Tahoe Setup Ideas

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
Working on an unmarked Tahoe that will be used primarily for traffic enforcement. The front and sides are taken care of but I'm trying to figure out the back. I want to minimize externally mounted light heads so I'm dodging options like the Whelen Outer Edge Pillar mounts.

My big concern is getting the light through the tint on the back of the vehicle if I run everything internally. In the past, I've used SOS product with 9 led's per head to get through the tint and am leaning that way. I've thought about Whelen Slimlighters but they don't have any all steady modes to cooperate with the Blueprint that will control everything.

I also want a traffic arrow and some space between the traffic arrow and the warning lights. Right now, I'm considering two three-module NForce heads mounted at the bottom of the window or 2 red and 2 blue (8 Led count) MPowers mounted in flash shields. (There's 16" of space in the two pockets along the bottom of the window)

Below is the effect I'm trying to create. The traffic arrow would be an 8 head NForce model with 9 LEDs per head. I'd run two MPowers on either side of the license plates for steady burn. I just can't figure out the bottom of the glass.

Thoughts?
 

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Sparky_911

Supporting Donor
May 15, 2013
2,648
Central Illinois
Good separation of the warning and TA, also good place for the TA. Higher the better.

As for warning and since it's the back of the ride, I'd do an LP bracket, tail hide aways, and maybe 2 TIR style heads in lower interior window or surface mount them in between tails and LP to give the illusion of full sticks.
 

shues

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
10,276
NW Indiana
I've thought about Whelen Slimlighters but they don't have any all steady modes to cooperate with the Blueprint that will control everything.

A pair of Whelen dual Raiders would get you the desired TIR6 optics in a with the steady burn capability you need.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
I also love the idea of splitting the warning & TA lighting up.

What about duo color M powers in the bottom of the rear window? I’d see if I could program blueprint to have the NForce lightstick (upper window) & mpowers (lower window) flash red/blue in warning mode and have both switch to amber when the TA is activated. FHP used to run synced dual TA’s in their rear windows (the upper TA & rear TA were both synced and automatically activated in Amber when the vehicle was placed in park; neither flashed while the vehicle was in drive). It was very effective and eye-catching from the rear, so I think it’d work for your traffic enforcement use (while the lower perimeter lights at the LP will still provide red/blue for LE identification when the TA is activated). However, if you wanted a little more LE ID & exterior lights with minimal exterior presence, 1 mpower on each end of the spoiler would be very inconspicuous (keep them set to only flash red & blue, so that there’s more upper red/blue while both of the Amber TAs are going).

Another thing I’d consider is has not having the lower window lights flash unless vehicle is in park (in other words just the upper headliner and LP lights while in vehicle is in motion or pursuit mode). The reason for that is that it’d be really blinding to any other EVs behind you (ie other LEOs if you’re in a pursuit or Fire/EMS if you’re responding to an MVA together), but the headliner and LP lights would be than enough to identify you as an unmarked LEO while driving. Just a thought.
 

unlisted

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
7,333
NA
Dual color cannons in the reverse housings. Replace the factory reverse bulb. Works amazing. (In addition to other suggestions)

Also when in park make sure you use slow steady patterns.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
I am very fond of Whelen's M series. How obvious would an M-4 on either side of the license plate be?

Love the M series too. I honestly don’t think most ppl (whackers excluded) would pay much attention or notice a pair of M4’s by the LP. I also think that black flanges (as opposed to the chrome ones) are no-brainers in this case b/c they’re more inconspicuous
 
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John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
So, the most likely implementation for the red/blues, is three red and three blue of the SOS NForce surface mounts. That lighthead is available in a 12 led count model which should be bright enough to fight the tint. I'm thinking I can make a housing with pretty good contour to it to diminish the flashback.

Any thoughts?
 

GLUpfitting

New Member
Feb 22, 2019
12
Michigan
Working on an unmarked Tahoe that will be used primarily for traffic enforcement. The front and sides are taken care of but I'm trying to figure out the back. I want to minimize externally mounted light heads so I'm dodging options like the Whelen Outer Edge Pillar mounts.

My big concern is getting the light through the tint on the back of the vehicle if I run everything internally. In the past, I've used SOS product with 9 led's per head to get through the tint and am leaning that way. I've thought about Whelen Slimlighters but they don't have any all steady modes to cooperate with the Blueprint that will control everything.

I also want a traffic arrow and some space between the traffic arrow and the warning lights. Right now, I'm considering two three-module NForce heads mounted at the bottom of the window or 2 red and 2 blue (8 Led count) MPowers mounted in flash shields. (There's 16" of space in the two pockets along the bottom of the window)

Below is the effect I'm trying to create. The traffic arrow would be an 8 head NForce model with 9 LEDs per head. I'd run two MPowers on either side of the license plates for steady burn. I just can't figure out the bottom of the glass.

Thoughts?
Hey John,
Are you using the SOS Tahoe Rear Interior LB for the upper? I think I would roll with 4" mpowers in a dual windshield shroud for the lower rear glass warning. Personally, I think the mpower punch through better than the nForce...and can't beat the ease of installation with that shroud :)

Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

Ken, EVT-C
 

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
Are you using the SOS Tahoe Rear Interior LB for the upper?
That's the plan right now.
I think I would roll with 4" mpowers in a dual windshield shroud for the lower rear glass warning. Personally, I think the mpower punch through better than the nForce...and can't beat the ease of installation with that shroud :)

I've got 16" of space to fill and like to make the "block" of light as large as possible. Are the shrouds shaped in such a way that I could trim the adjoining edges of a dual and an single and easily create what is effectively a triple shroud?
 
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GLUpfitting

New Member
Feb 22, 2019
12
Michigan
Oh that's a good one! I could definitely picture cutting down the edge of a single & dual, attaching them back together would be interesting. I like the idea though! Let me know if you come up with something, I'd love to see it!
217148
 

BigWil

Member
May 22, 2010
1,187
Ontario
Oh that's a good one! I could definitely picture cutting down the edge of a single & dual, attaching them back together would be interesting. I like the idea though! Let me know if you come up with something, I'd love to see it!
View attachment 217148
It would be an interesting experiment to cut the ends of both and join them with some custom shaped black Kydex to match the lines. I'd consider wrapping the Kydex right across behind all the lightheads as well, just to make it match up better.
 

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
I met with the likely installer yesterday and mocked up some options. It looks like it would be very easy to trim both ends and make a 3 head module. I'm not inclined to even worry about the seam - it would be tight.

Hopefully, I have an 8 LED Mpower and a 12 LED NForce on the way. My plan to to run them side by side and see what works best. FWIW, and I'm assuming its optics, the MPowers punch through tint surprisingly well.
 

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
I was able to get my hands on both the MPower and the NForce and run them behind tint.

The raw winner was the NForce that puched throught slightly better. However, the NForce had a very narrow "sweet spot" that punched through the tint slightly better. The problem I see is coming up with a mounting system that would precisely aim the NForce. Because there wasn't that much difference, I'm going with the MPowers in the shrouds, especially since the shroud design allows some aiming as a factory option.
 
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