Slimlighter - bypassing the internal flasher

[RobK]

I read all these threads on slimlighter sync-ing:


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/total-internal-reflection-6-slimlighter-sync-nypd-highway-patrol-37430/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/syncing-slimlighters-37226/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/new-project-syncing-2-whelen-slimlighters-30012/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/syncing-total-internal-reflection-6-slimlighters-4368/


In one of the threads, someone mentioned using a ULF44. Has anyone done this? I'd like to bypass the internal flasher and hook the LED boards to a ULF44. I guess before I'll do this I'll put a meter on them and see what the voltage is.


I don't have the light in front of me but how easy are they to crack open? Is it screws or does it take some careful prying?


Thanks in advance.


-Rob

 

[dcfrmp255]

I read all these threads on slimlighter sync-ing:

http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/total-internal-reflection-6-slimlighter-sync-nypd-highway-patrol-37430/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/syncing-slimlighters-37226/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/new-project-syncing-2-whelen-slimlighters-30012/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/syncing-total-internal-reflection-6-slimlighters-4368/


In one of the threads, someone mentioned using a ULF44. Has anyone done this? I'd like to bypass the internal flasher and hook the LED boards to a ULF44. I guess before I'll do this I'll put a meter on them and see what the voltage is.


I don't have the light in front of me but how easy are they to crack open? Is it screws or does it take some careful prying?


Thanks in advance.


-Rob

Never synced one, but I have taken one apart and it's pretty easy. :thumbsup:

 

[RickLBZ]

After you take off whatever mounting bracket is on it, you gently pry up on a small tab that is on the end bracket. After you slide off the ends the rest just comes apart. I considered doing this but ended up selling the Slimlighters and going with some 500 series lights with a ULF44.


I would sell the Slimlighters and either go the route I did or with some Microman lights. A 32" bar has 24 LEDs, the same as two Slimlighters, I would say better output and can be had for $187.49, minus shipping with the ELB coupon.

 

[RobK]

After you take off whatever mounting bracket is on it, you gently pry up on a small tab that is on the end bracket. After you slide off the ends the rest just comes apart. I considered doing this but ended up selling the Slimlighters and going with some 500 series lights with a ULF44.

I would sell the Slimlighters and either go the route I did or with some Microman lights. A 32" bar has 24 LEDs, the same as two Slimlighters, I would say better output and can be had for $187.49, minus shipping with the ELB coupon.

The slimlighter is going to replace a 500 series. I'd stick with the 500s but they don't have a steady burn option.


I got a really good deal on the first slimlighter and I'm hoping to find a second one in the near future.

 

[RickLBZ]

I'm confused, Slimlighters don't have a steady burn option either.

 

[RobK]

I stared this thread after I purchased the slimlighter used off another message board. It just arrived from CA after a very long trip. Not sure what happened with the USPS but it arrived, finally.


I cracked it open and the output from the flasher is 9.5v. Think the LED boards can take the 12v output from a ULF44?

I'm confused, Slimlighters don't have a steady burn option either.

I did not know this. It does have California patterns so I was able to get "half" steady burn to measure the voltage.


-Rob

 

[SireLite]

I stared this thread after I purchased the slimlighter used off another message board. It just arrived from CA after a very long trip. Not sure what happened with the USPS but it arrived, finally.

I cracked it open and the output from the flasher is 9.5v. Think the LED boards can take the 12v output from a ULF44?


I did not know this. It does have California patterns so I was able to get "half" steady burn to measure the voltage.


-Rob

You would fry it with 12volts. I would add a resistor to drop the voltage to the lighthead.

 

[ERM]

You would fry it with 12volts. I would add a resistor to drop the voltage to the lighthead.

Not sure what version Slimlighter you have, but the power leads from each module connects directly to the switched 12 volt source from the cig plug. The ground wire from each lighhead connects to each solid state component (Mosfet) that controls when the lighthead is on or off. The current regulators are on the LED cards themselves, so with that said, putting the lightheads to 12 volts and pulsing the ground is how it's setup right now.


Tony

 

[shues]

You would fry it with 12volts. I would add a resistor to drop the voltage to the lighthead.

I just measured the voltage output from the flasher of an older MM Slimlighter I have here. Using a sealed lead acid battery charged to 12.8 volts, I get an potential difference of 11.4 volts between the flasher's red and black wires going to the steady-burn side. I don't think that applying 12 volts directly to the input side of the LED boards will be a problem.

 

[SireLite]

I think it all depends on what colour the lighthead is. Years ago i remember someone wanted to change his red/blue slimlighter to a all one colour.(could be the other way) but the lighthead he swapped wouldn't work.


Robk stated above that he was getting 9.5v output from the flasher. So my reckoning is he would fry the module if he applied 12+volts to it.


It's a bit like sho-me/able and its LED by the inch. You have to run them through a flasher. You can't power them directly off 12volts.

 

[rwo978]

It's a bit like sho-me/able and its LED by the inch. You have to run them through a flasher. You can't power them directly off 12volts.

What????


They're powered by a 12 volt flasher..... 12 volts. :thumbsup:


They're INTENDED to be flashed off a 12 volt flasher, but you can test operation (making sure no leds are out) by applying 12 volts. They're NOT INTENDED to be run off straight 12 volts for steady burn, but you won't harm anything with straight 12 volts for short periods of time.

 

[RobK]

The 9.5v I measured was on a RED LED board. I put my meter on the + and - on the LED board to get this measurement.


It would seem odd that the different color LEDs would be different voltages. Whelen would need a bunch of different flashers and use the correct one depending on what they were building. Seems like it would be much easier for them to all use the same flasher. Also makes repairs easier.

 

[ERM]

The 9.5v I measured was on a RED LED board. I put my meter on the + and - on the LED board to get this measurement.

It would seem odd that the different color LEDs would be different voltages. Whelen would need a bunch of different flashers and use the correct one depending on what they were building. Seems like it would be much easier for them to all use the same flasher. Also makes repairs easier.

This is an incorrect testing procedure. If you are testing how many volts go to the board, you put the tester on the positive lead of the LED card and the other end of the tester to ground, not the card. The flasher in steady burn mode does not activate the output to full on. It pulse width modulates the mosfet instead. This means it makes the mosft flicker so fast, you can see it. However, the circuitry sees it and technically, the LED card is turning off as much as it is turning on. This is done to keep the LEDs from burning out. The end result, you can now control the amount of voltage going through the LEDs. Your test revealed 9.5 volts.


As for how each card and flasher is designed, all the flashers are made the same way. The LED cards are what have the limiting resistors or current regulators, depending on the LEDs in use. It is true that you can't swap LEDs of one color for LEDs of another color without changing the current regulator parameters. That's like swapping out red Gen 1 LEDs for blue Gen 1 LEDs. Won't work unless you also change the resistors.


To answer the original question, you can desolder, or cut the LED card's wires from the circuit board and connect them to another flasher. They run off of 12 volts. Let me know if you have any other questions.


Tony

 

[RobK]

Tony - thanks for the reply but I do have some questions...

This is an incorrect testing procedure. If you are testing how many volts go to the board, you put the tester on the positive lead of the LED card and the other end of the tester to ground, not the card. The flasher in steady burn mode does not activate the output to full on. It pulse width modulates the mosfet instead. This means it makes the mosft flicker so fast, you can see it. However, the circuitry sees it and technically, the LED card is turning off as much as it is turning on. This is done to keep the LEDs from burning out. The end result, you can now control the amount of voltage going through the LEDs. Your test revealed 9.5 volts.

Ok, I will try this and see what my results are.

As for how each card and flasher is designed, all the flashers are made the same way. The LED cards are what have the limiting resistors or current regulators, depending on the LEDs in use. It is true that you can't swap LEDs of one color for LEDs of another color without changing the current regulator parameters. That's like swapping out red Gen 1 LEDs for blue Gen 1 LEDs. Won't work unless you also change the resistors.

Not that I'm trying to do this but with your first 2 sentences, it would seem that the LED cards could be swapped. If the flasher puts out the same voltage and the cards adjust based on what color they are, it would seem they could be swapped without issue.

To answer the original question, you can desolder, or cut the LED card's wires from the circuit board and connect them to another flasher. They run off of 12 volts. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Tony

This is what I will probably do. I guess I just hesitate because I don't want to blow anything up.


On a side/unrelated noted....


I didn't have my meter when I was playing around with the different "cruise" options on the ULF44. Does each intensity just drop the voltage while doing steady burn?


Thanks again everyone.


-Rob

 

[ERM]

Picture it this way, when you change out a light bulb in your kitchen from a 40 watt to a 60 watt bulb, are you doing anything to the circuit? The answer is no, because the insides of the bulb have been set to produce a certain result for a given power source. The same goes with the LED cards. They are each designed to work on a given power source and produce a set voltage or current for the LEDs on that card. To change out a 4.5 volt LED for a 3.5 volt LED would now create an over-voltage of 1 volt. While one volt doesn't seem like much, to a circuit, it could mean the difference between life and death. Does this make sense?


As for your ULF-44 question, to answer it bluntly, that is the basic result. The technical result is that the "switch" is turning on and off so fast, that the LED does not have time to light fully and gets turned off right away. As fast as LEDs are, microchips are faster. This action is termed PWM and you can find a lot of boring information on it if you Google it. The flasher is adjusting the speed of the PWM which gives you your levels of intensity. Hope that helps. Let me know if there is anything else.


Tony

 

[shues]

To answer the original question, you can desolder, or cut the LED card's wires from the circuit board and connect them to another flasher. They run off of 12 volts. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Tony

In all of the MM Slimlighters I have owned, the LED card connects by way of a pin/hole matrix. To remove the LED card, just remove the four phillips screws and lift the card straight up and off of the pins.

 

[RobK]

Picture it this way, when you change out a light bulb in your kitchen from a 40 watt to a 60 watt bulb, are you doing anything to the circuit? The answer is no, because the insides of the bulb have been set to produce a certain result for a given power source. The same goes with the LED cards. They are each designed to work on a given power source and produce a set voltage or current for the LEDs on that card. To change out a 4.5 volt LED for a 3.5 volt LED would now create an over-voltage of 1 volt. While one volt doesn't seem like much, to a circuit, it could mean the difference between life and death. Does this make sense?

Yes, this makes perfect sense. I think I mis-read one of your previous replies about swapping the LED cards. Based on this, If I had a R/R and a B/B Slimlighter, I should be able to swap things around and make 2 R/Bs because the flasher puts out the same voltage and each LED card would draw the current that it needs (based circuitry built in to the card).

As for your ULF-44 question, to answer it bluntly, that is the basic result. The technical result is that the "switch" is turning on and off so fast, that the LED does not have time to light fully and gets turned off right away. As fast as LEDs are, microchips are faster. This action is termed PWM and you can find a lot of boring information on it if you Google it. The flasher is adjusting the speed of the PWM which gives you your levels of intensity. Hope that helps. Let me know if there is anything else. Tony

That makes even more sense. I have a bunch of Whelen lights along with a pair of LightningX Xtreme 09's on a ULF44. When I activate a "cruise" pattern, the Whelen's dim and look good. The XTreme09's "flicker" slightly and I'm guessing they don't like the super fast pulsing. They do work fine on a flashing pattern though (see videos in my install thread).


I'll crack the slimlighter open again tonight and re-measure the voltage. Hopefully I'll be able to try hooking the LED boards to the ULF44 this weekend.

 

[ERM]

In all of the MM Slimlighters I have owned, the LED card connects by way of a pin/hole matrix. To remove the LED card, just remove the four phillips screws and lift the card straight up and off of the pins.

Yes, but he has the Gen 3 version.

 

[ERM]

Yes, this makes perfect sense. I think I mis-read one of your previous replies about swapping the LED cards. Based on this, If I had a R/R and a B/B Slimlighter, I should be able to swap things around and make 2 R/Bs because the flasher puts out the same voltage and each LED card would draw the current that it needs (based circuitry built in to the card).

You are correct.

That makes even more sense. I have a bunch of Whelen lights along with a pair of LightningX Xtreme 09's on a ULF44. When I activate a "cruise" pattern, the Whelen's dim and look good. The XTreme09's "flicker" slightly and I'm guessing they don't like the super fast pulsing. They do work fine on a flashing pattern though (see videos in my install thread).

That's happening because you have a circuit that has a built in regulator that is designed to put out a certain voltage for the microchip with a give voltage in range. As you start dropping the input voltage, the output voltage to the microchip begins to change and it begins to have difficulty running its program to steady burn the lighthead.

 

[shues]

Yes, but he has the Gen 3 version.

Yes, and so do I.

• The MM series is the Generation 3 version with TIR6 LED lightheads.
  
• The LL series is the Generation 1 version with 5mm LED lightheads.
  

 

[ERM]

Yes, and so do I.

• The MM series is the Generation 3 version with TIR6 LED lightheads.
  
• The LL series is the Generation 1 version with 5mm LED lightheads.
  

Then mine must have been older because the cards are screwed to the bracket for heat sinking, but the cards were soldered to wires and then to the flasher.

 

[rescue52]

I read all these threads on slimlighter sync-ing:

http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/total-internal-reflection-6-slimlighter-sync-nypd-highway-patrol-37430/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/syncing-slimlighters-37226/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/new-project-syncing-2-whelen-slimlighters-30012/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/syncing-total-internal-reflection-6-slimlighters-4368/


In one of the threads, someone mentioned using a ULF44. Has anyone done this? I'd like to bypass the internal flasher and hook the LED boards to a ULF44. I guess before I'll do this I'll put a meter on them and see what the voltage is.


I don't have the light in front of me but how easy are they to crack open? Is it screws or does it take some careful prying?


Thanks in advance.


-Rob

I have synced Slimlighters several times.


The flasher has power/ground and 4 outputs


Each light positive and negative must hook up to the flasher so I’m not sure if a ULF44 will work.


When I synced them I made one the master and the other the slave.


A Slimlighter flasher can flash 4 lights without a problem.


Run 4 wires from master to slave and hook up in sync positive/negative, positive/negative.


It’s is very very easy.


Contacted me if you have any questions.

 

[shues]

The ULF44 uses positive side switching. The Slimlighter's internal flasher uses ground side switching.

 

[ERM]

I have synced Slimlighters several times.

The flasher has power/ground and 4 outputs


Each light positive and negative must hook up to the flasher so I’m not sure if a ULF44 will work.


When I synced them I made one the master and the other the slave.


A Slimlighter flasher can flash 4 lights without a problem.


Run 4 wires from master to slave and hook up in sync positive/negative, positive/negative.


It’s is very very easy.


Contacted me if you have any questions.

ULF-44 has more patterns.

 

[RobK]

ULF-44 has more patterns.

Ya, just a couple more.


I already have the ULF44 in place with lights connected. The goal would be to have a couple slimlighters synced to the same ULF44 so I don't get comments about my lights not being synced.

 

[RobK]

Cracked open the slimlighter again. Clipped the (-) end of my volt meter to my power source (12v UPS battery).


Measured around 9.5-9.6v on the (+) of the Red Panel that is on steady. Measured about the same on the Blue panel that was flashing.

 

[ERM]

Cracked open the slimlighter again. Clipped the (-) end of my volt meter to my power source (12v UPS battery).

Measured around 9.5-9.6v on the (+) of the Red Panel that is on steady. Measured about the same on the Blue panel that was flashing.

Using your setup, turn on the slimlighter and measure the voltage on the battery. See if this yields the same voltage readings.


Looking at the circuit board, a lower voltage reading is not possible. The power leads for the lightheads connect directly to the incoming power lead from the cig plug. The voltage has to be the same as the input lead. Let me know your findings.


Tony

 

[RobK]

Using your setup, turn on the slimlighter and measure the voltage on the battery. See if this yields the same voltage readings.

Looking at the circuit board, a lower voltage reading is not possible. The power leads for the lightheads connect directly to the incoming power lead from the cig plug. The voltage has to be the same as the input lead. Let me know your findings.


Tony

Wow, spot on again.


My test battery has around 10.5v with no load. I measured 9.5 doing the steps above.


I switched to another power source, put the + on the LED board and the - on my power supply and measured 12v.

 

[RobK]

This project is still in the works...


I have some voltage regulators that take 12v in and put 9v out. I bypassed the flasher and all seems good.


Next step is to hook to the ULF44 and see if I can achieve my goal.


I promise it won't take 4 months for another update.

 

[ERM]

This project is still in the works...

I have some voltage regulators that take 12v in and put 9v out. I bypassed the flasher and all seems good.


Next step is to hook to the ULF44 and see if I can achieve my goal.


I promise it won't take 4 months for another update.

Why are you dropping them to 9V?

 

[RobK]

Why are you dropping them to 9V?

Well, if i re-read this thread, i would have seen the note about the steady burn dropping the voltage and "pulsating".


The 9v I read was when it was on steady and I didn't even put together that the ULF will probably drop to a lower voltage when I activate the "cruise" mode on it.


I'm sure my test procedure was flawed but I tried to measure the voltage on a flashing head and it went anywhere from 7v to 12v. (I tried to find a slow pattern)


So, to recap....


You think it's OK to hook these boards direct to a ULF44? I'll be using both a "flashing" pattern and a "cruise" pattern.


-Rob

 

[ERM]

The only way to accurately measure voltage when it is pulsing that fast is with an oscilloscope. Your average voltmeter from Radio Shack or Lowes doesn't move that fast to accurately measure anything. As it begins to see voltage and the gauge rises, the flasher takes away power and you never see the full voltage.


You should be placing the positive lead of your voltmeter on the positive wire on the LED card and the ground lead on the battery ground, not the LED card ground wire.


As I said before, the lightheads are 12 volts. This I am 100% sure of. Double check my statement and call Whelen. They will tell you the same. They'll also tell you you'll void the warranty, but you don't care because you're doing the mod.


And yes, they will work on a ULF44. They'll also work on our programmable LED flasher. See our link below.


Tony

 

[RobK]

Flashers have been by-passed. Works great.


I only have one mounted because I don't have the brackets for the other. Hopefully I can make some up this week.


(and just so it is clear, this isn't mounted on my bumper. I used my trunk area as a work bench and back drop for the photos.)

 

[foxtrot5]

Awesome work. Can you post a few more close up photos of the wiring and maybe a short write up on exactly how you accomplished this?

 

[RobK]

I'm away on vacation right now so I can't get more photos but it was pretty easy to wire up.


After opening the light up, I cut all the wires off the flasher. I decided not to un-solder so if I ever want to put it back together, I can see where each wire goes. The flasher is held in by two small screws. I removed the screws, pulled the flasher out and put the screws back in the holes so they do not get lost.


Each LED board has a + and -. Like most whelen products, the - was black and the + was the color of the LEDs. I already had strobe cables going to where I was going to mount the slim lighters so I used a piece of strobe cable that had a connector on it to connect the LED boards. The ground was split and goes to both. I used the RED wire of the strobe cable for one LED board and the WHITE for the other.


Once the light was re-assembled, I mounted the slim lighter and plugged it in to my existing strobe cable. The other end of the cable was near my ULF44. I connected the BLACK to ground, the white to one channel on the ULF44 and the RED to another channel.


I'll try to grab more photos when I get home later this week.


I'm on the hunt for slimlighter mounting brackets. I have a wanted thread but I could use another set but do not need the suction cups.