Help programming Sound off bar with Whelen controller

[John Smith]

Hey guys, probably a quick question here.

I've got a SoundOff ETL 5000 lightbar hooked up to a Whelen CenCom Sapphire controller. Everything works great on it, but I was just issued the car and would like to program the lights a bit differently for the slide positions.

I've read and watched a bunch of YouTube videos, but they all miss the easiest step, connecting the laptop to the lightbar. I see there's a USB plug on the Whelen amplifier, but it's not a standard USB plug. Can anyone help me on what kind it is so I can go about finding that cable? (Assuming that's what I need to re-program).

Thanks! I'll probably need more help when it comes to "designing" the lightbar with WeCan. I see there's a way to extract the design but I'm not sure if that'll work.

Anyways, step one first, connecting it. Thanks, and I'll be sure to post a video. The car is actually well setup, just needs slower flash patterns.

 

[rescue567]

You probably are not going to be able to change the pattern of the bar with the CenCom program. Sound off bars are not compatible with the software. You will have to change the pattern of the bar on the bar it self.

I don’t know much about that bar to know if it has a break out box or different trigger wires for different settings. What you have may be the pattern you have to deal with.

I am sure someone on here will have a better idea of the bar and maybe able to help you on the end.

 

[John Smith]

It should have a breakout box, according the operating manual. I am not in a position to check the car right now though, and I was, have no idea where they mounted it.

I read the manual pretty thoroughly, and one thing that stands out is that the bar has 2 programmable modes, so different flash patterns and such can be chosen for each mode. On my 3-position slider position 1 has different patterns/sequences than 2/3. 2 and 3 are similar, with position 3 flashing a few additional modules (Mainly the takedown modules). But of the modules that flash in 2 and 3, the pattern/sequence seems the same.

Basically as it is position 2 is like 95% of 3, and position 3 isn't synchronized well and ends up seemingly randomly flashing modules for the dazzle effect (As does 2, just without the takedowns). I'd like a synchronized full red vs blue quad flash type pattern in front/side, and a slow single alternating in back. Position 3 also doesn't flash the LED alley lights which I'd like it to.

Thanks for your reply! My last bar was a Code 3, and was much simpler. The slide positions all used the same flash patterns, each successive position just added modules.

I'll take a quick video today or tomorrow. Got to be careful not to ID the agency lol.

 

[rcfd34]

Lol I'm in the same boat as u I just got a code3 2700 and I got the front and rear cut thing screwed up didn't read everything careful enough it wasn't like my legend bar at all so now I gotta redo all of mine. But I have 3 different emergency mode wires that I really like I go from nice and slow to stupid crazy to get people to move
But sounds like you might need to do some wire modifications to everything if you wanna do what ur calling for.they should have the wiring in one location would make this easy tho

 

[Bvfa23]

John,

I worked for a shop installing sound off equipment for about 4 years, so you might not want to hear what I'm going to tell you but what you want to do is much more involved then just plugging in a laptop and clicking around.

The light bar and CenCom software are NOT compatable so that means that the bar is directly wired through a breakout box (a small 3x3 box with a data cable and big ole connector i want to say 32 wires all small gauge)

The only way the above situation your describing would be correct is if the siren you were using was a sound off product, then the siren communicates with the breakout box and you program everything from the siren.

So to change any of the modules that come on in the different levels you will have to cut and splice the activation wires from the breakout box to the wiring on the CenCom. The is also a activation wire for the Mode 1/2 you are referring to.

SO once you determine which modules you want activated on the bar, EX Level 1 - Rear Only you would need to wire all the rear inner and outer mods on the breakout box to Level One wire on the CenCom

THEN you can activate the bar and start scrolling through the flash patterns using the flash pattern change activation wire on the break out box

Hope this helps and you can understand my readers digest version of what you want to do LOL

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me

 

[John Smith]

Resurrecting this a bit. Tim, thanks for the reply, and I believe the controller is wired to a breakout box, which then connects to the bar. Going to pull it apart tomorrow to start playing with it and see what I can learn.

 

[John Smith]

Turns out it is not, at least I don't believe so, a Whelen controller.

The controller is labeled "Intimidator," and is also labeled "Wireless Advance Communications," which is the company that did the original upfit. It's a quality upfit overall.

The controller is pretty generic, has a 3-position slide (Plus off of course), and then a bunch (Maybe 20) backlit buttons that do everything from siren to arrow stick.

So the wiring shouldn't be too difficult, the slide switch probably does a building effect to the box. So Pos 1 is all rear, Pos 2 uses the same flash pattern and synchronizing but adds some front modules, and pos 3 changes flash patterns (So uses mode 2), and adds a few more modules.

I'm thinking I'll leave Pos 1 modules as all rear, just change the patterns/synchronizing if I can. I want to remove a bunch of the front/side/HLF firing modules from Pos 2, leave it to steady burn just a couple modules front. Then Pos 3 is left firing everything, but I want to change patterns/synchronizing to something not so crazy dazzle.

 

[John Smith]

In my head this is easy. Move wires for the modules and HLF to the pin for slide 3. Leave slide 1-2 on mode 1, leave slide 3 mode 2. Just need to move the wires. Then I can get into flash patterns and synchronizing. Best I can gather, the bar doesn't support advance programmable synch, it has basic pre-programmed synch between certain modules.

 

[shues]

The installation manual for the D&R Intimidator is here: http://www.dandrelectronics.com/files/literature/IHUJW752rr.pdf

 

[John Smith]

Awesome that will be extremely helpful, and that is the controller I have. Thank you SOOOO much!

I've got the manual for the ETL 5000, the breakout box, and now the controller, I should be good to go!