Review of Whelen Ion V Series Lighthead

OTFD122

Member
May 24, 2010
193
SE Michigan
Title/Name of item - Ion V Series


Manufacturer - Whelen


Link to manufacturer - http://www.whelen.com


How/why you got it - Got the lights from cajunblitz with the intent of installing them on Wife's car


Purpose/Description - This is a new lighthead from Whelen that features 180 degrees of warning light output, a takedown/flood option, as well as a puddle light. I bench tested 1 lighthead and ran it with all options (warning, takedown, puddle) for about 30 minutes. Innovative little lighthead that I feel was a great adaptation of the previous Ion series.


Rating (1-10, 10 is best)


•Durability - 9 - If you have seen an Ion, you know their housing is tough as nails and rock solid. I gave it a 9 because with the greater surface area of lens, I think it may be prone to damage/scratching.


•Performance/Usefulness - Break it into 3 sections, since this is a 3 in 1 lighthead:


Warning - 10 - MUCH brighter than I expected, and a TRUE 180 degrees of BRIGHT warning power


Takedown/Flood - 7 - Great feature, I like it, but more of a supplement flood light rather than a primary. Slightly less effective than an LR-11 with not as much useful range.


Puddle Light - 8 - I personally don't see the point of having this feature, however it does provide a decent amount of downward supplemental lighting. If you have use for a puddle light, it is much brighter than the standard automotive under-mirror puddle lights.


•Innovation - 8 - Gave it an 8 because Sound Off pioneered the 180 degree lighthead, and because Whelen retrofitted it into an existing lighthead - not a whole new platform. I forsee this light being fantastic for certain applications such as Mirror Beams, pushbumper lights, or other uses needing an extremely wide light spread.


•Appearance - 8 - Compact, clean, but the bulbous nature of the lens is a little off-putting.


•Price - 7 - They run about $160 each, which seems steep, however you are getting a W light with 3 function... But for $160 you could get M series and have better warning. I guess the $160 isn't bad if you utilize ALL the features of this light.


Total 8


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0757_zps0cdd3359.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0756_zpsce4f1195.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0762_zpsc7441040.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0761_zps7d1b4e90.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0763_zps0a90942f.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0754_zpsa3db6767.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0755_zps7b6ebe23.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0753_zps810c0b67.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0749_zpsf25f52ad.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0748_zps6f07bd12.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0753_zps810c0b67.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_IMG_0760_zps9d727f1c.jpg


ai41.photobucket.com_albums_e268_OTFD122_Whelen_20Ion_20V_th_IMG_0747_zps40fb32c6.jpg
 

cajunblitz

Member
May 20, 2010
1,217
Saint Martin Parish LA
I'm stocking these with the intention of installing them in the crossbar of Westin pushbumpers (they have a two and four Ion mounting option). I like the puddle light feature for lighting the ground in front of the unit for "dropped contraband" from frisked suspects at the front of the vehicle.


These Ions are going to change my standard of front warning choices when utilizing a push bumper..especially on a vehicle with no overhead bar or wig-wag capabilities...
 

Pyron

Member
Jul 21, 2012
76
Waukesha, WI
Great write up!


I think these are going to be good for very specific uses. But damn, that's one ugly light!


Throw the Alley or Puddle lights on a flasher maybe?
 

acala91

Member
Oct 15, 2010
1,662
FL
Good review. These v-series Ions seem to be a pretty cool addition to the Whelen lineup. I'm thinking that these would be awesome in a Mirrorbeam housing.
 

foxtrot5

New Member
Sep 26, 2011
3,002
Charleston Area, SC, US
cajunblitz said:
I'm stocking these with the intention of installing them in the crossbar of Westin pushbumpers (they have a two and four Ion mounting option). I like the puddle light feature for lighting the ground in front of the unit for "dropped contraband" from frisked suspects at the front of the vehicle.
These Ions are going to change my standard of front warning choices when utilizing a push bumper..especially on a vehicle with no overhead bar or wig-wag capabilities...

That right there is an awesome idea that never even crossed my mind. Cajun, my friend, you're an innovator!
 

fleetcomm

Member
Sep 2, 2011
717
south of nowhere
Great review, I think you did a very fair job of pointing out good bad and the ugly. Nice light.
 

How2075

Member
May 23, 2011
61
USA/NY
cajunblitz said:
I'm stocking these with the intention of installing them in the crossbar of Westin pushbumpers (they have a two and four Ion mounting option). I like the puddle light feature for lighting the ground in front of the unit for "dropped contraband" from frisked suspects at the front of the vehicle.
These Ions are going to change my standard of front warning choices when utilizing a push bumper..especially on a vehicle with no overhead bar or wig-wag capabilities...
As soon as I saw this on Sirennet I had a great idea for this light. I have a Ram 1500 that is lacking in rear warning lighting, so I decided to place the light on the rear of my cab right next to the cargo/3rd light. I figure the puddle light can be used to light up my bed, the take downs to light up the scene and the of course the warning lights will give more lighting in the rear. Currently I only have a dash light but later this fall I'll do my install.
 

Forum Statistics

Threads
53,967
Messages
449,814
Members
19,104
Latest member
airflores

About Us

  • Since 1997, eLightbars has been the premier venue for all things emergency warning equipment. Discussions, classified listings, pictures, videos, chat, & more! Our staff members strive to keep the forums organized and clutter-free. All of our offerings are free-of-charge with all costs offset by banner advertising. Premium offerings are available to improve your experience.

User Menu

Secure Browsing & Transactions

eLightbars.org uses SSL to secure all traffic between our server and your browsing device. All browsing and transactions within are secured by an SSL Certificate with high-strength encryption.