Is this supposed to be this way???

[chief1562]

I got this Whelen Cadet off a member never had one before.


The fast speed is good, but is this thing suppose to be this slow?


There are times when it almost comes to a complete stop.

How do I make mine work like that?

 

[dmathieu]

IIRC, the flash rates were advertised as 80/110 FPM.

 

[unlisted]

First things I'd do:


1. check the gears, any teeth missing/stripped? Gunk/plastic parts missing/caught up in the gears?


2. Try it with the cig plug in your vehicle, with the engine on. (could simply be the power supply isn't giving it enough voltage/amperage)


3. If its still full of fail, the motor is pooched.

 

[chief1562]

First things I'd do:

1. check the gears, any teeth missing/stripped? Gunk/plastic parts missing/caught up in the gears?


2. Try it with the cig plug in your vehicle, with the engine on.


3. If its still full of fail, the motor is pooched.

Im usin a this to run it and it's at full charge.


Runs the firebeam alright.

 

[dmathieu]

Strip it down, clean up all parts, check them for wear, coat proper areas with a light coat of white lithium grease. Hopefully that will do it.

 

[JazzDad]

Or, buy the JDI Super-cadet capacitor kit for only $59.99 (plus shipping). Installs easily in less than a week.

 

[chief1562]

Ok. Will give that a shot.


I only have the grease in WD40 spray will that work ok?

 

[dmathieu]

It'll work short term, but it evaporates over time.

 

[RES347CUE]

sloooooooooooooooooooooow speed

 

[chief1562]

Gotten it mostly apart. Cleaning the worm and rotor gear.


Going to clean up the brushs and the (armature) the use the grease.


My vid and the other.


There slow is my fast. :haha:

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

lol, my single speed cadet turns to the right from the factory


wished i could make mine 2 speeds

 

[chief1562]

Well cleaned it all up and tryed it without the light hooked up nothing.


Hooked the bulb up and it still runs slow.


Where can I get another small motor with the fine teeth on it for it?

 

[unlisted]

did ya try another power source?

 

[chief1562]

That power pack is like having a my 1000 amp battery hooked up.


I used the outlet and then tryed the jump cables nadda samething.

 

[Torpedo]

Chief, take a very close look at the ground wire(s) to/from the motor, if one or the one is not secure the motor will "hunt" for ground through the other 1/2 of the winding causing a slow condition. Pull on the ground wire(s) (?) and note if any stretch can be felt indicating a broken conductor inside insulation. Long shot but worth a try. DT

 

[unlisted]

That power pack is like having a my 1000 amp battery hooked up.
I used the outlet and then tryed the jump cables nadda samething.

Riiight, but if for some reason it is the power pack (and I should know, I've had brand new ones do funky things when testing lights in the past) you are not eliminating that as a possible issue. Same batt powers the plug and the jumper leads on the power pack.


Probably the motor, or a bad wire connection somewhere as others have mentioned. (if its not the power pack)

 

[chief1562]

Next step I guess is to cut the heat shrink around the circut board controling the fast and slow speed.


And see what's what.

 

[Torpedo]

OH! There's a circuit board controlling speed? Drag that thing to a car battery and try it again. I have experienced many a power supply confusing electronic circuit boards due to the ripple in 120/12v convertors. Even a battery across the power supply would help absorb any ripple for short term testing. This came up at E-One when engineering was testing timers that were electronic on a power supply. Three days and a garbage can full of good timers later Torpedo walks in and says "try a battery"?


:bonk:


DOH !

 

[chief1562]

When the wife gets ready to go somewhere I'll have here try it.


The jumper pak is not an inverter

 

[Torpedo]

Oh, so the jump pack is a battery bearing device then? Nvm. Carry on, could be a bugaboo on that board you're getting ready to disrobe, Watch for open circuit causing a back feed through 1/2 of motor if a three wire motor. If only two wires to motor inspect all solder points well then suspect bad board. In my experience a motor will run or it won't so I would be wary of those electronics in line with said motor. Maybe stick it with a volt meter during each speed, see what we can learn? Aint this fun?

 

[wilsonbr90]

Actually getting 12v+ off the pack. Speed is regulated by voltage not amperage. Some jump packs are 10-11v, that's how they get the crazy amperage numbers.

 

[chief1562]

Well I tried the samething with a fully charged 1000amp battery I keep charged for working on full size lightbars and the samething happens.


Here's the inside of the light best I could get.


Maybe by clicking on them you can get a better picture.


This one of the reasons I don't get alot of Whelen stuff you can't use anything else in them but thier stuff and some of it is hard to find .

 

[NPS Ranger]

Sell it to someone who has an old 24V military truck.

 

[Torpedo]

It is difficult to make out but I think I see four diodes. Diodes typically drop about 1/2 volt @ and if in series this array would likely drop about 2 volts +/- to the motor whenever the white switch is open. Closing the switch "may" bypass the diodes. I can't tell without highly detailed pics of each side of that board but I think this may be what they did there. Do the black things (diodes) get hot when @ slow speed then cool at fast? (Warm is ok, hot not so much.) All that in mind you could have a binding situation in gear train or even the motor's bronze bushings. Wd 40 is basically naptha (Zippo) as a carrier to deliver the fish oil lubricant. The carrier evaporates and eventually leaves the gummy, acidic fish oil behind. This is what rusts your tools over time. (bad stuff imho) I use zoom spout turbine oil for my motors and stay away from both red and blue 3 in one crap too, also acidic. Oil is for the bronze motor bushings only, (disregard if nylon end caps) and only a drop @ each from a toothpick. Keep it away from brushes. The nylon gear train runs best dry as any gunk, grease, eventually draws debris and turns the lubricant to an aggregate (sanding paste, more bad stuff) also some plastics are broken down by some lubricants over time. To prove or disprove my diode theory put the light in slow mode and reverse wires to battery for a moment. If I'm right the motor will not run but the bulb will light then switch to fast, try again reversed, and the motor "should" turn in opposite direction as the bulb lights. Weak diode(s) will trash low speed also but there again, in my experience diodes either work or they don't but I surely could be wrong as I've never used diodes this way.


I ask again, aint this fun? :hahano:

 

[dmathieu]

Sell it to someone who has an old 24V military truck.

This light was actually made in a 24Volt version. Hmmmmmm......


How bright is your bulb?


Could you have a 24Volt light?

 

[Torpedo]

Great point guys! 24 of 'em. !!! Somebody could have plunked a 12V bulb into her. :bonk: Google the beacon's part number Chief, if it has one.

 

[chief1562]

Ok here's what I found.


There is nothing that says it's Whelen there is no bulb number.


Only thing iside is a build date? 19 Oct 1998.


Motor 180-12 497 and the little pots on the end all 3 have 473 .


Diodes all 4 appear to have 98.


And that's all the ID I can find.

 

[chief1562]

Ok guys good new from the home front.


The wife went out in the snow dtrom cause i was getting frustrated as probably you all were .


And the thing when fly in both speeds :fangirl: :fangirl:


So why is it I can get the firebeam to work right and all the other rotors lights I've worked with the power pak and this thing wouldn't.


I used it to run all 6 rotors in the 36" Vista.

 

[unlisted]

Ok guys good new from the home front.
The wife went out in the snow dtrom cause i was getting frustrated as probably you all were .


And the thing when fly in both speeds :fangirl: :fangirl:


So why is it I can get the firebeam to work right and all the other rotors lights I've worked with the power pak and this thing wouldn't.


I used it to run all 6 rotors in the 36" Vista.

So.. If I am reading this right... It works fine when plugged into an actual vehicle?

 

[chief1562]

yes!!!!!


But like I said up above why can I run everything else but that off the battery or the jump pak?

 

[Torpedo]

Ok here's what I found.
There is nothing that says it's Whelen there is no bulb number.


Only thing iside is a build date? 19 Oct 1998.


Motor 180-12 497 and the little pots on the end all 3 have 473 .


Diodes all 4 appear to have 98.


And that's all the ID I can find.

I'm out, put it on craigs list. That 12 in the nomenclature makes me think it's a 12 V unit but I don't think much. OFF that fooker!


Edit: I didn't read the two posts above....


Yay! Power packs, can't live wiff em yet, they're everywhere.


:goodevil: :fangirl:

 

[emtanderson51]

Whelen boards do not like battery chargers and jump packs. Their boards require 13.8v to operate. Your other rotators don't have boards and recieve direct amperage at the needed 11-12v so there is no problem. Electronic flashers have the same problem on the battery chargers and jump packs. I had a Liberty I swore was toast but when hooked to a 13.8v regulated power supply it was fine. When dealing with circuit boards it is the voltage that ends up being more important then the amperage.

 

[wilsonbr90]

Output voltage on your car is 14-15 Volts when running. Did you try running it with the car off? I had a dual rotator back in the day that would crawl unless the car was running then it would flash as it should

 

[chief1562]

Whelen boards do not like battery chargers and jump packs. Their boards require 13.8v to operate. Your other rotators don't have boards and recieve direct amperage at the needed 11-12v so there is no problem. Electronic flashers have the same problem on the battery chargers and jump packs. I had a Liberty I swore was toast but when hooked to a 13.8v regulated power supply it was fine. When dealing with circuit boards it is the voltage that ends up being more important then the amperage.

Well that makes sence. It's got a few more thing on the board than the Firebeam.


Today, 09:17 PM


wilsonbr90


Output voltage on your car is 14-15 Volts when running. Did you try running it with the car off? I had a dual rotator back in the day that would crawl unless the car was running then it would flash as it should


Yeah she had it running and she said when she shut the van off it went it slooooow mode again.


So I see what you all are talking about.


I thought the thing was bad.


Thanks for everybodies help and suggestions.

 

[tnems7]

The fact is that most automotive electric output is really 13.5 volts, not 12. And because of the electronics, this light (and a lot of strobe lights) may be a little more discriminating than other lights. The same voltage considerations affect two way radio performance, too.


That doesn't mean your battery pack isn't a good idea, but it's why members always advise you to check lights or sirens with a car with the engine running.

 

[witt455]

I don't disagree with the voltage discussion but I have one other thing you might check. Sounds stupid but I had an older cadet and if the magnet screw got over tightened it would drag down the speed of the mirror

 

[chief1562]

I already said z


I found the problem and it's resolved.


Thank you for your input though