Open Letter To Whelen

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Please use this thread to list and discuss complaints, compliments and suggestions for Whelen products. Any bashing or complaints without details will be removed. people from the manufacturers read this site and will most likely see this, so keep it professional.
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
Great products. But, please fix the moisture problem plaguing them. No other manufacture seems to have this widespread of this type problem.
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
grfd711 said:
Thanks for keeping warranty simple, as I just had to return a lighthead. It was returned in a timely manner.

Agreed. There's a simple date sticker on each item. Count out X years and if within the pre-determined period, return with a note of the problem and you're good. I haven't had a problem with a Whelen warranty return yet.
 

TNFF412N

Member
May 22, 2010
387
San Antonio, Texas
The moisture thing is the biggest problem i have. I have 4 LIN4s that i sent in less then a year ago with moisture in them. 2 were returned as no problem found the other 2 were replaced, i since have found moisture in 3 out of the 4 again.... i have got to take the headlights and a few other things to get to the lights and it is just dis-heartning that the issue cant be fixed. The only issue i have had is with the LIN4s i wish you would take them back and i would pay the difference for linZ6's. Plus is there ever really a good time to remove and reinstall equipment
 

EMS10EMT

Member
Aug 31, 2010
397
NJ
How about a linear visor flip light guys? Its not a huge market but I'm sure people would buy them. I know you have the pieces laying around to do it.


Thanks
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
Can you guys make a mini lightbar like the SHO-ME one that has led/strobes in it. But instead of 5MM LED's make them Linear or TIR i know i would buy one in a heart beat. But not to pricey SHO-ME put a price on those things that would make you think it had a sack of diamonds inside of it or something.
 

TNFF412N

Member
May 22, 2010
387
San Antonio, Texas
Station 3 said:
Can you guys make a mini lightbar like the SHO-ME one that has led/strobes in it. But instead of 5MM LED's make them Linear or TIR i know i would buy one in a heart beat. But not to pricey SHO-ME put a price on those things that would make you think it had a sack of diamonds inside of it or something.

They did make one, the patriot lightbar had corner strobes and inner leds if i recall correctly...
 

SireLite

Member
May 21, 2010
1,480
Merseyland, England, GB
May 16, 2010
2,340
Torrington, WY
I just wanted to say that I like their products a lot. I too love how they honor their warranty issues. I once had a TIR3 that went bad and I sent it back and got a brand new LIN3 in return. I have only had a few problems with the moisture in the lightheads.
 

WireKing

Member
Dec 16, 2010
523
USA Southwest
Whelen needs to wake up and start using multi colored diodes to compete with the new Fed Sig VISION SLR.


I feel the DUO liberty is too expensive. Cramming the bar with twice as many diodes just to make the bar have dual colors is I think a waste of resources and puts the bar out of reach to many PDs. Why not use newer technology diodes that have multiple colors in them, thereby saving optical space in the reflector that can be used for more linear coverage. Don't get me wrong, the Rebel diodes you use are seriously intense and very efficient, but you guys should be looking more to the future and get back to being the market leader, not follower.


Federal is using specialized processors and circuit designs to gain an edge of flash pattern creation and control. Whelen needs to get their act together and come out with something sensational, like a four color "Freedom Plus" in a diamond shape with extended optics that result in better intersection coverage for example.


From what I have read about the upcoming CanTrol system, I believe whelen has almost hit a home run. Having a control system that will not only activate outputs but will sync all the LEDs together (including the light bar) would be a step in the right direction. Furthermore, how about adding an optional wireless remote controller that will allow an officer to power down the siren or lights from outside the car. Maybe it could have a "distress" button that when pushed activates the siren and lights in a special tone and pattern to alert people that an officer is down.


How about integrating a small pod of Rebel's or other LEDs into the top of the bar that can be activated to signal air support as to the lead car in a chase or if the vehicle is stolen or the officer is in distress.


How about a four color surface mount light head in the form of a LINZ6 or a 500?
 

deputychief301

New Member
May 21, 2010
884
Snow Belt, Michigan
I was by local distributors that the lin4's were being replaced by the Linz6's for warranty relpacement


since they quit production on lin4's.When I called Whelen about where to send the Lin4's because of


Moisture I was advised that they should plenty lin4's for replacement and someone started a nasty


rumor about the linz6's becomeing the replacement for the lin4's.


Sure glad this was just a rumor as I personally think the linz6's are ugly and not any more effective


than the lin4's (SPLITS). Matter of fact I have inquuired a couple sets of Linz6's and was disappointed


and traded off both sets and most likely lost. But you like what you like and the lin4's will be on the


inside of the vehicle, not risking the lin4's to draw mositure,,,just my two cents


Jim Rogers


deputychief301
 

DaveCN5

Member
May 22, 2010
703
South East Michigan
WireKing said:
From what I have read about the upcoming CanTrol system, I believe whelen has almost hit a home run. Having a control system that will not only activate outputs but will sync all the LEDs together (including the light bar) would be a step in the right direction. Furthermore, how about adding an optional wireless remote controller that will allow an officer to power down the siren or lights from outside the car. Maybe it could have a "distress" button that when pushed activates the siren and lights in a special tone and pattern to alert people that an officer is down.


How about integrating a small pod of Rebel's or other LEDs into the top of the bar that can be activated to signal air support as to the lead car in a chase or if the vehicle is stolen or the officer is in distress.

I've seen a demo car with the CANtrol system and it DID have a wireless remote that was setup for controlling the lights and even changing flash patterns. Sounds like you were quick to jump down their throat on a product that hasn't even officially been released yet or know what it is capable of.
 

WireKing

Member
Dec 16, 2010
523
USA Southwest
Dave, I wasn't jumping down thier throat. I was saying the the remote should have a panic button or some other way to automatically alert others that the officer is in distress.


These are just suggestions. I don't believe I was being to harsh. This is an open letter to Whelen for suggestions to better their products.


No harm intended. :)


No harm mention
 

philyumpshus

Member
Jun 20, 2010
1,281
Malone, NY
I agree with the colored diodes, Axixtech has had them for a few years already and now FedSig is using them. If people got by with single color Liberties and other lightbars for this long, why would they pay such a higher price for the Duo?


One awesome thing about Whelen is their domestically-oriented business model. I LOVE that everything is made in-house, in-America.
 

cory y

Member
May 21, 2010
1,614
On the outer edge.. is there some way to clean up the housing and make it a bit more attractive?


the cheap plastic makes the bar stand out like a sore thumb.
 

nerdly_dood

Member
Jun 15, 2010
2,312
Georgia
philyumpshus said:
One awesome thing about Whelen is their domestically-oriented business model. I LOVE that everything is made in-house, in-America.

Their lights are also common in Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, and somewhat common in Britain.
 

philyumpshus

Member
Jun 20, 2010
1,281
Malone, NY
nerdly_dood said:
Their lights are also common in Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, and somewhat common in Britain.

I don't care where they sell them, I just like how everything is made domestically and employs American workers.
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
My Police Chief wants to know why there is water inside his brand new $1799.00 Whelen Liberty.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Station 3 said:
My Police Chief wants to know why there is water inside his brand new $1799.00 Whelen Liberty.
Sounds like a good question for whelen tech support.
 

Zapp Brannigan

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 23, 2010
3,580
.
Offer some form of "replacement/upgrade" for those who have the FUGLY "Teal" Blue LED's.


I just purchased a NIB Avenger from a reputable dealer on here, with a Manufactured Date of 8/10. When I lit it up, I was happy how bright it was, but then highly disappointed by how light the Blue was. I put it up against one of my 500 Series LIN6, and noticed how PATHETICALLY lighter blue it really was.


Overall I am disappointed with this product, and I am a big Whelen fan. I am too embarrassed to put this light into my vehicle when all the other LEDs I plan to install are MUCH deeper blue.
 

MEVS06

New Member
May 23, 2010
3,485
San Antonio, TX
Why did I have to remove and send in a pair of TIR6 and just have the new ones retain more water my friends pregnant wife in less than two weeks...
 

RL1

Member
May 20, 2010
1,649
Ga
I find it funny that all of my 'new' whelen stuff gets water in them (LIN4's and led PAR 36's) on my push bumper, but the old a-- patriot bar on top is perfectly fine. Not really bitching, just find it odd.


On a positive note, I love the new 295 sirens. I had mine in my POV and then moved it to my patrol car about 8 months ago. I love the scan lock tones and that is why I replaced my PA300 with my person box. The one thing I would change, though, is I would like to be able to put phaser as a tone for MAN1 or 2.
 

Retired1

Member
Jun 1, 2010
1,912
Woodward County, OK
Station 3 said:
My Police Chief wants to know why there is water inside his brand new $1799.00 Whelen Liberty.

I get water in mine from washing the vehicle. The end caps have small holes (drains?) in the bottom and when I wash my truck, invariably, some water makes it into the lightbar and shows up unexpectedly during a temperature change.


Every so often, when the humidity is very low, I remove the lenses and allow it to sit. Now what I can't explain is the water in my sealed Raider LIN6s.....
 

Fast LT1

Member
May 24, 2010
2,018
Sedgwick County, KS
victor185 said:
Would love to see a linear Slimlighter. The knockoff's look pretty cool, but I know Whelen could do a much better job of it!

I prefer the TIR6 version of them, since i use mine for highway they really have a nice punch to them, though a linear one would be sweet!
 

Doug

Member
May 23, 2010
1,151
Maryland
How about...


- A hybrid light - part linear, part TIR?


- Incorporating TIR style takedowns into the Slimlighter (and possibly the Avenger) platform?
 

charlie82

Member
May 21, 2010
353
PA / USA
I would like to see some sort of mounting kit that is designed to use the existing hardware on the "oh shit" grab bars in the rear passenger compartment of cars (where you hang dry cleaning up), that way I can easily mount a TIR3/6 for side warning. Even if the bracket was made for Tahoes, Impalas, CVPIs, etc... it would be nice to see a car specific mount.


Also, I would like to see a Slimlighter that has four heads and not just two.
 

Zapp Brannigan

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 23, 2010
3,580
.
charlie82 said:
I would like to see some sort of mounting kit that is designed to use the existing hardware on the "oh shit" grab bars in the rear passenger compartment of cars (where you hang dry cleaning up), that way I can easily mount a TIR3/6 for side warning. Even if the bracket was made for Tahoes, Impalas, CVPIs, etc... it would be nice to see a car specific mount.

Also, I would like to see a Slimlighter that has four heads and not just two.

Not some bad ideas at all. Vehicle specific items are beneficial especially for popular fleet vehicles, I just get disappointed when I cannot find similar items for my vehicle (such as how Tahoe Mirror Beams are CLOSE to, but not close enough to a Trailblazer). Some items with "Universal Mounts" still require modification(s) to make them work, or require custom fabrications. Understandable there is no-such thing as a "one size fits all" with the variety of vehicles out there.


As for the Quad Head Slimlighter idea, not bad at all. I tried to find an image to post showing how blinding it would be, but couldn't find one funny/appropriate enough. Even a Triple Head one wouldn't be too terrible, similar to the Linear Triple 500 Series Inner Edge.

cory y said:
syncable Slimlighters

YYYEEEESSSSS!!!!! I could not find an image worthy of how much I love this idea. I feel stupid for not posting it myself, as I got thinking about that exact thing yesterday planning my install.
 

DaveCN5

Member
May 22, 2010
703
South East Michigan
A "Build A Bar" program for the Dominator series. Allow customers to choose between warning, STT, work light, and blank modules. Also can choose between LIN3, TIR3, and LINZ6 heads for each "slot".


I would love to see an 8 head bar set up as:


| LIN3 | TIR3 | LINZ6 | LINZ6 | LINZ6 | LINZ6 | TIR3 | LIN3 |


| STT | Work | A | A | A | A | Work | STT |
 

C2Installs

Member
May 24, 2010
477
Tennessee
Who designed the HHS2100/2200 control head? Could the method for putting the legend stickers be any more of a pain in the rear? Really? No matter how much time I take, they ALWAYS end up looking like crap. It is impossible to have them all oriented properly. The words are never centered properly in the cuts-outs, the adhesive gets all over the stickers, and it takes about 10 minutes longer to do than it should...and still looks like crap. And I thought I left my plastic modeling days behind years ago...but nooooooooo...I have to cut the legend plates off the mold sprues with a razor knife on top of everything else. And really-...no spare legend plates? Breaking one of the little hook arms off the back of them is not too hard to do, not to mention the possibility of dropping one of the tiny CLEAR plastic pieces on the shop floor.


Fix this and it will be a great product.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

wooter

New Member
May 25, 2010
9
Belgium
LINZ6 Duo. I just need LINZ6 Duo's :) . Models with two red wires; each for each color. Blue and amber for me please, and if you power both red wires I'd like the colors to alternate.
 

factorone33

Member
Jun 13, 2010
492
Merriam, KS
WireKing said:
Whelen needs to wake up and start using multi colored diodes to compete with the new Fed Sig VISION SLR.

I feel the DUO liberty is too expensive. Cramming the bar with twice as many diodes just to make the bar have dual colors is I think a waste of resources and puts the bar out of reach to many PDs. Why not use newer technology diodes that have multiple colors in them, thereby saving optical space in the reflector that can be used for more linear coverage. Don't get me wrong, the Rebel diodes you use are seriously intense and very efficient, but you guys should be looking more to the future and get back to being the market leader, not follower.

The problem with multi-colored diodes is that in the end, you have to sacrifice power for size, and it's very difficult to squeeze one full watt out of a diode with four separate circuits without causing burn-out issues. Federal is making up for this by simply putting more diodes in each lighthead to bring up the light output. I agree the Duo bars are ridiculous in cost, but they do have some advantages that you wouldn't get with other designs.

WireKing said:
Federal is using specialized processors and circuit designs to gain an edge of flash pattern creation and control. Whelen needs to get their act together and come out with something sensational, like a four color "Freedom Plus" in a diamond shape with extended optics that result in better intersection coverage for example.

I've seen this particular design, and I think FS has created a new failure point for their hardware. LEDs are bright enough as it stands, but placing them on moving parts is just adding a point for mechanical failure (at least I think so anyway). I'm not an engineer, but I'd figure that the design with the least amount of moving parts would produce the lowest failure rate.

WireKing said:
From what I have read about the upcoming CanTrol system, I believe whelen has almost hit a home run. Having a control system that will not only activate outputs but will sync all the LEDs together (including the light bar) would be a step in the right direction. Furthermore, how about adding an optional wireless remote controller that will allow an officer to power down the siren or lights from outside the car. Maybe it could have a "distress" button that when pushed activates the siren and lights in a special tone and pattern to alert people that an officer is down.

CanTrol is bad-ass, to put it simply. Three of our demo vehicles have CanTrol boxes in them, and the ability to change flash patterns with each siren tone is awesome. I'm designing some programs on the software to mess around with this, and if I get some done and loaded on our vehicles, I'll try to post videos of them for you guys to see. The system isn't perfect yet, and it's apparently been in development for a couple of years, but I feel that the concept will eventually take off once everything starts smoothing out.


One thing I'd like to see Whelen do is come out with their own versions of TIR4, straight TIR6, and even TIR8 optical heads (though one could argue that the Dominators are for that purpose). Also, a line of LIN8 or LIN9 heads for the Liberty series would be awesome (ones that aren't ballasted at least).
 

follansbee428

New Member
Mar 11, 2011
5
North Canton, Ohio
howabout a dual avenger with the duo technology like on the liberty. Switch 1 is for your red, or blue, or green, and the 2nd color amber or whatever you want. somehow incorporate that into a hard-wire version for rear deck applications, or dash applications.
 

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