Help a federal newbie

[53cub]

I have lots of 12 volt and strobe light experience but am new to federal signal lights. I got 10 bars for such a steal I couldn't pass them up. But now I'm not sure if I'm missing something or they're not working. I tried one of the Legends LED bars and couldn't get anything to work at all. It had like an 8 gauge red wire, 8 gauge black wire, then 4 sets of twisted wires (8 total, blue and blue/white. Orange and orange/white. Brown and brown/white and I forget the 4th set off my head) the wires are all cut about 5" from the bar and fron what I can tell it seems I may need some type of controller for these?
Next is the vista ricochet the non rotator style, I get the alley lights to work with the orange and the green wires, then got what I believe are the spot lights (two smaller white lights on front) they steady burn or flash side to side. But I can not get any of the upper 8 lights to work or what appears to be the traffic advisory bar on the back to light at all.

 

[Sparky_911]

Manuals are available on Fed Sigs website.
Legends should be easy. 12v+ to red 8ga and 12v- to 8ga blk then 12+ to any of the colored/ striped wires.

 

[tsquale]

I do believe sparky is incorrect. Both Legends that I had required a serial interface module to work. Don't start applying 12v first without looking for the manual or you may fry it.

 

[tsquale]

That said, I believe Federal did make a few basic Legends that didn't need the module but it's my understanding that the vast majority do need them

 

[tsquale]

For the ricochet, the arrow should have its own cable that needs a controller to properly function. I'm not sure on the strobes though.

 

[tsquale]

Here is the elaborate wiring diagram from Federal

 

[53cub]

That's the same diagram I had found, well guess I'll get into testing the rest of the lights to see what I can merge into full working sets. Thanks

 

[Sparky_911]

I do believe sparky is incorrect. Both Legends that I had required a serial interface module to work. Don't start applying 12v first without looking for the manual or you may fry it.

My bad. He's right on that. I think they sometimes call those breakout boxes too. Im thinking of the Whelen LC Freedom bars. Same wiring setup but no serial required.

 

[53cub]

That's what I was seeing but hoped I was looking at the wrong thing. Looks like a cat5 cable and the module is needed. I was hoping I'd luck out, to get these working without buying a bunch of parts to find out the lightbars might not work.

Thanks again guys guess I'll start looking for the parts and figure out how deep I want to go into these bars.

 

[tsquale]

Could always just buy one serial interface module for testing then once you know, sell them without

 

[53cub]

I just found this in assume it's simple match wires. But should there be a plug for input also? Each one I find one has one plug. Once I got a couple minutes I'll be downloading the manual from federal signal also.

 

[BLUELIGHT]

Here is the elaborate wiring diagram from Federal

Wow. Newer light bars are quite complicated. Guess they have to be to accommodate all the functions.

 

[53cub]

So my vista light bars I have 7 of them, all 7 the alley lights work and the lower front spot lights work but nothing else. I'm going to look more into the controller after the holidays because I find it hard to believe all 7 have the same functions working or not working. Thank you again guys for your input