How do you change patterns on Whelen LED's?

[Eric1249]

We have a newer Pierce ladder. It have various LED lights on it. I believe most of them are the 600 Series Super LED's? There are 4 of them just above the headlights and they are the same size as the headlights. The 4 above the headlights seem to be the only ones that are synced. The rest of the lights down the truck seem to be on various different patterns. I would assume they are not synced and they are all on fast patterns. On the rear of the truck there are two 900 series LED's that look like they have two linear LED's in them. (all red) They are on a split pattern and it is very fast.


I want to get my Chief to let me change the patterns to something a bit slower. How do I change the patterns on the 600's on the front and sides? Good pattern choice?


There is a 900 Series Super LED (different then ones on the rear) above the cab that I think is set to what I believe is Comalert. Maybe set all the side leds to the same pattern? Should I set the rear 900's to the same pattern? I might be able to sync the lights if I am able to run the wires. I never looked up behind there. Any suggestions or pointers would be great.


Now I just need to convince my Chief to let me do this.


Thanks


Eric

 

[Quentin]

I would sync the rear! Well I'd sync every thing!


From Whelen's PDF.


Scan-LockTM(WHT/VIO) - To advance to the next pattern, apply +VDC to the WHT/VIO wire for less than 1 second. To cycle backwards, apply +VDC for more than 1 second. To reset to the factory default pattern, turn off power to the lighthead. While applying +VDC to the WHT/VIO, turn the lighthead back on. Continue to apply voltage for 5 seconds.


Lightheads configured to display the Phase 1 mode of a pattern will flash simultaneously. Any lightheads configured to display the Phase 2 mode will alternate with any Phase 1 lightheads with the same pattern.


Sync (GREY) - To sync two lightheads, configure both lightheads to display the same Phase 1 pattern. With the power off, connect the GREY wires from each lighthead together. When the lightheads are activated, their patterns will be synchronized. To configure the two lightheads to alternate their patterns, advance the pattern of either lighthead to the Phase 2 mode of the current pattern. The same concept applies to Phases 3 & 4.


To understand how to use the sync feature with more than two lightheads, the principles will be applied to a sample system consisting of 4 lightheads with 2 mounted on the rear, driver- side and 2 mounted on the rear, passenger-side. With all the wiring complete, turn on all 4 lightheads. As shipped from factory, the lightheads will all display SignalAlertTM 75 - Phase 1. To configure one side to alternate with the other side, change the pattern for either the passenger or driver side to Phase 2 mode for that pattern.

 

[Storm4200]

Now I just need to convince my Chief to let me do this.

its always easier to ask forgiveness, than to ask for permission

 

[eng18ine]

there should be 4 wires, a colored one that usually goes with the color of the led, a black for ground, a white and purple wire, and a grey one. the white and purple is the one that changes the pattern. just give it 12 volts for less than one second. the grey wire is a sync wire. connect whatever lighthead you want to have flash with another one or alternate from another one, connect the grey wires to eachother on each head. like Quentin was saying, the patterns that can sync have 2 phases. its just a fancy way of saying, it flashes together(phase 1) and it alternates(phase 2).


pretty simple stuff once you do it a couple times

 

[Andy L.]

The Whelen 600, 700, and 900's do not have a sync wire. If the front four lights are sync'd they must be connected to a flasher and you would need to change the pattern on the flasher. For the remaining side and rear lights you can use the process listed in the above post to change the patterns however you will not be able to sync (unless you do a complete rewire and connect them to a flasher). Also, the rear 900's are essentially two 700's in one housing and will function as two separate lights no matter what patterns are selected There is no way to sync the two sections together without the use of an external flasher.

 

[Quentin]

Can you post up photos of the lights?

 

[Eric1249]

Can you post up photos of the lights?

Thanks for all the info guys. I need to stop down at the FD later and I will take some pics.

 

[Storm4200]

The Whelen 600, 700, and 900's do not have a sync wire. If the front four lights are sync'd they must be connected to a flasher and you would need to change the pattern on the flasher. For the remaining side and rear lights you can use the process listed in the above post to change the patterns however you will not be able to sync (unless you do a complete rewire and connect them to a flasher). Also, the rear 900's are essentially two 700's in one housing and will function as two separate lights no matter what patterns are selected There is no way to sync the two sections together without the use of an external flasher.

what a poor design on Whelen's part with the 900s :duh:

 

[shues]

what a poor design on Whelen's part with the 900s :duh:

On the other side of the coin, these lightheads have a low-power wire, something conspicuous in its absence from the smaller lightheads.

 

[pdk9]

Can u take a walk around vid of the truck, so that we can see what everything looks like flashing? In my current dept, we use all pierce, and I got to say that when I had looked at some of the newer trucks for the 1st time, most of the perimeter lights didn't look synced (but after the 5th time looking closely at them, then I can see what units are synced, even though they look like crap). I'm guessing they're using an ambulance flasher or something to sync the large amt of lightheads scattered around an aerial, and that the front facing surface mounts are on a separate flasher. Personally, I like slow/medium speed patterns for the side and rear, and fast patterns up front and intersection (all solid Patterns, of course), but I'm not sure I would want to mess around with the flasher on the truck/I personally would see if the dealer, or a reputable installer with apparatus upgrade experience (i.e. 10-75 in NJ), or someone else with experience could lend a hand (but that's just because I have never worked on anything larger than an SUV and wouldn't want to be responsible for putting the new aerial OOS/10-7 lol).

 

[Eric1249]

Here are some pics. The 900's on the rear bother me the most. I would really like to make them alternate right to left. I will be working on this Sat

 

[Eric1249]

I am a Tomar fan, but we have a Tomar LED stick above the grille. It is on a random pattern. I am not a fan of it. Should have been a Roto-Ray. Anyways, any suggestions on a pattern for the front? ComAlert?

 

[pdk9]

I am a Tomar fan, but we have a Tomar LED stick about the grille. It is on a random pattern. I am not a fan of it. Should have been a Roto-Ray. Anyways, any suggestions on a pattern for the front? ComAlert?

Can u tell us the layout of the lightstick (ie R/R/R/R/R/R, R/C/R/C/R/C, etc)? I think that'll play a key factor in which patterns we recommend. Personally, like I said above, I prefer faster patterns up front and with lightsticks I like larger footprints (ie if they're the same color, adjacent lightheads should flash simultaneously in pairs)

 

[Eric1249]

The Tomar is R/C/R/R/C/R if I remember correctly? It is on a random patter/ (terrible) I agree on larger footprints.

 

[pdk9]

The Tomar is R/C/R/R/C/R if I remember correctly? It is on a random patter/ (terrible) I agree on larger footprints.

Not sure if u can move modules around, as you can with the dominator, but ideally with that setup, I'd change it to RRCCRR & have the outer red modules alternating with the inner clear modules, if possible.

 

[Eric1249]

I messed with the patterns today. The 900's are a terrible design. The only way to make it look decent would be is with a flasher. At first I set all the side lights to the default pattern. ComAlert I believe? We didnt like that so we changed two of the five to a different pattern. Not sure what it is called but there are a few single flashes then a comet flash. What a pain in the butt without a flasher to make it look good.


And the two lights over the headlights would not change at all