Michigan State Police Beacon FTW (Trump motorcade)

[LineSpotter]

Is it just me, or do their 'new' LED beacons blow away everything else in this video?

PC @ 0:11
SUV @ 1:32
2x SUV @ 2:35

 

[dmathieu]

With the amount of LEDs in that beacon, and the large footprint....It blows everything else away!
I think the first MSP car had high power on, and the final 2 had nighttime low power activated.

 

[tsquale]

This really proves how effective the dwell and off or dark time is.

 

[bmd224]

At 2:02, is that a backfire from a motorcycle?

 

[LRGJr72]

People keep mocking these retrofitted Unity/Whelen-LED hybrid beacons. But they are like "nuclear-fusion levels" of light production. Especially in person. They negate the need for every other light on the vehicle (rear-deck, side-view mirrors, push bumpers, side windows) in my opinion.

 

[nerdly_dood]

People keep mocking these retrofitted Unity/Whelen-LED hybrid beacons. But they are like "nuclear-fusion levels" of light production. Especially in person. They negate the need for every other light on the vehicle (rear-deck, side-view mirrors, push bumpers, side windows) in my opinion.

Having a 360-degree warning light is necessary, but it doesn't provide proper forward-mounted intersection coverage, and if the car gets stuck behind a tractor trailer in the left lane, there's no way to get the guy's attention because the light is blocked.

 

[LineSpotter]

Having a 360-degree warning light is necessary, but it doesn't provide proper forward-mounted intersection coverage, and if the car gets stuck behind a tractor trailer in the left lane, there's no way to get the guy's attention because the light is blocked.

A few observations...
-Ive run C3 both with and without "proper forward-mounted intersection coverage" and have never noticed a difference in how folks react.

-As a POV driver, I've noticed cross traffic EV overheads long before I ever see anything mounted up front (the only exception are slick tops obviously)

-An EV driver shouldn't be pulling out until he/she has line of sight visuals on cross traffic, thus an overhead beacon would be visible to cross traffic.

-Having run EV's with single OH beacons, Ive never had a problem getting the attention of a large vehicle, and an A-pillar is far more effective at doing so than anything mounted up front, at least in my experience. In fact, the Whelen combo A-pillars that we have been running seem to get attention more than many overheads, so much so that I run one on my POV now. Back in the day we all rode the A-pillar pretty heavy

 

[LineSpotter]

People keep mocking these retrofitted Unity/Whelen-LED hybrid beacons. But they are like "nuclear-fusion levels" of light production. Especially in person. They negate the need for every other light on the vehicle (rear-deck, side-view mirrors, push bumpers, side windows) in my opinion.

Who is doing the conversion?
Does there happen to be thread covering the details of these?

 

[LRGJr72]

There is some small firm in the Detroit area (Brighton, Michigan) that is producing these. I cannot remember their name. But they are clearly getting new Unity domes and new Unity RV-26 bases in which to install Whelen LED models. Someone where should know more details. Here's an article from the MSP.

http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1574-228581--,00.html

 

[jph2]

Per the article, the company is Whelen Engineering of Brighton, MI. They developed a prototype and MSP's Precision Driving Unit (the folks that bring you the annual police vehicle evaluations) refined the concept to what we see today.

 

[dcb]

There is some small firm in the Detroit area (Brighton, Michigan) that is producing these. I cannot remember their name.

IIRC, the "retrofit" program was created/managed by CS Trojan & Associates, the regional Whelen rep agency for Michigan.

 

[pdk9]

Is it just me, or do their 'new' LED beacons blow away everything else in this video?

PC @ 0:11
SUV @ 1:32
2x SUV @ 2:35

They've had those LED ones for a while; I dunno if you've seen one up close before, but they're "YUUUUUGE." With that many Whelen LEDs crammed into a beacon, it'll def be bright ;-)