Construction Warning Lights for Jeep with Soft Top

ctferrarajr

New Member
Sep 15, 2017
2
Virginia
Hello,

Recently started a new project doing some highway work on a major road here in Virginia. The company I am with is requiring amber 360deg lighting for all vehicles and providing mini light bars for most people. However a few of us can't make use of these because our jeeps have soft tops.

I am trying to come up with a reasonably priced alternative to the light bars they are getting ($250-$300) to use on the jeeps (TJs and JKs). Company will be reimbursing but want to keep it in the same price range as the light bars they're getting. I don't know what brand they are purchasing they just called a few places quick and went with the lowest bidder.


Leaning towards the following setup right now:

Front:
2x Feniex Fusion mounted vertically in the grill (L-Bracket)

Rear:
1x Feniex Fusion mounted horizontally on third brake light, above spare tire (rotating mount)
2x Feniex T3's mounted on top of existing lights (rotating mount)
Alternative: Use 2x Amber/White cannons in the reverse lights to cut down on the visiblity of the lights when not in use. (+$25 per light)

This setup prices out to about $285 but I wanted to hear some thoughts on this setup. The only downside is that it does not provide true 360 deg coverage, but I am thinking just run the flashers (jeeps have side fender markers) to take care of this.

I am confident this setup will be bright enough during night work, but it also needs to be bright enough for 70mph traffic to see a ways away during the bright daylight hours.

I am planning on doing the install myself. Am I correct in my understanding that I will not need a control box for these, I can set them once to the correct patterns and then just do a simple power switch? Also can the Fusions be run to have them act in two 3led segments, ie flash the left 3 leds then the right 3 leds?


Thanks for your help guys. I had no idea how deep the POV lighting rabbit hole went before this week.
 

Rusted413

Member
May 25, 2010
265
Blacksburg, VA
Is your Jeep going to be parked on the side of the road/construction site? If so, why not just take the mini bar and put it up on the roof when you park your car and turn it on? You can leave it in the car during your commute. Seems like the easiest, though not the most fun I admit, solution.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
Is your Jeep going to be parked on the side of the road/construction site? If so, why not just take the mini bar and put it up on the roof when you park your car and turn it on? You can leave it in the car during your commute. Seems like the easiest, though not the most fun I admit, solution.
+1. You're not gonna get a truly-effective 360 warning package for $300 unless you go with a minibar or beacon (more compact option as a "throw light).
 

RDT Car 25

Member
May 22, 2010
364
Milford, CT
I think Able2 / Sho-Me makes or did make a window mounted beacon. Similar idea, hooks over window.
 

ctferrarajr

New Member
Sep 15, 2017
2
Virginia
Wow thanks guys. This is exactly why I came to this site. I was vastly overthinking it. I will look into the window mount but I think the simplest solution will be the best here and just place the lightbar on top of the jeep once stopped. I don't think I will be doing any driving with the light on (don't think its really legal anyway) so this would work perfect.
 

Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,580
Shelbyville, TN
if the soft top is cloth, you could always stick a piece of metal under it just for the bar.. and remove when traveling
 
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RDT Car 25

Member
May 22, 2010
364
Milford, CT
Good idea Jarred. Maybe a few big fender washers will be good for stationary use.
 

Tom

Member
Dec 18, 2010
3,083
Taunton, MA
I think you're going to need more than a few surface mount lights for highway work. Personally I would light more heavily in the rear and add a few smaller lights on the sides/to the front.

I would recommend doing a 6-module light stick in the rear window, 2 dual dash lights in the side windows (1 on each side), and 2 surface mount lights in the front grille. That would offer great coverage on all sides and also allow you the ability to have a traffic director bar in the rear.

If you're interested I can come up with a few setup ideas and prices for you. I'm confident we'd be able to stay within your budget and get you the safety equipment you need.
 

coop359

Member
Apr 16, 2012
495
USA Tennessee
You could mount level brackets at the top of the windshield like the full flood light bars are on many keeps and use a mag mount light that would be above the roof line. Back in the Fireball days a guy had two amber FBH lights on brackets. You could also do a pipe and plate of the spare tire rack of the tail gate and mount a 360 beacon over the roof line. Mag mount or perm.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
Wow thanks guys. This is exactly why I came to this site. I was vastly overthinking it. I will look into the window mount but I think the simplest solution will be the best here and just place the lightbar on top of the jeep once stopped. I don't think I will be doing any driving with the light on (don't think its really legal anyway) so this would work perfect.
Please do yourself a favor and avoid junk brands like Speedtech, Extreme Tactical, etc b/c they have horrible reputations here for quality and customer service; you really do get what you pay for.
A Feniex Fusion, Whelen responder, 16" Whelen mini century, sound off mini pinnacle, etc will all do well for
< $300
 

Sparky_911

Supporting Donor
May 15, 2013
2,648
Central Illinois
You could mount level brackets at the top of the windshield like the full flood light bars are on many keeps and use a mag mount light that would be above the roof line. Back in the Fireball days a guy had two amber FBH lights on brackets. You could also do a pipe and plate of the spare tire rack of the tail gate and mount a 360 beacon over the roof line. Mag mount or perm.

I was just going to suggest a pole mount on the spare as well.
 
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Hoff

Member
Aug 2, 2011
892
SW Ohio/US
+1 on a pole mount beacon.
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
I like that undercover mount. Hadn't seen one of those. What I was going to suggest for your softop Jeep is what volunteer fireman friend who was also second-in-command on my standby ambulance service did with his Jeep. I'm not sure about now since I haven't bought one in a long time; but at one time most teardrop lights came with a mounting plate for soft dashboards. He took one of those plates and had it mounted just slightly above the windshield of the Jeep and then sat his red teardrop on it. The light had a donut magnet on the bottom, so he never worried about it flying off while running Code 3. I still almost have nightmares remembering the days back in the'60s when I was a teenager and we had an original magnetic Jr. Beacon on our 1958 Chrysler station wagon ambulance at the funeral home where I worked. Even in using the eyelet on the light that slipped over the head of a panhead-slotted sheetmeta screw for added stability, that light was forever flying off. It do so one time and was so badly that it had to go back to Federal for repairs. I cringed every time we had to run in that Chrysler which was 2nd out, when we could only use the headlights and the siren.
 

irsa76

Member
May 24, 2010
342
Australia, NSW
Another here for a pole mount. Guy I used to do rallies with had one on his 4wds. His Suzuki had the base on the windshield hinge and he used a 4' pole with a Hella halogen rotator on the top, his flat bed truck also had a base on the top of the cab rack as did his Land Cruiser wagon, the pole could be removed for those cars.
Pole looked like this:awww.farmeasy.co.uk_images_john_deere_john_deere_gator_te_1.jpg
 

jph2

Member
Apr 21, 2012
2,122
USA Michigan
Back in the late '70s, I had a CJ-5, when hardtops were the exception. I had a Vitalite or Dietz (don't remember now; wish I still had that light) mounted on a pole welded to my spare tire carrier. It gave 360 warning without interfering with taking the top off.
 

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