Jetsonic questions...?

ChargerLighting

ChargerLighting

Member
May 21, 2010
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Berlin, MI, 48002
I just got a couple Jetsonic parts bars & I've been trying to figure them out...


They're both chain driven with 4 rotators (2 front, 2 rear). They also both have J20 power supplies, but neither has (or looks like it EVER had) strobe(s) anywhere? :? I was wondering about the reasoning behind this? Did they just put the J20's in everything or something "just in case"?


On one of the bars, everything works & spins like it should, just not WHEN it should. The rotators all work but only the rear ones light up while rotating; the front ones don't. The front bulbs are good & will come on if I put direct power to the wire block.


I tried putting power to all the wires exiting the bar & nothing makes the fronts light up....


I thought of just running a jumper wire from the front/rear light blocks, but something seems wrong someplace...


Any ideas on what might be up? I hate to get really into the wiring on this thing as I'm not real familiar with them; looks like a nightmare.
 
The original Jet series bars were marketed as being easily expandable with additional options, so it would be reasonable that the J20 box would already be in it. If the bar has a long outward mirror setup that goes between the front and rear rotators and has a V setup on the outer end, it has a front light cutoff option that has apparently been activated somehow, and without being able to see the wiring, I wouldn't want to falsely speculate as to a solution. That is why the bubs won't light and the rotators will still spin because of the chain. Those bars are a beast to work on without a proper wiring diagram. See if Federal can fax you more info or a exploded parts view to use for a worksheet.


BTW, does the alternating flasher option stop the rear rotators in the originally intended proper place, which is facing rearward, or do they stop facing an angled mirror surface? I've seen it done both ways.
 
Follow the strobe wiring from the J20. Does it go to the bayonet (sp?) bulb sockets? That's where my strobes were on one of my Jets. So other than the J20 box and two bayonet-based strobe bulbs, it looked like any other JetSonic.


As for your other question, my JetSonic, wired from the factory, had one wire that would make all rotators spin and only two of them light up, a second power wire would light up the second pair of rotators, regardless of whether or not they were spinning. Funky, but that's how Federal sent them out sometimes.
 
It has the mirrors you described & the front light cutoff being activated makes sense. I don't know whats' been tampered with as there are some wires un-done & hanging inside the bar.


I haven't been able to get the flashers to work either; I had forgotten about that.


The wiring inside this thing is a disaster; I just found some kind of ground wire near the motor thats' rigged up & hanging in place - no wonder the motor was cutting in & out.


There aren't any extra places in the bar for strobes to be (unless someone took them out). It has the 2 takedowns, alleys & 4 rotators. I know what you mean though on the strobes - the 2nd bar does have 1 or 2 & is even more of a disaster than this one believe it or not... :?


I'll bring this thing in soon & do some more checking; thanks for the replies!
 
Could be the relay board thats in the black box that looks like the J20 supply, or could have something to do with the microswitch and cam that makes the flasher option work.


Clarence
 
Mike there is a wire diagram on federals website under discontnued products.
 
One of those two jets you got did have strobe bulbs in the center reflectors. The other... I couldn't figure out why it had a power supply either
 
Allright cool, I will check for the diagram on the FS site when I bring it in (have a few other projects ahead of it).


The one with the mystery power supply is the one I'm going to be messing with. Should be interesting- its' like a primitive Smart Vector lol.
 
You should be able to activate bulbs from the relay box. Thats how I was testing mine while rebuilding. One realey activates the motor, One activates front bulbs, one activates rear bulbs. ther other 2 or 3 were usually takedowns or work lights.


All of the wires will go in the frame, and surface through one main hole near the relay box, you should be able to pin point.


As for the strobes, theyre usually in the takedown reflector. they were a takedown replacement, same 795 socket
 
Richard P said:
As for the strobes, theyre usually in the takedown reflector. they were a takedown replacement, same 795 socket
Click to expand...

I supplied him with these bars...... the one did infact have strobes in the takedown spot.... the other was fully populated with halogen lights. I never got around to tracking the wires... I figured someone put halogen bulbs in strobe sockets.
 
Federal had a 795 style bayonet base strobe bulb available that could be used in a regular automotive socket, and the standard issue stationary modules used for takedowns were the same ones the strobes used. I believe there were issues with the bulbs though, and they were discontinued. It's another great idea from the emergency lighting industry, along with select alert and D-tech reflectors, that never caught on.
 
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