There are a few iconic lightbars that defined eras and technologies. When I think of sealed beam tech Twinsonics ruled. They dominated the 70s and first half of the 80s. They also get credit of being the first fully enclosed multi-beacon powered crossbar. Going into rotators you have the iconic Aerodynic, possibly the greatest looking lightbar of all time and a cult classic in pop culture. While Federal was the first into duel level bars with the Streethawk they got spanked in every category by the MX7000. Whelen pioneered the aluminum I-beam construction and directional flash philosophy most lightbar of the modern era are built by with the Edge series in the 80s, which was the era strobe technology came of it's own and gave Whelen the head start of already having the perfect platform for LED. With that I would have to say those are the four most prolific and greatest ever lightbars of all time. So for me the Federal Twinsonic, Aerodynic, Code 3 MX7000 and Whelen Edge 9000 are the Mount Rushmore of emergency lighting. For me Federal twin beacon rays, Whelen crossbars and Delta's get an honorable mention b/c how good they could be if set up right but factors prevented them from reaching startum.
Mount Rushmore of lightbar systems
- Thread starter 1968
- Start date
Good points all the way around. I would offer one slight difference, and I bet I'm going to get roasted for this opinion:
I prefer the Jetsonic over the Areodynic all day long. Particularly the synchronized gear driven models.
Before you ban me from the site, hear me out.
On fire apparatus, a big lightbar such as the areodynic fits the bill. On passenger cars and light trucks to me it is simply way too large. The Jetsonic's low profile along with the clear dome with colored insets to me looks WAY better. There are those who will say that the Jetsonics weren't as bright and thereby effective as some other lightbars. They could be right, but I would say that the Jets OK.
Just my .02
Bob
I prefer the Jetsonic over the Areodynic all day long. Particularly the synchronized gear driven models.
Before you ban me from the site, hear me out.
On fire apparatus, a big lightbar such as the areodynic fits the bill. On passenger cars and light trucks to me it is simply way too large. The Jetsonic's low profile along with the clear dome with colored insets to me looks WAY better. There are those who will say that the Jetsonics weren't as bright and thereby effective as some other lightbars. They could be right, but I would say that the Jets OK.
Just my .02
Bob
Stampeed Valkyrie
Member
I personally have nothing against the Jet series, its all really a matter of personal taste. Not gonna lie I do have a fairly obvious bias towards the Aero. I also agree that the synched version of the Jet did look pretty cool.
Thinking about it, I'd have to mention the OG lightbar the Model 11 Visibar. The square bars would come to mind.. Twins, SD, Condors, and Omni Chiefs. and of those the most prevalent would have been the Twin and the SD.. Its rather interesting that Federal kept the same chain driven bars alive for so long.. Visibar, Twin, Aero, and Jets all had the same basic innards. The synched Jets had more in common with the Twin and Aero then most people realize.
Whelen for me will alway be known for Strobe tech, they pretty much went all in early on with VERY mixed results. Wonky was Whelens other name.. lol But they persisted and ironed out most of the issues.
Thinking about it, I'd have to mention the OG lightbar the Model 11 Visibar. The square bars would come to mind.. Twins, SD, Condors, and Omni Chiefs. and of those the most prevalent would have been the Twin and the SD.. Its rather interesting that Federal kept the same chain driven bars alive for so long.. Visibar, Twin, Aero, and Jets all had the same basic innards. The synched Jets had more in common with the Twin and Aero then most people realize.
Whelen for me will alway be known for Strobe tech, they pretty much went all in early on with VERY mixed results. Wonky was Whelens other name.. lol But they persisted and ironed out most of the issues.
The Jetsonic was certainly an aerodynamic lightbar, but being small meant it had small reflectors for the rotating lights. From the Jetsonic, amber and clear flashes stood out well in bright daylight, red did not stand out as well and blue was hard to see. The Aerodyinc, being larger, could use sealed beam rotating lights or reflectors rotating around a bulb and the reflectors were of a good size and produced a flash that was significantly stronger than that of the Jetsonic.
Maxim2Eng
Supporting Donor
OK, gonna show my vintage…I cut my teeth (as an outfitter and user) on the FedSig model 11 & 12 so I am biased—best light bars ever (honorable mention to the AeroTwin realizing it’s a model 12 in an oval box). 1. You can’t beat a par 36 bulb for flash effect and candlepower. 2. It’s human nature to seek order/patterns and that’s why I can’t wrap my head around the SD or independent rotators. I’ve said this before, the OG AeroDynics were a synched collection of VitLites under one dome. Same for the JetSonic.
What was fascinating about the development of more aerodynamic bars came about with FedSig working with Michigan State Police. FS REALLY wanted MSP to buy the TwinSonics, but MSP tests determined at highway speeds, the TwinSonic robbed 10 MPH off top speed and increased fuel consumption considerably! And the AeroDynic was born. Early ADs had full rows of perforations in the speaker section and, again, MSP discovered this to cause measurable drag. FS solution…reduce the perforations on the top row to allow more air to flow over the bar (easy way to spot an early Aero). The JetSonic was an evolution of further studies with MSP to develop the most aerodynamic and compact lightbar. The end of this tale? MSP determined that the most effective rooftop warning system was…the Unity RV (26). That’s right, more aerodynamic and still effective. And still in use to this day, albeit with the par46 bulb mechanism replaced with an LED array made by…Whelen. Go figure!
What was fascinating about the development of more aerodynamic bars came about with FedSig working with Michigan State Police. FS REALLY wanted MSP to buy the TwinSonics, but MSP tests determined at highway speeds, the TwinSonic robbed 10 MPH off top speed and increased fuel consumption considerably! And the AeroDynic was born. Early ADs had full rows of perforations in the speaker section and, again, MSP discovered this to cause measurable drag. FS solution…reduce the perforations on the top row to allow more air to flow over the bar (easy way to spot an early Aero). The JetSonic was an evolution of further studies with MSP to develop the most aerodynamic and compact lightbar. The end of this tale? MSP determined that the most effective rooftop warning system was…the Unity RV (26). That’s right, more aerodynamic and still effective. And still in use to this day, albeit with the par46 bulb mechanism replaced with an LED array made by…Whelen. Go figure!
billforbush
Member
The Twin Beacon Ray deserves more than and honorable mention in that it was the first synchronized lightbar, and therefore the foundation for the later Federal bars. I couldn't agree more with Maxim's comments about par 36 (or 46) sealed beam effectiveness. While I am a huge Whelen strobe and LED fan, the early Federals set the standard for the entire industry. Look a the quality - cast aluminum lamp holders, the reinforced (ridged) domes, the specific and beautifully engineered mounting kits for mounting the CP25 or CJ-series speakers to the Visibar. A step above in all areas at the time. Honorable mention to Code 3 "Selectalert" technology, although the SD was such an incredibly accurate rip off of the Twinsonic shell.
In my opinion, the MX7000 and independant Jetsonic used way-too-small reflectors, and "dazzled" with light rather than a synchronized flash pattern. Modern LED bars simply blink, not unlike Christmas lights. They are incredibly bright, but I don't think you can beat the distinctive effectiveness of a rotating sealed beam light. The Federal 17X series and Unity RV26 (with Spitfire dome) are still immediately recognizable.
As a sidenote, MSP recently developed a shorter LED beacon with Soundoff that will replace the Unity/Whelen combo. Its pretty sad that Federal put all that effort into MSP and they moved from Federal to Unity, then when Unity and Whelen collaborated on the LED variant, they moved to Soundoff. I understand the political realities of a Michigan quality company, but what ever happened to customer loyalty?
In my opinion, the MX7000 and independant Jetsonic used way-too-small reflectors, and "dazzled" with light rather than a synchronized flash pattern. Modern LED bars simply blink, not unlike Christmas lights. They are incredibly bright, but I don't think you can beat the distinctive effectiveness of a rotating sealed beam light. The Federal 17X series and Unity RV26 (with Spitfire dome) are still immediately recognizable.
As a sidenote, MSP recently developed a shorter LED beacon with Soundoff that will replace the Unity/Whelen combo. Its pretty sad that Federal put all that effort into MSP and they moved from Federal to Unity, then when Unity and Whelen collaborated on the LED variant, they moved to Soundoff. I understand the political realities of a Michigan quality company, but what ever happened to customer loyalty?
I agree with the thoughts regarding synchronized flash patterns, whether they are created using sealed beam rotators, reflector rotators, cascading mirrors, or a combination of above. The human eye is drawn to movement - it's hardwired into our brains as both a predatory and prey impulse.
A synch'ed pattern that creates a bright spot of light that seems to "move" back and forth accomplishes this effect. If you think about it, even a very simple "wig wag" alternating light pattern - especially from a distance- does the same thing.
I recall reading somewhere that the idea for the twinsonic came from one of the federal engineers watching the light beams from a twin beaconray reflecting off the center mounted chrome speaker housing.
A synch'ed pattern that creates a bright spot of light that seems to "move" back and forth accomplishes this effect. If you think about it, even a very simple "wig wag" alternating light pattern - especially from a distance- does the same thing.
I recall reading somewhere that the idea for the twinsonic came from one of the federal engineers watching the light beams from a twin beaconray reflecting off the center mounted chrome speaker housing.
Maxim2Eng
Supporting Donor
If I may be permitted a write in a candidate to Mt. Flashmore…the Mars Aurora Borealis. Well ahead of its time in terms of warning beacons—rotating or oscillating (side sweeps, traffic clearing and white cutouts). Its clockworks would make a Maytag repairman proud!
(The red bulbs facing front have since been moved to their proper position on the ends with clear bulbs facing forward. When wired properly, the clear bulbs can be turned off ala FS 175/176.)
(The red bulbs facing front have since been moved to their proper position on the ends with clear bulbs facing forward. When wired properly, the clear bulbs can be turned off ala FS 175/176.)
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Firefighterhtfd
Member
TDC
Lifetime VIP Donor
JetSonic is the Statue of Liberty of lightbars; not on Mt Rushmore. Or, the 787 of lightbars. It is in it's own class, so it wouldn't be fair to compare on that list.
Firefighterhtfd
Member
I define a light bar as being an oblong enclosure with multiple flashing lights. So as far as I know, the Mars Aurora Borealis is the first true light bar.
Some people call it a beacon, but I define a beacon as being an enclosure with a single flashing light.
I don't call the Twin Beacon Ray a light bar. I call it a roof rack with two beacons attached.
Maxim2Eng
Supporting Donor
I concur for the most part but I think the model 11 Twin BeaconRay is a light bar in that it is synchronized with a motorized and slave unit on a specially designed bar (modified VisiBar) with incredibly versatile mounting options for sirens. My $0.02.
They also attempted to catch up with Whelen with a line of strobes and converted the Jetsonic into a strobe bar, calling it the Jetstrobe.
I am a big fan of old school Federal Signal. In the early days of beacons and lightbars they were the best. They were the innovators when it comes to rotating beacons and synched duel beacons on crossbars and the Twinsonic. Eventually Code 3 built a bar on that same footprint and in many ways it made better use of the package and could definitely produced more pottant light-flashes and new innovative tech. The Twinsonic was still a good package and very reliable and eventually the Twinsonic hit the market and in many ways was a step up in aerodynamics and efficiency. Federal and Code 3 had a rivalry and pushed each other to build better and better rotating lightbar systems but they missed out on strobes. Whelen invested big time in that tech and by the early 90s they reached the effectiveness and price point to become mainstream. Federal and Code 3 rushed up strobe bars which were usually current halogen bars with strobe beacons inside the lens. The strobes they did build usually were a generation or so behind what Whelen was putting out and eventually settled on focusing on the rotator market while Whelen dominated the strobe market. Eventually LED's reached the point in development that they were ready to be the primary flashers of lightbars and Whelen's Edge I beam style lightbars were exactly the type of platform best suitable for the next era. By the 2000s Whelen had gotten to the heights in market share and innovation that Federal embodied in the 60s and 70s. Over the last 15 years Federal and Code 3 put out lightweight LED bars that were effective competitors to Whelen and have a stable market share in the lightbar market.
72copriv
Member
Actually, Whelen has been the "name brand" for aviation and marine strobes since the 1950s. They simply began to package their universal bulb and board set in beacons and light bars, once they were able to provide the flash rates needed for copmobiles. They were also happy to sell their strobe set to other manufacturers who wanted strobe add-ons to their mechanical lights
RS485
Supporting Donor
If you have any evidence you can share, that Whelen offered a strobe in any form prior to 1967, I for one would be _extremely_ curious to learn more about it.
So as not to hijack this thread, please post to this thread. Thanks!