bwoodruff
Member
Review of A.L.S. Emergency Lighting, Master Distributor for CPS LED products
Website: A.L.S. Emergency Vehicle Lighting - Home
Contact: Erik: View Profile: FireMedic129 - eLightbars.org
Products tested: RX2 dual dash light (high intensity)
I was very excited after reading about the offerings from A.L.S Emergency Lighting and CPS LED products. I spent nearly an hour on the phone with Erik discussing his and Keith's (CPS) businesses and their customer friendly approach, as well as the products themselves. Erik was very down to earth, and did not try to up-sell me to something I didn't need. We discussed the pros and cons of the products they are selling vs the big name brands, and I felt like I really understood what they are trying to accomplish. I appreciated his honest approach to things, and feel that as someone who works as a firefighter and medic he really understands his customer base, vs some other distributors, who may have never been on a scene.
To give you some background about myself:
I am a relatively new firefighter and ambulance driver (also EMT student). I volunteer with a rural fire department, and often times respond directly to the scene. Any lighting we have is paid for out of pocket, and so a $1,000+ lightbar is out of the question for most of us. In NY our vehicles are not considered emergency vehicles and as such we are not allowed to run any audible warning. I feel this makes adequate lighting, especially on the scene, that much more important.
I purchased the following products on December 26th from Erik:
Blaster 6 TIR3 LED Stick - B/A/A/A/A/B w/ 1 watt LEDs
RX2 dual dash light all blue w/ 1 watt LEDs
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I plan on paying the "at cost" price for these products)
One of the main points that has been made both by Erik and Keith is that if you want your lighting to compare to the "big boys" you'll need to upgrade to the 1 watt ("high intensity") version. They sell this upgrade at cost, and apparently it is well worth the upgrade. I did not have a chance to test the 0.5 watt ("standard intensity") products, but I did feel that the 1 watt packed a punch.
Billing:
The ALS website is not currently setup to accept online payments, and so Erik sent me an invoice using Google Checkout. Google Checkout is somewhat similar to PayPal, but is run by a company that I trust more, and so I had no problem paying this way. I have an Android phone, so I already had an account and payment method all setup.
On January 5th, Erik contacted me to let me know that he had decided against using Google Checkout and that his account was now closed. He said he would send me a link to get a refund, and then he would send me an invoice via PayPal. I was a little disheartened, as I really want Google Checkout to kill Google, but according to Erik they have some work to do before that'll be possible.
So, ultimately, I ended up paying via PayPal. Not a huge deal.
Shipping:
Erik was very up front about the fact that as a relatively new business they simply don't have the capability to stock large quantities of items, and as such it may take up to 3 weeks for shipping. If you need something quickly, you'll want to look elsewhere, or double check they have it in stock first. I got my order yesterday, January 27th.
I have not had a chance yet to test the Blaster 6, so below is my review of the RX2 dual dash light:
Performance:
These lights are really bright, day and night, and off axis is good too. Can't really say much more here other than watch the video.
Mounting:
I was not a fan of the mounting. The brackets for the suction cup mount is like nothing I've ever seen before, and that isn't really a good thing. They seem really flimsy and it was difficult to get them on straight and get things lined up.
Another gripe is that the cord on it is super thin, and so it is going to be more difficult to wire it to my switch box. If you plan on using the cig plug, this is a non-issue (and possibly actually an advantage).
Overall:
So far I'm very happy with the light. It is super bright.
Enough talk. Video:
Please pardon the "uhs" and "umms." My first review video, had no idea I was saying that so much. Will have to practice for next time.
Keep an eye out for the review of the Blaster 6.
Website: A.L.S. Emergency Vehicle Lighting - Home
Contact: Erik: View Profile: FireMedic129 - eLightbars.org
Products tested: RX2 dual dash light (high intensity)
I was very excited after reading about the offerings from A.L.S Emergency Lighting and CPS LED products. I spent nearly an hour on the phone with Erik discussing his and Keith's (CPS) businesses and their customer friendly approach, as well as the products themselves. Erik was very down to earth, and did not try to up-sell me to something I didn't need. We discussed the pros and cons of the products they are selling vs the big name brands, and I felt like I really understood what they are trying to accomplish. I appreciated his honest approach to things, and feel that as someone who works as a firefighter and medic he really understands his customer base, vs some other distributors, who may have never been on a scene.
To give you some background about myself:
I am a relatively new firefighter and ambulance driver (also EMT student). I volunteer with a rural fire department, and often times respond directly to the scene. Any lighting we have is paid for out of pocket, and so a $1,000+ lightbar is out of the question for most of us. In NY our vehicles are not considered emergency vehicles and as such we are not allowed to run any audible warning. I feel this makes adequate lighting, especially on the scene, that much more important.
I purchased the following products on December 26th from Erik:
Blaster 6 TIR3 LED Stick - B/A/A/A/A/B w/ 1 watt LEDs
RX2 dual dash light all blue w/ 1 watt LEDs
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I plan on paying the "at cost" price for these products)
One of the main points that has been made both by Erik and Keith is that if you want your lighting to compare to the "big boys" you'll need to upgrade to the 1 watt ("high intensity") version. They sell this upgrade at cost, and apparently it is well worth the upgrade. I did not have a chance to test the 0.5 watt ("standard intensity") products, but I did feel that the 1 watt packed a punch.
Billing:
The ALS website is not currently setup to accept online payments, and so Erik sent me an invoice using Google Checkout. Google Checkout is somewhat similar to PayPal, but is run by a company that I trust more, and so I had no problem paying this way. I have an Android phone, so I already had an account and payment method all setup.
On January 5th, Erik contacted me to let me know that he had decided against using Google Checkout and that his account was now closed. He said he would send me a link to get a refund, and then he would send me an invoice via PayPal. I was a little disheartened, as I really want Google Checkout to kill Google, but according to Erik they have some work to do before that'll be possible.
So, ultimately, I ended up paying via PayPal. Not a huge deal.
Shipping:
Erik was very up front about the fact that as a relatively new business they simply don't have the capability to stock large quantities of items, and as such it may take up to 3 weeks for shipping. If you need something quickly, you'll want to look elsewhere, or double check they have it in stock first. I got my order yesterday, January 27th.
I have not had a chance yet to test the Blaster 6, so below is my review of the RX2 dual dash light:
Performance:
These lights are really bright, day and night, and off axis is good too. Can't really say much more here other than watch the video.
Mounting:
I was not a fan of the mounting. The brackets for the suction cup mount is like nothing I've ever seen before, and that isn't really a good thing. They seem really flimsy and it was difficult to get them on straight and get things lined up.
Another gripe is that the cord on it is super thin, and so it is going to be more difficult to wire it to my switch box. If you plan on using the cig plug, this is a non-issue (and possibly actually an advantage).
Overall:
So far I'm very happy with the light. It is super bright.
Enough talk. Video:
Please pardon the "uhs" and "umms." My first review video, had no idea I was saying that so much. Will have to practice for next time.
Keep an eye out for the review of the Blaster 6.
