Older lights on newer vehicles

EL1998P71

EL1998P71

Senior Member
Member
May 23, 2010
704
52
Sterling Heights Mich
I thought this topic was done already, but couldn't find it searching here.


Our Local ambulance co. has a bunch of apparatus division / service trucks with older lightbars on them


Their trucks are not all there at one time, so here's the first one I got pic's of.


(sorry for backside view only)


Looks to be a twinsonic with whelen rotators in it

10X3.JPG

10X3A.JPG
 
I see that alot with public works trucks. Usually the bars that are retired from the police that can have the lenses replaced with amber usually handed down. The most popular are the MX7000's with the arrow they seem to end up on alot of pick up trucks. One local place did the amber changeover with their advantedges. They still had the piercer hooked up til they kept tripping the older opticoms. Occasionally we get calls for twinsonic and areodynic parts.
 
Also looks like it's mounted backwards.
 
Call me conservative, but I prefer light bars and beacons with rotating sealed beams or stationary bulbs with rotating parabolic reflectors.


I don't care much for strobes or LEDs.
 
Looks like a PSE Force 4 SD to me and it's either mounted backwards or the speaker cover was installed backwards. The rear facing speaker cover is actually pretty common on vehicles such as this and recovery and tow trucks. Back in the day, many tow trucks around here were mounted in this fashion, some folks even went so far as to mount a pair of PAR-36 flashers inside the speaker section.


I like seeing older beacons and bars still in service and placed on newer equipment. I know LED's and strobes have a far lower amp draw, but rotating halogen bulb reflectors and sealed beams give warning lights a whole different look and are still highly effective.
 
stansdds said:
Looks like a PSE Force 4 SD to me and it's either mounted backwards or the speaker cover was installed backwards.
Click to expand...

I may have to disagree with you, Stansdds. The rotators are like the ones out of a Whelen Guardian mini-bar. Force 4 SD/XL rotators have a filter bracket on them and rarely have the chopped tops on the reflector. Plus, the mounting feet assemblies scream Fed Sig. I think they just butchered two Guardian mini-bars to update an old TwinSonic.


Here's a Whelen vs Code 3 rotator for comparison:


[Broken External Image]:http://www.truckerslighthouse.com/images/pro/Products/large/G2MA.jpg[Broken External Image]:http://code3pse.com/images/item/emxl5img-lg.jpg


Maybe EL1998P71 can pull some strings to get that bar into his collection :lol: !
 
CrownVic97 said:
I may have to disagree with you, Stansdds. The rotators are like the ones out of a Whelen Guardian mini-bar. Force 4 SD/XL rotators have a filter bracket on them and rarely have the chopped tops on the reflector. Plus, the mounting feet assemblies scream Fed Sig. I think they just butchered two Guardian mini-bars to update an old TwinSonic.


Here's a Whelen vs Code 3 rotator for comparison:


Maybe EL1998P71 can pull some strings to get that bar into his collection :lol: !
Click to expand...
Could be, lightbars get rebuilt with other manufacturer's parts all the time. It is a good way to rehabilitate a bar that is not working properly and some of those rebuilds turn out really nice.
 
Chief Himsel would roll over in his grave to hear you say that. They have Super Beacon Ray model 174s, the wig wag light.


John Dorgan

Tristar said:
Look at Mt. Horeb, WI FD - their trucks have Federal 175 (I think) lights.
Click to expand...
 
I'll be...I didn't realize that's what the 174 is. Is that any more visible than a 175?
 
Accordind to Federal's old literature, the 174 rotates 95 degrees, then returns the same 95 degrees giving a very effective off beat flash.


Dan
 
The 174 has a unique flash pattern, quite unusual.
 
Now that I look at it a little closer...there aren't any mirrors in that bar. I "thought" C3 put mirrors in all the SD's unless you did a build your own bar?


Ugh...this is going to bother me until I drive past that place tomorrow & look for myself! :lol: Damn it Eric, I blame you! :lol: :D
 
Yeah, the inquiring minds want to know. Is it a PSE unit or a Fed Sig bar and what's inside?
 
Connecticut State Police seems to be re-using their strobe lightbars instead of replacing them with LEDs as they update the cars. I've seen pleanty of new cars with the Whelen strobe bars....good way to save money if that's what they are doing.
 
I stopped in this saturday, but was without a camera.


The lightbar on the orange pickup is a twinsonic.


They have a stake truck with a code 3 XL on it with sealed beams parked


next to it. In back there is another box ambulance with a sealed beam XL on it.


and a weird van with a Whelen 8000 in red/red on it.


Also there is a bus that has an Aerotwin on it.


Hopefully soon I can get back and get pic's
 
EL1998P71 said:
I thought this topic was done already, but couldn't find it searching here.

Our Local ambulance co. has a bunch of apparatus division / service trucks with older lightbars on them


Their trucks are not all there at one time, so here's the first one I got pic's of.


(sorry for backside view only)


Looks to be a twinsonic with whelen rotators in it
Click to expand...

They also have busses, motor homes, wheelchair vans, Semi's (last time I was there) w/ trailers, etc. all with lights and sirens. I am surprised that this truck doesn't have red instead of amber. The owner Brian Walker is a fan of older lights and sirens. "apparatus division" that's funny.


If you give them a call, I'm sure they would be more than happy to give you a tour. But don't even ask what he wants for his B & M Super Chief sirens....lol
 
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