How well do GoLights hold up to abuse?

[kadetklapp]

I'm thinking about putting a GOLight on my pickup. I could use one for hunting, off-roading, and SHTF. The base model is pretty inexpensive and less troublesome than installing a Unity on the A-pillar. My concern is I've never held one in my hand, and I'm wondering how it will hold up to riding on the top of the truck in the wind, in the ice, heat, and being scraped by the occasional branch and whatnot.


I know Alaska Troopers use them, so they can't be complete garbage, but was wondering if any of you had experience with them.

 

[Jamey@NNE]

I used to work in the garage that had at least one on every vehicle. They hold up good as long as you don't hit things too big. We always leave the lens facing the rear when not in use also to keep rocks from cracking the lens.


Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[NHFD104]

They are used by the thousands on military vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. We've had four in service on fire vehicles for nearly five years. For the price, you can't beat it.

 

[kadetklapp]

One of my main concerns would be ice building up and then inadvertently damaging it (stripping the gears out) if I were to try to use it. My truck sits outside and I would probably use it mostly in the winter anyway (the light).

 

[BigWil]

If you are really that worried about snow and ice, here is an idea. Take a piece of tarp, and sew magnets in the seams, and just cover the golight with it. Before driving, remove the tarp, and since it is flexible, all the ice will pop right off. I know some people here who cover their windshields with a piece of tarp to prevent snow/ice buildup, and it works well for them.

 

[jswwjw]

GOLIGHT Spotlights - Golight Radioray - Golight Stryker - Golight remote lights - MagnaLight

 

[Hoser]

A local power company uses them, they turn them backwards also. Im sure if they had a problem with the elements they would go to something else.

 

[kadetklapp]

A local power company uses them, they turn them backwards also. Im sure if they had a problem with the elements they would go to something else.

I wonder how they compare to a Visibeam.

 

[Richard P]

Hydro companies up here have them by the barrel full. Some even have a protective dome for them, I think its a factory option.

 

[fleetcomm]

The ones we have used are great and no problems to this point. I have had them in use for about 3 years now.

 

[EL1998P71]

For as far as abuse, Candian pacific Railroad police use them. Alot of off roading.


and Comcast cable uses them too, but they put a large clear dome over the top.

 

[Hoser]

I wonder how they compare to a Visibeam.

Cant tell ya that, there seem to be more around than the visibeam. But that might be where the price difference comes into play.

 

[EL1998P71]

Cant tell ya that, there seem to be more around than the visibeam. But that might be where the price difference comes into play.

I use a Visibeam for my school security job. I've have had two of them first one works when it wants to.


The 2nd one works perfect (mag mount) the first one I have had about a year longer than the other, but both are over 8 years old.


The only difference I noticed between the go light and the visiabeam is that the visibeam can go almost 90 degrees up. the go light goes not nearly as far.


Around me there are alot of Visibeams in use, Detroit edison, Consumers Energy use them alot. But both also use Go lights.

 

[Phillyrube]

I have one on my truck, mag base, and the local school board has them on security vehicles. Dominion Power has them on their line trucks, and I have seen two mounted on supervisor vehicles. Mine has been flawless...

 

[ryan81986]

Whatever you do don't use the suction cup base. I had one fly off of my roof because it didn't hold properly.

 

[Solvarex]

I'm still waiting for GoLight to enter the 21st century and use LEDs before buying one. With the technology advancing so rapidly there's no excuse for lighting to be anything but LED these days.

 

[Jamey@NNE]

I'm still waiting for GoLight to enter the 21st century and use LEDs before buying one. With the technology advancing so rapidly there's no excuse for lighting to be anything but LED these days.

It is in the works from what I heard from my rep. So far I know vision X makes a retrofit kit for them too.

 

[linemanjas]

If you want LED Golights or HID Golights then check out magnalight. Fair warning though, they are not cheap upgrades.


LED Golights - MagnaLight


Visibeams SUCK! Yes I shouted! All of our trucks have them and all 40+ have been nothing but a pain in the @$$! Run, Don't walk, Run Away from the visicrappybeams.

 

[kadetklapp]

Thanks guys. I will stay way from the visibeams. Too expensive anyway. The GoLight I want has a permanent mount shoe and it slides in and out of the base I think. No suction cup for me. It wouldn't last a day.

 

[KC9QNN]

First picture below is of an install I did with some go lights, one below it, guys got a little carried away with lights for seeing the road, not that I can blame them looking for IEDS in the dark in Iraq is hard enough. The go lights withstood a lot over there, minus the IEDS. I loved them, if I still had my truck I would have a go light in a heartbeat on it.


[Broken External Image]:http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u111/The_Bear121/GoLight1.jpg

 

[philyumpshus]

NYS DOT has them on all of their plow trucks. I can't say I've ever seen one in use but they must hold up well because NY state agencies are generally not afraid to spend money to buy the best.

 

[Ipuvaepe]

Hmm, I wonder how they would look replacing the middle pod of a vector/vision.

 

[STT Installer]

Hmm, I wonder how they would look replacing the middle pod of a vector/vision.

Not good, much like the hack job Opticom installs we used to see...


The Golight sits probably a good 2" higher than the Vector dome, it would be fine until you went more than 90 degrees side to side, then it would run in to the side of pods 3 & 5.

 

[Jordan_TCFD]

We have a Golight on our rescue. I used the base and screwed it to the roof, I then took the controller apart and ran the control wire through the roof as well. I then zip tied it to our Jotto Desk console so it couldn't get "lost" in the truck. We have had the truck 2 years now. I keep the lense to the front for ease of use, but the truck has been down some rough roads and not had a problem. We got ours through Sirennet on special at the time. I'll try to dig up pictures of it.


Jordan,TCFD

 

[STT Installer]

One word of warning with the Radio Ray (the wireless remote version) - the remotes are not coded correctly so you may inadvertently turn on or off a nearby unit. We had the front protective cover thingy melt pretty badly on one a couple months ago because that vehicle rolled up on scene after another Golight user was already there, when he got ready to take off, the first unit turned his Golight off which subsequently turned the other Golight on...

 

[Jamey@NNE]

All you have to do on an installer standpoint is pull the cover of the remote and change the dip switches to different on each one.

 

[STT Installer]

All you have to do on an installer standpoint is pull the cover of the remote and change the dip switches to different on each one.

Brilliant... Will have to take a look at those this week during fleet maintenance - we have about 30 of these deployed fleetwide, I'll take a look at the possible DIP switch combinations to avoid duplicates. Unfortunately these were upfitted by Brand FX/ARI over the course of 7 years so its entirely possible there are several setup to the defaults.

 

[Jamey@NNE]

When I worked in a fleet we had over 100 all set up to default. It was funny hitting a remote and watching 20 trucks light up lol.

 

[Jamey@NNE]

Here is a remote I have handy

 

[Ipuvaepe]

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Brilliant... Will have to take a look at those this week during fleet maintenance - we have about 30 of these deployed fleetwide, I'll take a look at the possible DIP switch combinations to avoid duplicates. Unfortunately these were upfitted by Brand FX/ARI over the course of 7 years so its entirely possible there are several setup to the defaults.

7 switches on the DIP. 2^7 = 128, so you'll have 128 unique combinations. Unless of course it's a trinary DIP instead of binary DIP, in which case 3^7 = 2187 combinations.

 

[Jamey@NNE]

each dip has 3 positions

 

[egriggs]

For those who were questioning the clear protective domes, here is the link for the golight acessories....


http://store.golight.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=8&category_id=1&page=shop.browse&limit=20&limitstart=0


http://store.golight.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Security_Dome_4ab79c9d28ee4.jpg


They also make a retorfit kit so the go light can point on a 90 degree angle...


http://store.golight.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Security_Dome_4ab79c9d28ee4.jpg


I have been using golights for about 5 yrs now and can't complain at all.. They are durable and can be used a million different ways from being mounted on the vehicle or just standing on the ground as a spot light. With the super long power cord on the portable model, you can't go wrong!

 

[AKRLTW]

Using them on the Trans-Alaska pipeline for security rigs.... wasn't impressed.


Troopers also have ongoing issues with them, but on some rigs they're about the only option available and something already in stock.


At least up here, they'd freeze up then have issues with stripping out gears. I also think my unity spots are brighter.


Decent light if you don't have to deal with arctic conditions all the time. Most troopers prefer the unity's, especially since the installers put the go-lights in front of the dang light bar and the troopers hate it.

 

[STT Installer]

Speaking of Alaska and Golights, what's up with all of those white ones mounted dead center in front of the lightbars on the Trooper vehicles?


Unrelated - does Havis still make that roof mounted spotlight that was square shaped and folded flat? Wild Justice (California Fish & Game Wardens) showed almost all of the trucks had them and appear to have had a pretty decent light output... Can't seem to find them now...


And in the event you're looking for true garbage - the Code 3 remote spot that came in a variety of mounting options including replacing the center top dome of the MX7000/Excal was notorious for stripping out gears in the cold.

 

[AKRLTW]

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Speaking of Alaska and Golights, what's up with all of those white ones mounted dead center in front of the lightbars on the Trooper vehicles?

Unrelated - does Havis still make that roof mounted spotlight that was square shaped and folded flat? Wild Justice (California Fish & Game Wardens) showed almost all of the trucks had them and appear to have had a pretty decent light output... Can't seem to find them now...


And in the event you're looking for true garbage - the Code 3 remote spot that came in a variety of mounting options including replacing the center top dome of the MX7000/Excal was notorious for stripping out gears in the cold.

Go-light install location: I don't know what trooper stupervisor spec's their rigs, but I know that there ain't many Troopers happy with the placement.


Havis light: I know exactly the one that you're talking about, and sadly the go-light is more resiliant given snow/ice buildup as well as brighter... looked at one before I put dual unity's on my offroading rig since wheeling in the winter = wheeling with 6 hours of good daylight. having nice light is great when someone else breaks on the trail.


Don't think I've seen that code 3 one you're talking about.

 

[STT Installer]

Code 3 Nightprobe was the name I was looking for... OK in areas that weren't subject to extreme heat, wind, dust, fog, humidity, rain, freezing temperatures, snow, sleet, hail, mud, or anything else you might encounter outside of a dealer showroom.


http://www.code3pse.com/public/media/inst_NightProbe_NP130_T06888_rev_7.pdf


Cool concept and I loved how it fit perfectly in to the highest position on a vehicle (center dome of a lightbar)... Just had too many issues.

 

[AKRLTW]

Ahhh.. yeah, i recognise that thing. I wasn't impressed with it primarily because the shop I used to frequent had everything wired up so you could compare. When my streamlight puts out more light than a spotlight, i'm not inclined to buy one

 

[mel]

Mine no longer goes left or right? Don't worry about the ice but it comes with a cover so when you are not using it you can block it on up.

 

[acala91]

My local Sheriff's Office mounts them ontop of the lightbar on all their new cars. They see to be happy with them.

 

[Hoser]

Had a chance at a scene to talk with some Dayton Power and Light guys. They have the Go light on everyone of thier trucks on the scene. They liked them and have had few problems with them. No dome covers on any of them. But the older guys still prefer the old unity lights for the brightness.