The FHP Jetsonic and the JSS Box

Apr 17, 2014
173
New Jersey
Hello,

I recently have come to possess a few Florida Highway Patrol specific Jetsonic lightbars. They have clear domes, the center speaker, takedown and alley options, the weird front twist-lock type strobe bulb, and the 'smart' rotators. They all have the weird harness with the plug for the JSS box that FHP used. I am assuming these probably came off of Mustangs but I am not sure on that. Got them out of a garage where they have sat for years, most likely over a decade. 

My questions are:

1. My friend is very savvy with wiring, as he works on this stuff for a living. He wants to hack into at least one, cut out the guts that make it JSS specific and make it into a normal Jetsonic bar. Is that even possible at all?

2. If it is possible to do, is it worth it?

3. What are these bars worth, as they sit, untested?

4. Does anyone know of a way to get ahold of a JSS controller box? I have looked but they seem insanely rare.

IF they are not worth much I would consider letting my friend use at least one bar as a project. BUT, I have to believe collectors somewhere would be looking for these, and seeing as these are actual FHP bars, I would rather not destroy what I consider to be pieces of history.

Thanks for any and all help,

Rick
 

jdh

Member
May 21, 2010
1,555
Geneva, FL
The FHP bars that I have had did not have the strobes. They were the 1st generation/series of the jetsonics. The thing is I don't think they were data controlled.  So, with that said, you should be able to power the bar, then apply the + 12 volts to the wires to activate stuff.

I have no idea on what they are worth, but I cannot see any harm in trying to get one working.
 

AJ3814

Member
Mar 13, 2015
689
Central Louisiana
The smart rotators (even though more electronics) essentially kept the "whole bar lit". When the older ones had, say, takedowns, that was one "section" of the 4 on each side that wouldn't be utilized during rotation.... and if you had front flashers, that's another of the 4 "sections" that would be unlit during normal rotation. The smart rotators allow dual function allowing the "section" to be used during rotation, ceasing to rotate for the other function when called upon. 

If you have several of them, I'd definitely use one to experiment with.
 

TDC

Lifetime VIP Donor
Dec 4, 2012
174
Carswell AFB, TX
The JS1 with the internal relays and siren can be easily made into a "dumb" bar.

The JSS switch controls the internal relay box; it is just a switch extension. With a standard wire harness you simply bypass the relay connections.

I assume the siren would work in the same way. I have not tried that.

JSS boxes are impossible to find; I have one (wish I had more). I know you can dumb the bar because it is the only way I could get the ones I have to work without unplugging, etc. There might be a pin combination to get it going, too ... for another day.

These (Not FHP) all had the twist lock strobe in the driver side take down position. The strobe was activated singly by a switch, or came on by default in Primary. When the tubes started to go out the position was made a second take down.

I am told that the single strobe was cool in the rain with the headlights off ...

To this day, when I simulate turning on red lights, it is in a rotating motion like this switch system.
 

Forum Statistics

Threads
53,962
Messages
449,805
Members
19,102
Latest member
Hilux01

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.