Official "Whacker" or "Screwed Up Install" Thread

Is this the worst spotlight install you have ever seen?

  • Yes

    Votes: 10 21.3%
  • No

    Votes: 37 78.7%

  • Total voters
    47
D

Donslockkey

I remeber when I was in high school my home town had that set up. It was the first to go when the city bought the MX lightbars. Don Myhre
 

Patrol 3-8

Member
Jun 7, 2010
44
US Ohio
whats with the whacktastic door decals on the storm chasers? im skywarn certified too but i have small magnetic decals for my truck...

ra1.JPG

ra2.JPG
 
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Stendec

Member
May 21, 2010
816
EVT said:
Local FD grass truck....Yes that is a orange extension cord :lol:
ai835.photobucket.com_albums_zz271_00529174_IMG00050_20100928_1319.jpg

Hey, it's a field-expedient quick-disconnect, though it would be more trick to have put one of those cord lock things on it. If the ground prong wasn't used, and you cut it off and ground the polarity tabs down, would the lights turn in different directions depending on how it was plugged together?
 

MPD 818

Member
May 25, 2010
1,317
Murfreesboro TN
I guess my question to some of these storm spotter people that do their cars up with stupid ass looking graphics and unnecessary lights is, do you not get embarrassed driving those things around when you are "off duty?" I mean me personally, I would feel silly riding around in a car that proclaimed "storm spotter" with a big ass yellow lightbar on the roof when it is 20 degrees outside.


I guess it all goes back to the "i drive an old police car, that I claim do I not want to look like a police car, but letter it up and put lights all over it in an attempt to make it look like a police car" mentality. Besides in this day and age, I dare ask the question of how important are storm spotters anymore? Technology has gotten so advanced that entire storms are tracked and projected hours before arriving. I understand that there are agencies and facilities that go out into the field in an attempt to gather intelligence and information that you can only get in the field, but do we really have a need anymore for every yahoo with a yellow light on their roof running around all official like proclaiming to be storm spotters? I could make the same argument for ham radio, but that is another day in a different forum :D
 

Ben E.

Member
May 21, 2010
2,417
Iowa, USA
MPD 818 said:
I dare ask the question of how important are storm spotters anymore?

Believe it or not, the NWS claims that their storm spotter network is one of their most important tools, basically to visually verify things that they see on radar. I'm pretty sure they only tout that about their "officially trained" spotters that take their classes.
 

Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,583
Shelbyville, TN
we are supposed to have a storm spotting class soon here. I might look into it
 

philyumpshus

Member
Jun 20, 2010
1,281
Malone, NY
I took a class through our county emergency management office about severe weather reporting or something like that. Basically these guys came in and talked for 2 hours about calling this number when you see severe weather. I thought I might get something out of it but it was retarded.
 

Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,583
Shelbyville, TN
or if you cant see the clouds.
 

GaryErrol

Member
May 28, 2010
308
Indianapolis
The National Weather Service here in Indianapolis trains a lot of ham operators in storm spotting. I've heard the NWS office get on a ham radio,, assume they have licensed users, and talk directly to hams. Several years ago I actually listened to the ham spotters track a tornado going diagonally across the city.


Most of these guys, and gals, are reporting from their homes so I doubt that they are using, or need, flashing lights. I've taken the class but don't do it as I can not see anything from where I live and I feel I need to be home with my wife during a bad storm.
 
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Stendec

Member
May 21, 2010
816
I took the NWS class, and kept the booklet in my cruiser. They have my house and number in their database and I get called a couple times a year to tell them what's happening at my place. I also enjoy photographing different weather phenomenon, usually from my house. I'm borderline, but some people are hardcore weather/meteorology hobbyists, just like amateur astronomers or birdwatchers


I've got zero lighting on my POV, with the exception of an mag mount amber beacon left over from when I plowed snow that I use when marshaling or supporting bicycle tours.


I agree, if I'm not on duty or called out and there is bad weather in the area, I'm staying home to look after the family unit, not cruising around looking for a good camera angle.
 

FFParker

Member
Jul 17, 2010
1,095
Aiken, SC
The NWS here does the same, they talk directly to certian net controls when net is up, i only know of one guy with amber and it is, or was rather, a single strobe beacon, he is the only idiot of the local skywarn group, most call him chicken little, you know The sky is falling the sky is falling....
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
My response to storm spotters is "get an amber sentry beacon".
 

MPD 818

Member
May 25, 2010
1,317
Murfreesboro TN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-zP3zhx4mY&feature=related Quotes from his video description:

I am a Volly in NC, permitted to run red, but use amber because I travel north to blue light states (where red is illegal)
I am going to call BS on that. He is concerned about red being illegal, but yet he has amber LEDs that are clear when off. Plus I just do not buy the "I can run red, but decided to use amber because of the laws in another state" bit.

also use the vehicle for private security (where using lights for a non-emergency would be violation of my dept. policy) they move traffic just as well as red or blue when responding code 3
Yeah, if I see some dude in a volvo with that much amber attempting to pass me or get around me running emergency traffic, I will go out of my way to get in his way.


Oh and by the way what is the deal with the mysterious rotating dash light that is in his back window that is not on in the video?
 

RL1

Member
May 20, 2010
1,650
Ga
Prob a blue light so he can 'be legal in the northern states'...
 

dustymedic

Member
May 21, 2010
633
Columbus,OH
RL1 said:
Prob a blue light so he can 'be legal in the northern states'...

It is dark dome on it, you're probably right..
 

Fast LT1

Member
May 24, 2010
2,018
Sedgwick County, KS
They'll throw him out when they see that shit in his car!
 

SSgt Elmer

Member
May 21, 2010
177
NE WI, USA
My old post threw out a kid for an amber wolo light he put in his car and a bunch of scanners he mounted inside it as well. Of course, that was just the tip of the iceberg for him.
 

CrownVic97

Member
May 21, 2010
3,350
Hazen, ND

tomx20

Member
Aug 17, 2010
43
CrownVic97 said:
Presenting the top 3 CVPI "storm chaser" cars...:roll: (that I've found at least)


#2


Ha, that's the Voltex halogen lightbar / LED grille light combo I got for $130 when I first learned how to wire up LEDs a couple moths ago. I must say that the LEDs look better in white and on my Mustang haha.


Oh, and don't make fun... I sold the lightbar for $300 and kept the grille lights :D


Here they are in my Mustang:


ai52.tinypic.com_kaikpc.jpg
 

Rofocowboy84

Member
May 20, 2010
1,161
Centre County, PA
tomx20 said:
Ha, that's the Voltex halogen lightbar / LED grille light combo I got for $130 when I first learned how to wire up LEDs a couple moths ago. I must say that the LEDs look better in white and on my Mustang haha.


Oh, and don't make fun... I sold the lightbar for $300 and kept the grille lights :D

Still just a storm spotter?
 

tomx20

Member
Aug 17, 2010
43
Rofocowboy84 said:
Ooooh, so you were just saying that the lighting setup is similar. Ignore me, lol....
Yeahh. The lightbar and grille lights he had are a lightbar and grille light combo off of eBay from voltex lights. We bought the sane package, except he put the lightbar on his car and I sold it for $300 and just kept the grille lights.
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
Ltrescue76_809 said:
Holy Crap!!....Was browsing Utoob and ran across this monstrosity.


he's a member here. can't remember his UN though. he doesn't post a lot.
 

RL1

Member
May 20, 2010
1,650
Ga
I was ok with it until the skidding (aka reckless driving)
 

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