Got a New lightbar in today....

[NASHPDMAN]

So I couldn't understand exactly how this bar worked so I went to Youtube and watched some video. That thing is cool as s%@$, it's REALLY NICE!! Is it 4600.00 no of course not. Dave Ramsey would blow a gasket and spin in circles. It's a great piece of engineering but like any new technology the shine will fade, the price will come down, and other will produce similar products. It will be nice when they are affordable and large fleets can be outfitted as I think they would offer additional officer safety.

 

[RBRONKEMA GHTFD]

I think for 4600 dollars its a little to much money for someone to spend on just 1 bar. I think thats why you see more whelen, code 3 and sound off stuff. Then again code 3 is pricey too. I think for 4600 bucks I'll stick with sound off.and outfit 2 vehicals for that price.

 

[cory y]

Now the only question is: Did you void his warranty?

no i didnt, when theres instructions on how to take the bar apart in the installation manual its ok to take the cover off

 

[cory y]

Was it my video from IACP?

lol yes it was

 

[Jman423]

lol yes it was

Good, I'm glad it helped someone :thumbsup:

 

[Retired1]

$4,600 is not an unreasonable price. Expensive, but appropriate for the current marketplace. Texas government agencies do not normaly lurk on the Internet waiting until someone posts a bargain at 2 AM. They go through a bidding process or a cooperative buying group with items approved through a bid process.


That said, $4600 is not much more than a loaded Whelen Ultra Freedom. I just priced a heavily discounted, loaded, Ultra Freedom from one of our respected forum members and it is $2599.93.


I like the Vision SLR. No I am lusting after this bar. I am now buying an extra Lotto ticket for every drawing and putting "Vision SLR" i fine print on the backside of each ticket. If that doesn't produce any results I may have to just buy one.


Terry

 

[elite907]

More Pictures


Big ass box


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Number -0001


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As it sat in the box


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manual


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Aux takedowns


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power/communications


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pod


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Anybody have any picture Requests?


Videos of the bar will have to wait till it gets installed, this bar is going to be controlled by a Smart siren Platinum

I'm sorry ,But you'd think for a $4600. lightbar FS would have packaged it up a little better.


I would think they would pack it up in some kind of a hard plastic container to keep it from being smashed.

 

[HILO]

It was shipped on a pallet. Pretty safe that way.

 

[Sigma Safety]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that kind of money was chump-change to you.

And, I actually don't buy body armor so that was a really stupid comment. Call me "cheap" or whatever you're insinuating, but I just don't see why somebody would pay $4,600 for a light bar. Seems a little excessive to me.


A Whelen Liberty at $1,000-1,200 would get the same job done for far less money I think. Just my opinion, excuse me coastmark for having one.

Stupid comment? Why? Because I can't tell from your nickname that you are not a LEO?


My point was that sometimes it pays to buy better equipment and not just go low price on everything. It depends on your situation. Maybe a FD will buy a Vision SLR because it provides better safety for a $1M truck. An extra $2K-$3K to ensure better warning/safety (same thing) over the 20 year life of the truck is 'chump change'. Call it insurance, which it is. If the bar saves one accident or any sort of damage to any vehicle over its 20 year life on a piece of apparatus, then it's more than paid for itself. If it prevents an injury, even a very minor one, then it's more than paid for itself. Think BIG PICTURE, guys.


For your POV, yeah - probably excessive, I agree.


Oh, and a Liberty (or a Legend, or whatever) will NOT do the same job. If you think so, then you haven't seen the SLR in action.

 

[VFVFCo.68]

FedSig has told me they are speculating a 3-pod or mini version of this

 

[ISU_Cyclone]

Good, I'm glad it helped someone :thumbsup:

You get your 15% commission check yet?

 

[cory y]

You get your 15% commission check yet?

Hell I havent even been paid for the damn thing yet

 

[ISU_Cyclone]

Hell I havent even been paid for the damn thing yet

Hold on to that 0001 sticker and it may be worth some $$$

 

[SFR1986]

+1 on the Liberty. :woot:

- 1 on the liberty get a Tomar Scorpion.. I happen to know a guy one here that is decent priced and ships quick

 

[cory y]

-everything else


+ this bar

 

[03crownvic]

So Addison is getting it? If so, PD or FD? If not, who is?


What was the shipping cost for that bad boy??

 

[HILO]

It's not for an agency.


Up close, it is a bulky ugly bar. But like the outer edge, it seems like it will work very well. function over form.


I don't think most bars will be ordered with all colors, what's the point aside from needing to hide illegal colors.

 

[07GD SFD]

Do you have to get the all color version in order to run the light in various set ups? Meaning, if I wanted to run it all amber one minute, then red and white the next (and that's it for color combinations), would I need to order the all color version?


For vollies with some pockets deeper than mine, I could see that as beneficial. There are guys on my FD who plow in the winter. They could run this bar all amber while plowing but then switch to red or red/white to respond. I bet some could even use that as a business write off.

 

[nerdly_dood]

Do you have to get the all color version in order to run the light in various set ups? Meaning, if I wanted to run it all amber one minute, then red and white the next (and that's it for color combinations), would I need to order the all color version?

The Valor is available with single-color, 2-color and 3-color lightheads, so I guess if you were willing to go with stationary flashing lights then you could use that one. Amber and white aren't available together in the same lighthead.

 

[LRGJr72]

This is the end all, be all lightbar... of all-time. Sleak, efficient, ridiculously versatile. I'm at a loss as to its awesomocity! LOVE it! This link is to a good demo video.


Federal Signal Vision SLR at IACP 2010

 

[HILO]

It's not sleek, it will be a major drag on performance for cars and light trucks. It's heavy, and with rotators back to being a power drain. But still cool.

 

[Sigma Safety]

Do you have to get the all color version in order to run the light in various set ups? Meaning, if I wanted to run it all amber one minute, then red and white the next (and that's it for color combinations), would I need to order the all color version?

For vollies with some pockets deeper than mine, I could see that as beneficial. There are guys on my FD who plow in the winter. They could run this bar all amber while plowing but then switch to red or red/white to respond. I bet some could even use that as a business write off.

The Vision can be ordered with single-colour pods, or quad-colour pods. There is no 2- or 3-colour pods on the Vision SLR (the Valor is different). So yes, you could run all amber when plowing, then instantly change to all red, or to red/blue, or to red/amber, or whatever. You can configure your own to see; Federal Signal - Lightbar Configurator .


Note that pods 3 and 5 are multicolour at no extra charge. All the others have extra charge if you want to upgrade to multicolour. I believe that's because they intend that you use pods 3 & 5 for takedowns and alleys, but you could also make the whole bar red except for 3&5 which could be multicolour. Run pods 3&5 by themselves in Amber when you were plowing, then turn them all red and turn on the rest of the bar for fire responses.


Keep in mind that for full functionality on the Vision SLR, you need to get the new SmartSiren Platinum, though I don't yet know exactly which features are available for use if you do NOT have a SSP. I think more advanced features are SSP only, but I'm just guessing on that.

 

[nerdly_dood]

The Vision can be ordered with single-colour pods, or quad-colour pods. There is no 2- or 3-colour pods on the Vision SLR (the Valor is different). So yes, you could run all amber when plowing, then instantly change to all red, or to red/blue, or to red/amber, or whatever.

The Valor lightbar is a stationary lightbar that has no moving parts, but it has LED lightheads available in any color combination EXCEPT ones that include amber and white in the same lighthead. If you want to have a full amber lightbar in front AND takedowns, you'd have to use the Hotfoot mounts. So with that lightbar it is perfectly possible to have the whole lightbar set up using only red and amber.

 

[LRGJr72]

It's not sleek, it will be a major drag on performance for cars and light trucks. It's heavy, and with rotators back to being a power drain. But still cool.

I guess I'm just intoxicated with its coolness and long list of benefits. I have read that it's heavy, expensive and a major air-grabber. But I just can't imagine the amp-draw would be all that much. Are the rotators metal or plastic? I know that with LEDs there's virtually no heat, so plastic rotators would be possible.


Now I'm wishing that the Michigan State Police would've developed something like this (as a larger, single-rotator) within the body of a Unity RV-26 Unibeacon. That would have been absolutely kick-ass.

 

[wduda152]

I don't think videos can do it justice. I want to see in person dammit!!!

 

[Richard P]

It's not sleek, it will be a major drag on performance for cars and light trucks. It's heavy, and with rotators back to being a power drain. But still cool.

A motor draws next to nothing, .03 amps If i recall correctly, its the halogen bulbs that do all the draining, and they dont draw much either, 3 amps, 4 max. So this bar cant be too bad of a burden on an over powered alternator.

 

[cory y]

ATTENTION!


For those who want a slr for the colors then amber...


YOU MUST SPECIFY YOU WANT AMBER PATTERNS


Even though the bar can do amber, fs does NOT include amber patterns unless you specifically ask for them


Also the patterns are set up like this


1 to 10 is r/b. 11 to 20 is red 21 to 30 is blue


No amber


I'm pissed. I was never informed of this while I was ordering the bar.

 

[Sigma Safety]

ATTENTION!

For those who want a slr for the colors then amber...


YOU MUST SPECIFY YOU WANT AMBER PATTERNS


Even though the bar can do amber, fs does NOT include amber patterns unless you specifically ask for them


Also the patterns are set up like this; 1 to 10 is r/b. 11 to 20 is red 21 to 30 is blue

Can't FS give you instructions on how to flash upgrade the software in the bar? I can't imagine it'd be that tough.

 

[Jman423]

Wow, that is BS. You pay all of that money for that bar, including the mulit-color premium, and you have to "ask" them to add features that are already there?


Strike 1 :nono:

 

[cory y]

Update:


I've really gotten to know all of the FS people lol


I just got off the phone with the Vision SLR project manager.


She says that EVERY bar is going to be custom programming and when you order the bar, you have to call and talk to a CS rep and tell them what colors you want programmed in...


Shes making me a custom program with R/B, Red, and Amber instead of R/B, Red, Blue

 

[Jman423]

So you can't just get a bar with all of the colors/options and just program it with the software?


Strike 2 :nono:

 

[cajunblitz]

So you can't just get a bar with all of the colors/options and just program it with the software?

Strike 2 :nono:

I agree. WTF is up with that?

 

[cory y]

well as it was explained to me the weakeness isnt in the bar, its in the capability of the controlling software at the present time...


currently no other FS lightbar has the ability to perform any more than 30 patterns, so the current controllers have 30 programming "slots" for patterns.


so working with the controllers available TODAY, they chose the R/B, Red, Blue patterns (10 of each) however software versions 2, 3 are in development


The Vision Multi Color has the "ability" to run HUNDREDS of patterns, But the CONTROLLERS are the weak point in the system at the present time...

 

[Jman423]

So this big, bad new SmartSiren came out and it can do just about as much as the old Vision Controller?


Strike 3 :nono:

 

[cory y]

oh no it can do a lot... like it can flash its outlets, better packaging on the brain box, the Vision can be run with out the brain attached, just the control pad, program it via the computer, every button can control anything,

 

[rwo978]

FAIL again FedSig... Not letting people know info ahead of time, telling them information... :-x :hopeless:

 

[nbkj58]

Every product has bumps in the road... Especially with a platform as involved as this product seems to be. I think what really will matter is how they correct the issues. As far as switching and controlling goes, this seems to be a "stay tuned" situation. Fedsig may not have anticipated anyone other than NYPD or another large department purchasing this bar. We'll see what comes of it as these hit the streets. I remember when the 1st Vision platform came out, holy cow there were issues...

 

[nerdly_dood]

I remember when the 1st Vision platform came out, holy cow there were issues...

Such as...?

 

[rwo978]

Not telling an end user that have to spec something isn't a problem with the product, it's a problem with communicaiton. This isn't the first time I've seen problems with communicaiton from this manuf. It probably won't be the last.

 

[nbkj58]

Not telling an end user that have to spec something isn't a problem with the product, it's a problem with communicaiton. This isn't the first time I've seen problems with communicaiton from this manuf. It probably won't be the last.

Agreed, probably engineers/designers not telling salesmen what the limitations are...I'm curious hear how they will resolve this problem. I can tell you I have had bad info from just about all manufacturers...Some make it right, some don't. In my past experiences, Fedsig has made it right. Sound off is pretty good about that too.


Cory, did they say the Valor has the same limitations?