Hi,
Yep. I made some changes. I removed the Stop/Turn/Taillights and installed two StreetHawk rotators on the ends. I moved the front flashers inboard one dome segment to make room for the new rotators which puts them in line with the rear area lights. And the area lights are tied to the front flashers to make rear ones. I also changed the flasher to a FS wig-wag one. And, I put in some amber dome segments from an old 4-panel one I had here with a busted end piece. You know, replacing the red and clear segments.
I modded the StreetHawk rotators to fit. As they were, they were a tad too tall. I simply removed the rubber grommets and spread the legs out to fit the screw slots in the Series B frame. That lowered them. These were obtained fairly cheaply, $35, as they were fast rotators and I guess no one wanted those. I didn't either, but putting a 50 ohm, 2 watt, resistor in series with the motor power lead gives 8 volts at the motor so now they are only slightly faster than the original 12 volt ones.
Next, a little about me. I am an electrical engineer specializing in radio design. Ex-GE/Ericsson and before that, IBM. I began in 1969 at age 8 by obtaining an amateur radio license. In 1977 I joined the local VFD at age 16 and quickly found they needed some radio work. The FCC said I could not wrench on commercial radios until I obtained a second class FCC commercial license. Ok. I did, in 1978,
Later in 1979 I upped that to a first class after graduating high school so I could wrench on broadcast transmitters. That was a great paying part time job until I joined IBM in 1981.
And, I added working on vehicle electrics to the mix, which included the warning lights. Something I kept up until I've Been Moved to North Carolina from New York January of 1994. IBM then went thru some serious downsizing later in 1994 and I wound up literally down the street with GE/Ericsson. Now I am a contract/consultant.
So, that ended most of my working on lights. I was around in NY part time until Spring of 1997 as I took my time selling the place I grew up in in NY. I wasn't sure I was going to stay in NC for a while there.
I didn't keep much of the emergency vehicle stuff around. One working light. I know - around here that's a Say What?? A Sireno four bulb beacon (I call them pots) with an amber dome. It had been blue in NY, but that's a No No in NC. And I put three large magnets on it so I could use it if I ever needed to. Comes in handy when I'm doing Support And Gear for bike-a-thons. And a few other parts in boxes that just got moved from one shelf to another.
Anyway, what prompted my wanting this AeroDynic is I am quite often driving around making radio system checks and measurements. As such, I need to pull off the road from time to time and sit still while making those measurements. And, so I wanted to have a bit more warning on the truck I do this in than the stock four way flashers. Putting that mag mount light on and off gets to be a pain. But, I don't want to permanently mount it as I use it on the car for those bike-a-thons.
So, I began looking for a bar. And, I have been out of touch so long that I can't quite make sense out of what's current. And, it all seems too pricey for me anyway. Highly intermittent usage and not the 'always on everywhere they go operation' I see on literally every other truck on the road around here every day.
So, one place I was looking was right here. And, so one showed up and I bought it. Happy!
I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to apply it. I helped one tow truck operator put one of the original 25RW (no L for area lights) on a new truck when that bar first came out with the TwinSonic style rotators. This one was a little different. I had not seen the StreetHawk rotators in an AeroDynic back when I was into these things. So, new to me.
This is the truck I am going to use it on:
What I quickly figured out is that the Area Lights didn't work unless I put the bar on the back end of the rack on top of the truck. I use the back half of the rack for portable antenna mounting. This would be in a parking lot or field somewhere and so not require the use of lights.
I want to mount it at the unused front end of the rack. If I put it there, the Stop/Turn/Tail lights don't make much sense either. And the Area Lights are totally useless. They just light up the roof. But making them auxiliary flashers - that idea works. And, I do want a bit more side warning out of this, so making my changes makes sense to me.
As far as putting up there now that it's ready, it's been a bit too hot out to want to mess with it. But, it's time will come.
Anyway, I just wanted to share what's probably my one lightbar collection.
Stan
Yep. I made some changes. I removed the Stop/Turn/Taillights and installed two StreetHawk rotators on the ends. I moved the front flashers inboard one dome segment to make room for the new rotators which puts them in line with the rear area lights. And the area lights are tied to the front flashers to make rear ones. I also changed the flasher to a FS wig-wag one. And, I put in some amber dome segments from an old 4-panel one I had here with a busted end piece. You know, replacing the red and clear segments.
I modded the StreetHawk rotators to fit. As they were, they were a tad too tall. I simply removed the rubber grommets and spread the legs out to fit the screw slots in the Series B frame. That lowered them. These were obtained fairly cheaply, $35, as they were fast rotators and I guess no one wanted those. I didn't either, but putting a 50 ohm, 2 watt, resistor in series with the motor power lead gives 8 volts at the motor so now they are only slightly faster than the original 12 volt ones.
Next, a little about me. I am an electrical engineer specializing in radio design. Ex-GE/Ericsson and before that, IBM. I began in 1969 at age 8 by obtaining an amateur radio license. In 1977 I joined the local VFD at age 16 and quickly found they needed some radio work. The FCC said I could not wrench on commercial radios until I obtained a second class FCC commercial license. Ok. I did, in 1978,
Later in 1979 I upped that to a first class after graduating high school so I could wrench on broadcast transmitters. That was a great paying part time job until I joined IBM in 1981.
And, I added working on vehicle electrics to the mix, which included the warning lights. Something I kept up until I've Been Moved to North Carolina from New York January of 1994. IBM then went thru some serious downsizing later in 1994 and I wound up literally down the street with GE/Ericsson. Now I am a contract/consultant.
So, that ended most of my working on lights. I was around in NY part time until Spring of 1997 as I took my time selling the place I grew up in in NY. I wasn't sure I was going to stay in NC for a while there.
I didn't keep much of the emergency vehicle stuff around. One working light. I know - around here that's a Say What??
A Sireno four bulb beacon (I call them pots) with an amber dome. It had been blue in NY, but that's a No No in NC. And I put three large magnets on it so I could use it if I ever needed to. Comes in handy when I'm doing Support And Gear for bike-a-thons. And a few other parts in boxes that just got moved from one shelf to another.Anyway, what prompted my wanting this AeroDynic is I am quite often driving around making radio system checks and measurements. As such, I need to pull off the road from time to time and sit still while making those measurements. And, so I wanted to have a bit more warning on the truck I do this in than the stock four way flashers. Putting that mag mount light on and off gets to be a pain. But, I don't want to permanently mount it as I use it on the car for those bike-a-thons.
So, I began looking for a bar. And, I have been out of touch so long that I can't quite make sense out of what's current. And, it all seems too pricey for me anyway. Highly intermittent usage and not the 'always on everywhere they go operation' I see on literally every other truck on the road around here every day.
So, one place I was looking was right here. And, so one showed up and I bought it. Happy!
I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to apply it. I helped one tow truck operator put one of the original 25RW (no L for area lights) on a new truck when that bar first came out with the TwinSonic style rotators. This one was a little different. I had not seen the StreetHawk rotators in an AeroDynic back when I was into these things. So, new to me.
This is the truck I am going to use it on:
What I quickly figured out is that the Area Lights didn't work unless I put the bar on the back end of the rack on top of the truck. I use the back half of the rack for portable antenna mounting. This would be in a parking lot or field somewhere and so not require the use of lights.
I want to mount it at the unused front end of the rack. If I put it there, the Stop/Turn/Tail lights don't make much sense either. And the Area Lights are totally useless. They just light up the roof. But making them auxiliary flashers - that idea works. And, I do want a bit more side warning out of this, so making my changes makes sense to me.
As far as putting up there now that it's ready, it's been a bit too hot out to want to mess with it. But, it's time will come.
Anyway, I just wanted to share what's probably my one lightbar collection.
Stan