ALL Strobes

[Carson946]

What do you think about Strobes?


Im talkin Whelen Deck/Dash and Whelen Hide-A-Way Strobes/Power Supplies,


Sho-Me' I've been looking at them on Ebay and a Auction Site im on. Cheeper then LEDS

 

[grfd711]

What are you wanting to know? Performance? Durability? Ease of installation? Maintenance?


My $.02 is use HAW strobes at a minimum of 20 watts for a light that can still be depended on for primary warning depending on one's application (undercover patrol car, vollie FD setup, utility, etc). HAW LEDs are just not cutting it overall.


Regarding dash/deck lights, used ones are becoming cheap enough if pricing is a concern. If you're interested in picking up some LEDs at a decent price and are close to the central AR region (Little Rock area), shoot me a PM. I've got an LED dashlight and some NIB grille LEDs I can cut you a deal on if interested.

 

[Carson946]

What are you wanting to know? Performance? Durability? Ease of installation? Maintenance?

My $.02 is use HAW strobes at a minimum of 20 watts for a light that can still be depended on for primary warning depending on one's application (undercover patrol car, vollie FD setup, utility, etc). HAW LEDs are just not cutting it overall.


Regarding dash/deck lights, used ones are becoming cheap enough if pricing is a concern. If you're interested in picking up some LEDs at a decent price and are close to the central AR region (Little Rock area), shoot me a PM. I've got an LED dashlight and some NIB grille LEDs I can cut you a deal on if interested.

Performance!! Only one guy in town has a few strobes but i've never seen them from a long range. Low Amps are allways good! I know you can't get much better then leds for Amp Draw.


I have some pimp pods in my grille Mx7000, Code 3 DashLaser its was 20$ from a guy in town!


I bought a Whelen Edge 9000 for 100 at a swapmeet few weeks ago,


Is there any brand better then the other? Sho-Me Whelen Galls! For Strobes


The Deck/Dash Lights I found are $5 $10a light! They wont sell the blue Lens with them but I don't need blue or want blue!


Im still trying to get use to LEDS, Cops have them in town and so does the sheriff but there not that bright during the day and nothing really is! But my Mx7000 get more looks then the leds.

 

[DEPUTYSTEPHENSON]

I don't think your getting much of a response so I'll chime in here.


I have had all leds, all strobes, and all halogen set-ups over the years along with a mixture. Currently in my 2000 Ford Explorer which I use for a secondary patrol vehicle (Chief of Police) and POV, I run two (2) Code 3 XT6's to the rear on a slow wig-waging pattern (for longer distance viewing) and to the front I run clear corner strobes, two red/blue micro thin grille strobes and a dual Whelen Dashmiser on the dash. They all run off a Whelen 6/60 power supply and work great. They have a great attention getting POP that I missed with leds and I have no trouble making traffic stops during the day and just look down right cool at night. I would like to have a larger power pack, but thats just because I Want not NEED more power.


My buddy runs two single dashmisers, a dual dashmiser, and a set of HAWs in the taillights to the rear of his CVPI and runs leds to the front. He has got alot of compliments on the rear setup.


So in short I like leds to the rear because they are more noticeable at a greater distance during the day and I like strobes in general because of the attention getting pop.

 

[RL1]

I think a combo of strobes and LEDs is the best setup. Anything you want to have a color, use an LED; anything clear/white, use strobe. I had a chance to get my corner strobes changed to LED HAW's and said no thanks. I love the pop of strobes, plus they don't get washed out like LED's.

 

[Carson946]

Thanks for the Info! The more I can get the better!


I did power up my Whelen Edge tonight! The strobes are really sweet looking at night! All most made me dizzy looking at them!

 

[nerdly_dood]

I tend to think the best setup is a combination of strobes and halogen rotators, plus a couple halogen flashers, with very minimal white lights, but I also really like a combination of LEDs and strobes. Houston police uses a Whelen Freedom with white corner strobes and red and blue LEDs, I really like the setup a lot. (Doesn't matter if the strobes are colored or white, but with colored LEDs, it's a pretty awesome setup)


IMO the best setup would be a Code 3 MX7000 with intersection strobes, outboard standard-speed rotators, inboard strobes, and a center fast-speed rotator, plus front and rear halogen flashers, and hideaway strobes in the front turn signals.


If you're looking to not use halogen rotators, go for the Whelen Edge - my preference would be for a 6-strobe, with 4 takedowns in front, 2 halogen flashers and the two corner strobes, with 4 halogen flashers and 4 strobes in the rear. (You might want to replace 2 takedowns in front with a pair of additional strobes to make a total of 8.) Code 3 also makes excellent all-strobe versions of their MX7000 and Excalibur lightbars. Federal Signal used to make an all-strobe Vista lightbar, but it was pretty weak compared to Code 3 and Whelen; they still make the JetStrobe lightbar, however, which is a very powerful strobe bar based on their classic JetSonic series.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Strobes are what they are.... a gas filled tube that requires high voltage to make it flash. This produces a fast "explosive" flash. The tubes will need to be replaced eventually at a cost of $25 per bulb average. Strobes also generate heat from the tube its self, which depending on your application can be good or bad. Remote strobes require a seperate power supply. I won't use less than a ratio of 15 watts per head...high enough watt and head numbers can get expensive, although less expensive lately. Strobes require a 3 wire (usually 18g wires together) cable to each head if each head isn't self contained. Non-regulated supplies require the use of heads of a similar size. A strobe system draws less amps than halogen bulbs but more than LEDs. Hide aways are only effective if mounted in a housing correctly and powered by a big enough supply. 10 watts per head mounted away from the focal point of a housing is worthless.. 15 or 20watts per head mounted closer to the focal point can look great. Also mounting hide aways near flashing headlights is a waste. Strobe dash lights can produce a lot of flash back if you don't get the shrouds right. Strobes are becomming pretty cheap and can be a very effective system if used correctly.

 

[Carson946]

Strobes are what they are.... a gas filled tube that requires high voltage to make it flash. This produces a fast "explosive" flash. The tubes will need to be replaced eventually at a cost of $25 per bulb average. Strobes also generate heat from the tube its self, which depending on your application can be good or bad. Remote strobes require a seperate power supply. I won't use less than a ratio of 15 watts per head...high enough watt and head numbers can get expensive, although less expensive lately. Strobes require a 3 wire (usually 18g wires together) cable to each head if each head isn't self contained. Non-regulated supplies require the use of heads of a similar size. A strobe system draws less amps than halogen bulbs but more than LEDs. Hide aways are only effective if mounted in a housing correctly and powered by a big enough supply. 10 watts per head mounted away from the focal point of a housing is worthless.. 15 or 20watts per head mounted closer to the focal point can look great. Also mounting hide aways near flashing headlights is a waste. Strobe dash lights can produce a lot of flash back if you don't get the shrouds right. Strobes are becomming pretty cheap and can be a very effective system if used correctly.

Thanks for the Info! So More Wats the power pack has the better? Somtimes more is not better! LOL

 

[JohnMarcson]

Thanks for the Info! So More Wats the power pack has the better? Somtimes more is not better! LOL

To some extent... really you want to get around 15 watts per head. Anymore than 20 is hard to find and shortens tube life.


Strobes are all about


Placement - location in reflector and on verhicle


Power - watts per head


Pattern - On time, speed etc

 

[nerdly_dood]

I think Nova makes the best strobes out there, unfortunately as part of the buyout by ECCO they have discontinued a large portion of their strobe products.


-Jared

One good thing going for ECCO is their LED rotators - if only they'd make a full-size LED rotator bar that would be EPIC but they only make a mini bar. I've seen this mini bar in action, it could certainly hold its own when compared to a FedSig Highlighter.

 

[cory y]

they do make a full bar

 

[Zach C.]

+1 On the LED HAW's. I compared a few sets to my strobe HAW's and the strobes blow the leds away. I just use a Nova 8head 280watt supply for my HAW's and everyone loves them.


Zach

 

[nerdly_dood]

they do make a full bar

Yes, but halogen, strobe or LED, not "rotating LED".