Strange code 3 XL
- Thread starter nlaser11
- Start date
Nolines
Active Member
Looks like the amber driver side rear is a stinger (oscilates) and the "takedowns" appear to be positioned behind the color of the dome, not the clear area. Calspec perhaps?
That is a weird layout for sure. The inner rotors almost look like select alert or maybe smart rotors. The PAR36 bulbs could be flashers or steady burn, and the rear amber stinger is super weird. Maybe they were emulating a twinsonic cts?
wfdstation42
Member
The center rotators do look like smart rotators or select alerts which when rotating would provide a front facing clear flash and when parked would operate as takedowns. The same thing could have been accomplished by making the front facing sealed beam operate as alternators or steady burn. The red half lens behind the driver side center rotator was probably to keep it from showing amber to the rear since it was so close to the amber cut out. The rear facing stinger certainly is a strange option. It all looks to me like someone spent a lot of extra cash for the "modern technology" of the time to accomplish the same thing a relay and cheap can flasher did for years.
Stampeed Valkyrie
Senior Member
interesting.. stingrays in the center, and a rear facing amber stinger.
Stingrays could rotator 360, sweep front, or sweep rear.
Either way interesting bar.. clean it up it deserves to be restored.
Stingrays could rotator 360, sweep front, or sweep rear.
Either way interesting bar.. clean it up it deserves to be restored.
The inner rotators are select alert. They oscillate to the rear, they rotate 360, and they oscillate to the front real fast. They to not provide takedown, or at least i cant get them to. The rear facing amber stinger is on a wire all by itself. The par 36s are flashers only and also do not provide takedown.
dmathieu
Premium Member
Nolines
Active Member
To me it looks like 3 set lights and the Amber moves, and I see it now those 3 are just flashers.
denko3
Member
ok guys here is a thing......
if i see right it is CA special for me,so why?
it has options:
-outer basic rotators
-ofcours alleys...
-CA red and blue steady burn par36 on driver and pass. inner side
-center (on both sides) multifunction rotators ''stingrays'' they were used for front clear center oscilate to clear traffic or in this time flashing takedowns,rotate for 360'' and rear oscilate for front cut off signal when vehicle is stoping the traffic.......and have all front light off and are working just rear side...
-and on the end the rear amber stinger instead of basic rear flasher on driver side and on pass.basic rear flasher so effect is great pass.side rear flasher is flashing and on opisite side stinger gives you special rear meteor signal in amber so amber/blue california effect for rear view like CHP and sheriff
department is using still today.
MUST SAY VERY INTERESTING BAR YOU HAVE THERE! WHERE DID YOU FIND IT???? CAN YOU POST A VIDEO FROM ALL OPTIONS MAYBE VERY CURIOUS?
if i see right it is CA special for me,so why?
it has options:
-outer basic rotators
-ofcours alleys...
-CA red and blue steady burn par36 on driver and pass. inner side
-center (on both sides) multifunction rotators ''stingrays'' they were used for front clear center oscilate to clear traffic or in this time flashing takedowns,rotate for 360'' and rear oscilate for front cut off signal when vehicle is stoping the traffic.......and have all front light off and are working just rear side...
-and on the end the rear amber stinger instead of basic rear flasher on driver side and on pass.basic rear flasher so effect is great pass.side rear flasher is flashing and on opisite side stinger gives you special rear meteor signal in amber so amber/blue california effect for rear view like CHP and sheriff
department is using still today.
MUST SAY VERY INTERESTING BAR YOU HAVE THERE! WHERE DID YOU FIND IT????
CAN YOU POST A VIDEO FROM ALL OPTIONS MAYBE VERY CURIOUS?
ok guys here is a thing......
if i see right it is CA special for me,so why?
it has options:
-outer basic rotators
-ofcours alleys...
-CA red and blue steady burn par36 on driver and pass. inner side
-center (on both sides) multifunction rotators ''stingrays'' they were used for front clear center oscilate to clear traffic or in this time flashing takedowns,rotate for 360'' and rear oscilate for front cut off signal when vehicle is stoping the traffic.......and have all front light off and are working just rear side...
-and on the end the rear amber stinger instead of basic rear flasher on driver side and on pass.basic rear flasher so effect is great pass.side rear flasher is flashing and on opisite side stinger gives you special rear meteor signal in amber so amber/blue california effect for rear view like CHP and sheriff
department is using still today.
MUST SAY VERY INTERESTING BAR YOU HAVE THERE! WHERE DID YOU FIND IT????
I fount it in a scrap yard in the sticks. Im really not sure about Cal spec...it is not wired for steady front red. I will try to upload a video if i can.
Last edited:
denko3
Member
CrownVic97
Veteran Member
We have amber to the rear, but usually is two flashing amber lights with red and blue flashing or rotating lights alongside them. This XL design screams Cal-Spec to me. The red filter on the driver's side StingRay is to keep clear signal bleed out the rear clear cut-out to a minimum, I'm sure.
We must have a video of this unique XL bar after it's restored! Very cool score, Nlaser!
Looking at this bar it is a California bar. Probably by looking at this set up I'd say southern CA. The "stinger" usually worked in this fashion and of course customers wants depending on wire(s) choice. Either position 1 Amber would crisscross and the par 36 opposite side would flash. The Stingrays also could be to the rear which was a slow sweep side to side. Usually in CA pos 2 was just stead steady burn red and blue. Some agencies started to us more warning lights in pos 2 in the 90's to get the attention of the driver. In pos. 3 the stingrays would go the the forward position and sweep side to side quickly then when the car went into park mode they would just rotate 360. I would be able to tell you more but I cant make out the flasher module model, we had 360RS (Rear Sweep), 360RD (Rear only or Front & Rear) most popular 360RDK (rear sweep, front & rear 360, and front steady burn, for takedown lights)
I'll check I may be able to find out the agency or agencies that ran these bars.
I'll check I may be able to find out the agency or agencies that ran these bars.
CrownVic97
Veteran Member
Just found an interesting video of another strange internals Code 3 XL in a Cal-Spec setup. Definitely safe to say Nlaser's is a Cal-Spec special order XL lightbar
Thought I remember seeing mostly steady burn front red on passenger side only if it were a light bar. At least in Southern California. Great finds none the less.
kitn1mcc
Veteran Member
I have that exact same drivers side dome here in my barn. I have no idea how I came to have it (I’ve never owned a Force 4 bar) and I always wondered about the configuration. Now I know. If anyone wants to try to replicate this bar I’d be happy to turn loose of the dome. It’s doing me no good here.
Usmc69187
Newbie
Well it's a couple years later, but here's a video. I've picked up 3 more of these lightbars so now i have 4 total. They are all in varying condition. None of them have steady red to the front, and don't appear to have been modified. That makes me think Cal-spec is a no-go. The select alert rotators will never act as take-downs, which i find very odd. The select alert options are rear flash, rotate, and front traffic clear.
These most likely came to my area as surplus years ago, but where from? Who would spec this out? Why a stinger to the rear??????
Let me know if the link doesn't work. I tried to upload here, but the video is too big i guess.
It is essentially an outboard standard rotator on each side, center position is a multifunction stingray, and the inner position is two front and one passenger rear sealed beam flasher, with the driver side having a stinger in place of the flasher. Nothing about this says CA to me. It is a decent enough setup and takes advantage of a time when you could get independent rotators, the stingray multifunction light, stinger TCL and sealed beam flashers. That was like a 5 year period. It is actually a cool setup, I would have swapped the stinger and the flasher on the driver side so the stinger faced front. Other than that and the colored bulb under a colored lens, it's not a bad bar.
Why an amber bulb in the stinger under an amber dome cutout? The rest all makes "pseudo-sense".
Why an amber bulb in the stinger under an amber dome cutout? The rest all makes "pseudo-sense".
kitn1mcc
Veteran Member
lotsofbars
Veteran Member
Those Stingrays (NOT Select Alert) look like they need their contacts cleaned so they work better. Super simple fix, you just unclip the two Y-shaped wires from either side of the rotator shaft gear, give them a good wipe down, and clip them back on. Always works for me. Stingrays are really cool to own, and their three functions make for some really interesting lightbar configurations. The rear-facing Stinger is bizarre, but I've seen weirder stuff (like a Stinger hooked up to a flasher, barf) so I'm guessing it suited the department's needs for whatever their function was.
Stingrays. I was not sure what exactly they were called. I have not tackled this bar yet, but i will definitely clean the contacts per your suggestions along with everything else. I need to get them all opened up and see which on to start with.
I'll have to clean the lens, but i do believe that the cutout is clear. I think it's just yellowed from age and dirt. I think that is why the stingray on that side has the red filter.
That would make a lot more sense. What would have made more sense is totally clear domes and colored filtesr and bulbs on everything. Cool bar, mostly because its is so odd.
I'm guessing that California did not use clear domes due to how quickly they can haze and yellow in the intense, southern California sun. Otherwise, yes, clear domes with colored filters or bulbs would have been simpler and eliminated the need for special order cut-out lenses.
".......i have 4 total. They are all in varying condition. None of them have steady red to the front, and don't appear to have been modified. That makes me think Cal-spec is a no-go."
While I'm in agreement that they were very few clear domes in California, I thought earlier in the post it had been stated there was no steady burn front red on this light. The front was a flasher. The idea that the agency wanted to avoid clear domes is probably a pretty good assumption. I know the clear domes on the LP 6000s that were used on the highway patrol cars in Nevada or Arizona for a while looked pretty bad pretty quick.
