pink puddle light), because you get such an insignificant amt of output that it's a waste


Then for the rear, get a pair of red SNM LAWs for the lower brake housings, so that all 6 housings to the rear are flashing. The vertexes are pointless in the reverse lights IMO b/c the TLF will easily drown them out


Suggestions:


--flash the front SNM stick (blue half vs red half of the stick) in either a comet flash or action flash-type pattern...(Flash patterns up front should be fast)


--Flash the rear sticks red half alternating with the blue half at a medium-speed wig wag (whelen calls it single flash 90) and sync them in an X-pattern (so the blue portions in the right trailer hitch & left headliner alternate with the red portions in the left trailer hitch & right headliner)...(rear patterns should be slow)


--add a pair of SNM E-series in amber on the rear LP...you have plenty of red/blue to show authority, but a little amber goes a long way IMO


--use a faster HLF wigwag pattern; it gets more attention IMO


Remember...large, distinguishable, solid blocks of a color are more effective than tiny scattered, un synced specs of the different colors flashing all over the place


Do u have a headliner interior light bar or dual dash light? I didn't see one listed but think it's a must. Later down the road, intersectors would be great
 

GPD496

Member
Sep 28, 2013
24
Texas
Storm4200 said:
reverse lights, and a pair in front DRLs, and front turnsignals. SYNCED to flash large foot prints. or surface mount a pair to the sides of the front bumper and a pair to the sides of the rear bumper. Do NOT do wheel wells
If I have to do a pair in each DRL's or 2 right next to eachother on the bumper.. wouldnt it make more sense to just get a solid color HAW later on down the road?


Also, why do you say no wheel wells? i'm not looking for primary or even secondary light output from these necessarily.. they were free so i figured i might as well throw em somewhere.

pdk9 said:
The split vertexes are junk & should be placed in a non-critical area IMO. That being said, I'd move the E6 to have 1 as intersection warning (side of front bumper shell) & one to the side behind the rear wheel well. If you do that, you will have adequate side coverage and can mount the vertexes on the running boards (3 each; flash all blue --> all red). Also, the split vertexes are very weak and don't offer a true 180 output, so I highly recommend against using them under the mirrors (unless u want a pink puddle light), because you get such an insignificant amt of output that it's a waste

Then for the rear, get a pair of red SNM LAWs for the lower brake housings, so that all 6 housings to the rear are flashing. The vertexes are pointless in the reverse lights IMO b/c the TLF will easily drown them out


Suggestions:


--flash the front SNM stick (blue half vs red half of the stick) in either a comet flash or action flash-type pattern...(Flash patterns up front should be fast)


--Flash the rear sticks red half alternating with the blue half at a medium-speed wig wag (whelen calls it single flash 90) and sync them in an X-pattern (so the blue portions in the right trailer hitch & left headliner alternate with the red portions in the left trailer hitch & right headliner)...(rear patterns should be slow)


--add a pair of SNM E-series in amber on the rear LP...you have plenty of red/blue to show authority, but a little amber goes a long way IMO


--use a faster HLF wigwag pattern; it gets more attention IMO


Remember...large, distinguishable, solid blocks of a color are more effective than tiny scattered, un synced specs of the different colors flashing all over the place


Do u have a headliner interior light bar or dual dash light? I didn't see one listed but think it's a must. Later down the road, intersectors would be great

Thanks for the input. i like the idea of the intersection warning but as of now I dont have the guts right now to drill into the front bumper nor do i want the lights too easily visible.


the idea for the Vertex's was to mount them facing outward under the mirrors instead of downward like a puddle light... just as a little extra light on the side a bit higher than the running boards. but i keep hearing about how weak the split ones are. Maybe i'll just say screw it and put all 6 of em on the life gate and buy something else for the mirrors or intersection warning?? :duh: :duh:


as far as the front window, i have nothing for it yet. either thinking of the dash light or headliner light bar in the near future along with some whelen fog lights.


I appreciate everyones input.. keep it coming! I am so indecisive with things like this that i even pushed the install back a week just to make sure i know where i want everything to go and how i want it to flash.
 

Kd8bao

Member
Mar 8, 2012
793
Independence, Ohio
GPD496 said:
It's gonna be interesting syncing all 6 lights. Anyone done something like it before?

Shouldn't be that bad. I always bench set the lights before I get them installed then make drivers. If not mistaken whelen uses master/slave set up. If doing a 3x3 I would set so it goes as such (master on driver side)


R/R/R-


_______-B/B/B


B/B/B-


_______-R/R/R


So they alternate, same with 2x2x2 ( master on outside)


R/R -______-R/R


______-B /B-


B/B -______-B/B


______-R/R


Either on a single ping pong or like a double burst ping pong. A slower ping pong so they is definite color visibility
 

GPD496

Member
Sep 28, 2013
24
Texas
well it looks like i'll be starting the install tomorrow morning... still havent made up my mind on exactly where everything is going and how its going to flash but i think it'll all come together once I start
 

GPD496

Member
Sep 28, 2013
24
Texas
Flashguy said:
Good luck! Keep updating the thread...

thanks. yeah i'll try to update it periodically and take pictures with each step or two. i'm sure i'll change the flash patterns over and over and over again.


do people ever run the pattern select wires to a common and easily accessible location then label them for easy pattern changes later on down the road?
 

Flashguy

Member
Jan 4, 2011
842
United States, Florida
GPD496 said:
thanks. yeah i'll try to update it periodically and take pictures with each step or two. i'm sure i'll change the flash patterns over and over and over again.

do people ever run the pattern select wires to a common and easily accessible location then label them for easy pattern changes later on down the road?

If they're on ELB...yes.
 

GPD496

Member
Sep 28, 2013
24
Texas
Flashguy said:
If they're on ELB...yes.

good to hear. i've always had an obsession with lights and i think now that i found this place my tahoe might eventually be a christmas tree.. hopefully it stays classy and not ridiculous like i've seen a couple vehicles.
 

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