Responder mini lightbars, collect them all

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
LEDs in halogen/incandescent reflector housings, whether headlights, taillights, or beacons for the most part suck, with very little exception. Might be ok for a display light on the shelf, but not as warning equipment.
That is true, plus you aren't really saving much power. The motors on these (especially as the mechanisms age) draw a decent amount of power. These are brushed rotators with the bulb on the rotating reflector. The brush system that powered them ended up bogging the motors down as they aged. I would agree, LEDs aren't worth the trouble here.
 
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BryanB

Member
Jul 2, 2010
97
Central NJ
LEDs in halogen/incandescent reflector housings, whether headlights, taillights, or beacons for the most part suck, with very little exception. Might be ok for a display light on the shelf, but not as warning equipment.
I should have clarified, it was for display use not actual service.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
I should have clarified, it was for display use not actual service.
There are none available that I know of, the bulbs have pins that are bent to secure the bulb after passing through the reflector. The reflector type makes them ill-suited for LEDs due to the reflector rotating with the bulb on it. The reflector is balanced for the specific bulb to spin on it. You won't save a huge amount of current anyway.
 
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BryanB

Member
Jul 2, 2010
97
Central NJ
There are none available that I know of, the bulbs have pins that are bent to secure the bulb after passing through the reflector. The reflector type makes them ill-suited for LEDs due to the reflector rotating with the bulb on it. The reflector is balanced for the specific bulb to spin on it. You won't save a huge amount of current anyway.
It was just a thought. Thanks for the information however.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
It was just a thought. Thanks for the information however.
The bulbs are actually pretty frustrating even to install the right type, so an LED might not be a terrible display idea if it somehow made the bulbs less likely to shatter when you bend the pins... Although I'd settle for any bulb that was more durable for these
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Here are some references

Dome vs. Rotator type
respgen.png

General pics by generation
resptype.png
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Here is an interesting situation.... Now that I have a working power supply do I restore the respond a strobe I retrofitted with incandescent flashers to its factory state or keep my "factory parts" homebrew?

 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Since you have a factory correct one, keep the homebrew.
I like it!
It is all Whelen factory parts, and like you said I have a correct one. I think i will keep it. That means I have an extra "standalone beacon turned par" power supply now too.
 

Tristar

Member
May 24, 2010
899
MA
My knee-jerk reaction (before I watched the video) was to restore it to factory specs. Then I watched the video, and all I can say is shame on Whelen for not offering your version! I think it's great!
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
My knee-jerk reaction (before I watched the video) was to restore it to factory specs. Then I watched the video, and all I can say is shame on Whelen for not offering your version! I think it's great!
I felt the same way until I really looked at the bars and their light output. They are different, but they both serve a purpose. Now I want an amber cutout so i can make a steady red front and flashing amber rear and go CA style. Federal signal offered a version of the highlighter that was essentially what I built and I love it.

hiflash.PNGhighliter.PNG

highfschm.png

From https://elightbars.org/forums/threads/just-in-my-new-cali-spec-federal-signal-highlighter.8539/

ai734.photobucket.com_albums_ww341_eric6913_CAL_H.jpgai734.photobucket.com_albums_ww341_eric6913_CAL_H1.jpg
 

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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Duh…I completely missed your post about the highlighter bar….
Do like FedSig did for the CTS…cut a hole in the back and screw a piece from a donor amber dome inside.
They make colored cutout domes, usually clear (under which I could put and amber bulb), or I could try to find an actual amber cutout dome (they did make any color).
 

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