Custom 600 rotabeam bar
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They started doing this about 2 years ago. I hate them. I think all rotabeams on a slow pattern look terrible and I think the unit as a whole looks terrible. I don’t know if they thought that they’d be saving money (I doubt it b/c Pierce custom fab work costs a pretty penny) or what else was on their mind when they chose that setup over a freedom frame with rotabeams.
I agree the patterns could be better, but I kinda like the bigger profile on fire apparatus.
I HATE the way a lot of departments get a 72" bar and leave half of it empty.
I don’t mind when depts have a basic NFPA freedom with only 4 inboards, AS LONG as they have a solid perimeter lighting setup....I can’t stand when depts have a fully-populated lightbar but have 2 small grill lights and 2 lightheads on each side of their apparatus, instead of having a depop lightbar with twice the perimeter lighting on all sides (for the same budget).
For specs, at the bare minimum, I usually recommend side warning approx every 5 ft, 2-3 levels/tiers of front warning, and 3 levels/tiers (ideally 4) of lighting to the rear. They have a great lighting package all around, but the lightbar just doesn’t do it for me
Simulated rotation with LEDs is cool. But I still WaY prefer actual motion. Federal Signal LED SLRs, Intav LED rotators, Ecco LED rotators.
I agree that it’s cool but it won’t ever jump at me like actual motion (just like how electronic mechanical will never do it for me like true mechanical, although Whelen did come close). I’ve never been overly impressed with the SLRs. I understand low pro is the trend, but I wish they had a larger option (larger housing and reflector) to give a bigger footprint for larger apparatus.
However, i think the rotabeams look great on the new FDNY ladders with the fast flashing inboards on the mini freedoms
The LED Rotabeam just does not cut it. Not efficient enough I like the idea but just not efficient enough for those rigs.
Look how much better the medic units lighting looks. But I agree with pdk9 - the FDNY ones look excellent.