Soundoff bluePRINT

TACKLEBERRY

Member
Sep 20, 2010
231
Norton, MA
Heading to see a demonstration on this in July. Getting a free pair of Sound Off NForce to boot.
Where's the demonstration?  I'm currently trying to buy one right now through a GSA vendor for my 2016 PI Utility to evaluate before getting them for all the other inbound vehicles.  It would be even better if I could see it in use before buying it.
 

cswroe

Member
Apr 25, 2012
81
Northwest Indiana
It's a pretty sweet system. Will be doing two PI Utility with it in the next month or two. Have been hands on with it all ready and am very impressed. Look forward to not having to run wires for lights and sirens through the firewall, plus the ability to sync other manufacturers lights with the lightbar...badass.


The price point is awesome!


Feel free to ask away if you have a question. Can forward info tomorrow when I'm in the office.
 
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cswroe

Member
Apr 25, 2012
81
Northwest Indiana
I am coming from Federal, so I can not speak much about the CanTrol setup.  Can you wire in aux equipment, ie. laptop, flash light, etc, that would require power for a particular amount of time after vehicle shutdown in the CanTrol?  bluePRINT also has low voltage shutdown of outputs as well.

It is a Controller/Node setup, so you can have remote nodes (up to 5) throughout the vehicle that are connected through the control (ethernet) cable. Each node will have separate input/outputs that communicate with the controller. Basically, you have a single ethernet to under the hood and or trunk, and break-out your siren amps, lights, and inputs and it is all controlled from the controller inside the vehicle. The nodes do require their own power to them, you can see a node with power at 4:32
 
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TACKLEBERRY

Member
Sep 20, 2010
231
Norton, MA
I wish Whelen would just do a software/driver update to the Sapphire software so the WeCan expansion modules used for the CanTrol (sort of like the SOS Remote Nodes) would work with the Sapphire.  I already have so many Sapphire out in use with WeCan Liberty's.  It would be a cheap and quick retrofit to get complete vehicle warning light sync and multiple patterns. 

But that being said; I foresee all our vehicles here on out getting the SOS bluePRINT.
 
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Carlos SpicyWeiner

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 3, 2012
5,233
Lakeland, Florida
I've seen it first hand and have for a while. Honestly it's a direct competitor for Cantrol. If you are going to get SUPER in depth in your vehicle's setup, I would go with this system.  It's considerably more cost effective than the cantrol setup. 

That said, be prepared for the amount of work this setup will entail. It is very complex and can be even more complex with your intended lighting setup. I see this and Cantrol being at the top end of the market ast far as vehicle control systems. Know what you are getting into. If you are not looking to synch every aspect of a vehicle (and be prepared for the work involved), I wouldn't spend additional funds on it. 

That's probably where the Feniex 4200 comes into play.  The 4200 has the versatility to do everything with exception of the synch.  You just have to know how to program and control the 4200 to do it.  I get countless emails from people asking for help with the 4200 (not that I mind).  Once they get the basics down in a few minutes they get creative.  I've been able to create total vehicle synch setups using a 4200 and all Feniex products before. It's pretty time consuming but it was a fun project. 

What this will come down to is what exactly the installer feels comfortable doing and the customer having a firm grasp on what they TRULY want and need. 

As far as all of us that lighting addicts?  It's a kick ass setup :D
 
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Jun 26, 2010
324
Massachusetts
My name says "firefighter" but I do both. I've done many details as a Police Officer and my main concern with syncing lights is anything to the rear. The whole front of the car lit up as a white takedown is awesome but I'd rather have more attention paid to automatic low power at night with a slower flash pattern to the rear. The Mass. State Police has done well with the new " steady


Flash" pattern and only the red to the rears flashing in sync at night.
 
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thekameleon

Member
Jul 19, 2013
95
Illinois
I've seen it first hand and have for a while. Honestly it's a direct competitor for Cantrol. If you are going to get SUPER in depth in your vehicle's setup, I would go with this system.  It's considerably more cost effective than the cantrol setup. 

That said, be prepared for the amount of work this setup will entail. It is very complex and can be even more complex with your intended lighting setup. I see this and Cantrol being at the top end of the market ast far as vehicle control systems. Know what you are getting into. If you are not looking to synch every aspect of a vehicle (and be prepared for the work involved), I wouldn't spend additional funds on it. 

That's probably where the Feniex 4200 comes into play.  The 4200 has the versatility to do everything with exception of the synch.  You just have to know how to program and control the 4200 to do it.  I get countless emails from people asking for help with the 4200 (not that I mind).  Once they get the basics down in a few minutes they get creative.  I've been able to create total vehicle synch setups using a 4200 and all Feniex products before. It's pretty time consuming but it was a fun project. 

What this will come down to is what exactly the installer feels comfortable doing and the customer having a firm grasp on what they TRULY want and need. 

As far as all of us that lighting addicts?  It's a kick ass setup :D
This is exactly what I do with my 4200.  I have inputs from my brakes and horn switch that change the light patterns.  For instance when I brake, I intensify the pattern to the rear of the vehicle.  If I tap my horn, the flash pattern changes.
 
This is exactly what I do with my 4200.  I have inputs from my brakes and horn switch that change the light patterns.  For instance when I brake, I intensify the pattern to the rear of the vehicle.  If I tap my horn, the flash pattern changes.
I had no idea you could do anything like that with the 4200. I may just have to take a serious look at the 4200 now
 
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John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
I'm so glad I found this thread.  I found it right as I was ordering more Cencom Sapphires.  I now have two of these inbound.  From what I've seen, this is a very complete and well thought out "system." 

FYI, you don't have to run Ethernet for communication.  You just need a single 16 gauge wire between the nodes and the central controller.
 
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thekameleon

Member
Jul 19, 2013
95
Illinois
Some folks have asked how I used my Feniex 4200.  It has a series of positive and negative inputs that can act as switches.  You use your computer to program what happens when one of these inputs receives a positive or ground signal... Much like a button press, but instead of your finger pushing a button on a  control head to change a light pattern. Its an action like braking or tapping the horn.  Now it has a few limitations, like you can't cycle actions so tapping a button can't cycle through flash patterns, but you can select a new flash pattern then have another button to reset it back... There are also timers, so I can have a pattern that actuates for 15 seconds when I approach an intersection, then goes back to a normal pattern.

Ideally, I'd like to see Feniex to allow for cycling functions on a button or input trigger.  As well as the ability to store settings when a button is pushed such as a flash pattern.  Then once the timer is finished have it return to the previous setting.
 

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
Spent some more time working up the "wiring plan" for the BluePrint vehicles.  It's amazing how much easier this will be and with far fewer points of failure.

A lot of new products claim to be revolutionary but these whole vehicle networks (Cantrol included) are legitimate game changers.
 
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unlisted

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
7,333
NA
I think I'll go this route for the next vehicle. I just hope by then end users will have more "control" on modifying features vs needing to take it to an upfitter to plug the laptop in.
 

TACKLEBERRY

Member
Sep 20, 2010
231
Norton, MA
Well, dropped off a new 2016 Ford PIU at the installers for bluePRINT on Friday.

It'll probably be the first and last bluePRINT we get. It can't do any of the flash patterns/modes/phases we currently get with CanTrol.

-All lightheads apparently have to all flash the same pattern.

-There is only alternating and simultaneous phases and once a lighthead is set to one of those phases it can't be changed in different modes.  i.e. with CanTrol we have the forward lights alternate "A and B" and in Park they all become simultaneous and all flash at the same time. With CanTrol the rear taillight HAWs flash in an "X" pattern and when put in park it switches to a "traffic backer" pattern, both reds then both whites.  Neither can be done with bluePrint

-There's no setting custom delays to the phases.  i.e. with the "dumb" Dominator and CanTrol we have it mocking the Liberty pattern, sort of random Comet Flash, in slide switch 3 while it goes into a full sync mode with the other lightheads in park.  

-The patterns are very limited and a lot of the ones they do have are useless.  Going through he SOS flash pattern webpage it seems to be a few different patterns from a few different products.

All the vehicle integration we have can be replicated with the bluePRINT. It's just the limitations on patterns, modes, and phases. This system will probably work for 99% of you, do everything you need, and a lot more. But we're trying replicate the proven system and patterns based on the MA SP, CT SP, and RI SP. And at the moment that can still only be done with CanTrol.
 
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Kevin K.

Member
May 23, 2010
321
Northampton County, PA, USA
Tackleberry,

Is there a video library of the patterns employed by MA and RI SP? I recall a thread discussing this with respect to the SteadyFlash pattern, but don't remember a comprehensive review of the patterns used.

Regarding the bluePRINT, can't the software be programmed to mimic the features you want? Surely, SoundOff can modify the programming to accomplish this.
 

TACKLEBERRY

Member
Sep 20, 2010
231
Norton, MA
Regarding the bluePRINT, can't the software be programmed to mimic the features you want? Surely, SoundOff can modify the programming to accomplish this.
What I was told, yes, if Soundoff releases similar/more patterns they'll be added to the bluePRINT software update and won't be that big of an update to the software. ...just have to bring the vehicles back to the installers for it.


Unfortunately changing the phases, alternating, and sync patterns with the different preset priorities and being able to flash different patterns at once; is a large costly software revamp.
 
Jun 26, 2010
324
Massachusetts
They are currently working to compete with Whelen for the Mass State Police contract so with that said, they will need to have many more flash patterns and options available in order to compete. One pattern is the "steady flash" and also the option to change patterns while in park and day or night.
 
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