22' Boston Whaler Guardian Boat with Federal Signal Valor

[acs680]

This is an install I did on a patrol boat my department just obtained.


It features a Federal Signal Valor Lightbar and Smartsiren.


The picture indoors is of the cruise lights activated.

 

[Byte]

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[acs680]

Check again... They took a minute to show up.

 

[RL1]

No offense, but seems like a waste of a good bar lol.

 

[MPD 818]

No offense, but seems like a waste of a good bar lol.

I agree. It is very cool looking though. It seems like half the time "police boats" have some shitty 30 year old rotator light and siren.

 

[chono]

No offense, but seems like a waste of a good bar lol.

I disagree. Its a patrol vehicle and needs good warning.


I think a mini bar would be better but if they have the money to do it then heck why not.

 

[RL1]

I actually briefly worked on a marine unit (patrol, not installing), and it was donated with just 2 PAR 36 strobes and a siren. It worked fine every time.


I agree that it looks good on the boat, as does the console set up, but I would rather have a bar like that on a patrol car that needs a lot of warning instead of a boat that works on certain seasons and doesn't have to worry about clearing intersections or making traffic stops.

 

[acs680]

Our cars have Federal led bars on them as well. Not Valors but they do the job. We could afford this bar and wanted the boat to look good so we did it.

 

[cory y]

I disagree. Its a patrol vehicle and needs good warning.QUOTE]



Well by that logic, throw an Arrow stick on the back, some intersection lights and a headlight flasher.


i think its funny that the coast guard gets away with using a Blue mini edge or a blue strobe beacon just fine.

 

[ParkPiggy]

Do those phantom antennas not need to be grounded on a metal surface? I always thought mounting them anywhere NONMETALLIC was a no-no!

 

[VolEms]

Looks good. Nice Lightbar.

 

[Retired1]

Our cars have Federal led bars on them as well. Not Valors but they do the job. We could afford this bar and wanted the boat to look good so we did it.

It does look good, VERY good! The install looks very well done. It does a great job of representing the Sheriff's Office in a positive fashion.

 

[Code3EMT]

I like it. However, I have also seen boats with very little do just fine.


I have seen a larger sheriff / rescue boat which had three Code 3 LED 2100's on it. They were mostly used for scene lighting, but that was a lotta lightbar for one boat.

 

[HILO]

Cool, I would have made the out board heads green and red or whatever the boat thing is. Port and starboard?


Cory, dont you always fly the "what ever the customer wants" flag?


This just made me wonder....Are there security gaurds on boats? What are the laws on lights in the water? Thats a whole new kind of wanna be!

 

[dpd4703]

I think the boat and the install are great - Clean and professional. Even though the USCG usually just have two little whelen strobes or the old federal revolving lights on our small boats and most cutters doesn't mean it is sufficient. After 9-11 the USCG "leased" a large number of Boston Whalers (24'-27') and they had full size Whelen Edge strobe bars mounted on the T-tops just as acs680 did on this boat. We loved having the edges on those boats (also the AM/FM/CD players!)


Hi-Lo: the use of blue flashing or revolving lights is restricted to only certified federal/state or local law enforcement. Fire Rescue is prohibited from blue as are USCG Auxillary boats (since they are not military members of the USCG). Now then, the use of rotating or flashing red and amber lights are allowed for use by just about anyone - Fire/Rescue, EMS, CGAuxillary, commercial salvors (ie: Seatow, TowBoatUS, etc.), regatta patrols and security. The use of red and yellow flashing or revolving lights conveys no authority nor does it grant "right of way" over any other vessel(s).


Post 9/11, there were a few security companies with patrol boats servicing major port areas due to security requirements of certain waterfront facilities as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations.

 

[evanf3]

Looks Awesome

 

[Bigredinstalls]

Great install, looks very organized and well done. Personally, i don't think it's over kill. There's all kinds of idiots paying to nothing than what/who theyre towing. If the department can aford it then the more power to them.

 

[NCFD43]

Great setup, but how well will that smart siren head hold up to the water/corrosion issues.

 

[FireGuru]

Do those phantom antennas not need to be grounded on a metal surface? I always thought mounting them anywhere NONMETALLIC was a no-no!

There's a trick to making a "fake" ground plane. May have to share that one of these days. I did one on a fiberglass cab fire engine. Worked great!! Mounted 2 antennas on top. 1 lowband 1 highband. I can't say what they used on the boat but it is possible.

 

[acs680]

Anderson County, TN


http://elightbars.org/forums/f34/22-boston-whaler-guardian-boat-federal-signal-valor-17700/

 

[lafd55]

What a waste of money. All it needs are 2 strobe beacons or a minibar.

 

[Luismariadarlene]

I think it looks perfect, all the pepole hating are just jealous because their department Can not afford it .

 

[JohnMarcson]

I actually split this from another thread... because I thought it was cool but would generate a good debate about the necessity of the bar on a boat. You did not disappoint guys....

 

[PTRJason]

I like it.


But I would have seen if they could order it special from Federal to Allow one center module in the rear to light up white, and then maybe one or two modules on Port and Starboard light red and green as cruise lights. That way is supplements the factory position lights and are bright and high mounted.


On a side note, when I was an explorer, one of our advisors switched to our department from the Port of San Diego Police Department. He took us on a tour down there, and it was explained to us, BLUE is for any emergency vessel, police, CG, fire. Red is for vessels that are towing or under tow, to let other boats know that they have right-a-way due to the fact they are towing and cannot just yield as easy.


This was just before 9/11 as I was an explorer from 98-02. So it had probably changed. But it was a fun experience. Also learned they haze new officers by taking them to the mile marker buoy, tie up and sit there until the new guy gets sick, even if it takes all day. And I guess a mile off shore, your going UP and DOWN a lot. PofSD officers are also certified firefighters, and all patrol boats are also fire boats. They carry turnouts and SCBAs.


Anyway I like the bar, in some places a beacon works fine, other it may not. Take Lake Havasu for example. Copper Canyon (google it) A single beacon may not work, with 1,000s of boats and people tied off to each other. Warning is a big thing.

 

[wkr518]

Holy crap! I wouldnt be caught dead in my boat in the middle of that Morass! I would need 10 bumpers! Way too many boats in such a small area.

 

[jph2]

That's not boating, that's artificial islanding!


I like the install and the bar looks great, but I also agree it's overkill for the application. I also doubt it would do anything to clear the way in a Lake Havasu scenario. Maybe a quad to ride across all those other boats?

 

[PTRJason]

That's not boating, that's artificial islanding!

I like the install and the bar looks great, but I also agree it's overkill for the application. I also doubt it would do anything to clear the way in a Lake Havasu scenario. Maybe a quad to ride across all those other boats?

I used to go to Havasu all the time, never to Copper Canyon, but I have seen enough idiot on the shore and the lake. They would just try to tie off the quad and put some girls on it.

 

[kitn1mcc]

over kill. but the low profile also hurts


i would have went


super strobes


L31


Freedom mini

 

[bwoodruff]

Hi-Lo: the use of blue flashing or revolving lights is restricted to only certified federal/state or local law enforcement. Fire Rescue is prohibited from blue as are USCG Auxillary boats (since they are not military members of the USCG). Now then, the use of rotating or flashing red and amber lights are allowed for use by just about anyone - Fire/Rescue, EMS, CGAuxillary, commercial salvors (ie: Seatow, TowBoatUS, etc.), regatta patrols and security. The use of red and yellow flashing or revolving lights conveys no authority nor does it grant "right of way" over any other vessel(s).
Post 9/11, there were a few security companies with patrol boats servicing major port areas due to security requirements of certain waterfront facilities as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations.

Interesting. Our neighboring fire district just put a new fire boat into service and was told by the Sheriff that they had to use blue for warning lights. The Sheriff runs red/blue (an old MX7000). We run red on our boat.


Normal warning colors for emergency vehicles on land is red/white to the front, and red/amber/blue to the rear. LE is not allowed front facing blue. Only volunteer firefighters can have front facing blue.

 

[acs680]

If you think it is a waste of money, that is your opinion. We obtained this boat and its equipment via grant money, so we wanted it to look as good as possible.


As far as the bar being to much for the boat, it's really not. At night, the cruise lights can be activated and dimmed via low power mode, and it really does better than anything else. Mode 1 on the bar is just the out corners flashing, which also can be dimmed if need be.


As far the antenna question, there is a steel plate underneath the canvas, so everything is grounded.

 

[MESDA6]

We obtained this boat and its equipment via grant money, so it really did not matter to us, as we wanted it to look as good as possible.

Hope your local news doesn't see this quote. They would have a field day with you and start digging around to expose all the other ways your department is wasting funds. You could expect your post to be quoted in their news story too. The media will take a sentence like that and misconstrue it all over the headlines.


(Note - I'm not saying the funds were wasted, just pointing out that saying that it didn't matter since it wasn't your money is a really easy way to get into some serious media trouble.)

 

[acs680]

Hope your local news doesn't see this quote. They would have a field day with you and start digging around to expose all the other ways your department is wasting funds. You could expect your post to be quoted in their news story too. The media will take a sentence like that and misconstrue it all over the headlines.

(Note - I'm not saying the funds were wasted, just pointing out that saying that it didn't matter since it wasn't your money is a really easy way to get into some serious media trouble.)

Eh... I cleaned it up a little bit, but I did not mean it the way you took it. I simply meant, we had the money available for that bar and wanted the boat to look as good as possible.

 

[MESDA6]

Eh... I cleaned it up a little bit, but I did not mean it the way you took it. I simply meant, we had the money available for that bar and wanted the boat to look as good as possible.

I figured that was what you meant. I personally didn't take it that way, but I've just seen too many people get into trouble over an innocent comment that was worded in a way that could be twisted by the media. I have gotten to a point where I won't even hold a casual conversation with someone if there's a member of the media anywhere nearby during an incident or meeting.


The boat looks fantastic, and hope you didn't think I was attacking your post. I just hate to see anyone get jammed up over the wording of something as simple as a forum post.

 

[AZEMT]

The agency I volunteer for uses strobe minibars for their patrol boats. They have jurisdiction over four man-made lakes in the county, and the summer weekends are full of boating violations. The siren tends to do better than the bar b/c in the open air on a boat you can hear it better (my guess). Fresh water doesn't present the same corrosion issue as salt water, and the radios and sirens mounted in the console don't really come into contact with normal bow spray, which I was surprised about.

 

[julietbravosierra]

Great setup, but how well will that smart siren head hold up to the water/corrosion issues.

There's probably a cover over the consoles when its not in use for weather protection. I'm guessing its going to be for freshwater patrols anyways.

 

[massfirefighter]

Do those phantom antennas not need to be grounded on a metal surface? I always thought mounting them anywhere NONMETALLIC was a no-no!

A long whip would definitely work better on the open water too. The longer the better on the water.

 

[Phoenix_Rising]

The longer the better .

And that indeed,is what SHE said


:haha:


on topic, sorry, waste of a perfectly good bar imho

 

[picone239]

But I would have seen if they could order it special from Federal to Allow one center module in the rear to light up white, and then maybe one or two modules on Port and Starboard light red and green as cruise lights. That way is supplements the factory position lights and are bright and high mounted.

Damn good idea

 

[11b101abn]

What? No 240's? This boat fails.

 

[WhiteLite03]

I don't see any issue with this lightbar on the boat. Realistically, if they have the money, then why not? I could see where the flood options (if equipped) would be fairly beneficial, particularly on the water. The agency I work for has several boats, one has a mini-edge and one has a small LED bar... not sure if sho-me or what, but they could both use a little better lighting, IMO.