Updating rear lights what to use?

Jasper425

New Member
Nov 9, 2019
4
WA
So I’ve given up on a certain FB group who never approves my posts. I’ve been lurking here a long time and finally decided to join.

I was just given a new F150 and I’d like to change my lights up a little. Originally I pretty much only stayed on private property during the day but now I’m doing more side of the road and night time ops. So I’d like to ditch the white I had to the rear for all amber to better conform to state law, which is routinely ignored by other operators in this regard, and because I’ve read many times that white to the rear is unsafe.

My current rear setup is/was a whelen dominator 8 TA behind the rear window(factory tint), two SNM white E6 minis on brackets attached to my bed cover, white HAW in reverse sync’d with the E6’s in an X pattern. Then I later added four red vertex HAW’s in the brake lights that were sync’d in an X with each other.

My new truck has all led tail/brake/reverse lights so I can’t use any of my HAW’s. So I’ve decided to use two amber ion’s on a license plate bracket to make up for the loss. I’m trying to decided if I want to try the Atomic Game Changer to flash the factory lights or not. Or maybe the flashers that wicked warnings have, but they’re really expensive for some reason.

A question I have is what to replace the SNM E6 minis with? I bought two new full size amber E6’s, and they’re really bright, but I think I want to stick to all whelen to the rear. The reason being is I want to use an external whelen(ulf44 or pro logic) flasher specifically for whelen “steady flash” pattern as one of my switch positions. The other two I’d like is a slow warn, almost like a school bus or train crossing, and a fast warn. The new E6’s I got seem to flicker on steady burn, and are noticeably less bright. I’m torn between using two whelen M4’s(which I’m told are super bright) or just stack a couple ion’s up on a bracket for each side. The M4’s I can maybe get in dummy heads, assuming dummy heads are brighter than a head with a flasher that’s set to steady burn.

Also I wonder about my dominator. I really hope I can get it to sync with the external flasher. Presently I control it with a switch box. Seems to me that even if I can’t get it to sync per se, that I could set the warning pattern to steady(assuming it has that option) and flash the entire bar in sync(or is that n’sync ) with the external flasher. It’s wouldn’t be ideal, but better than nothing. I could then get it to steady flash I think. On that note.... the wicked warning flasher says it’ll steady burn override if need be, and if I went that route I could possibly steady flash those lights as well. This new truck is a platinum and came with really bright mirror “spot” lights as they call them. Wicked warnings has a flasher to flash those too.

Old setup

 
Last edited:

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
I honestly think you’re putting in too much thought into this one...just sync 4 rear exterior lightheads to a slow alternating flash pattern and call it a day. Don’t worry about external flashers for the factory lights or flashers with multiple settings/speeds for the 4 light heads. The goal is simply to be seen, which 4 synced lightheads in a slow alternating pattern will accomplish, and I wouldn’t worry about syncing them with the dominator

The Whelen M4’s are very bright and you can easily sync with the ions (or T ions).
Another option is getting 4 SOS mpower fascias (dual color amber/clear)....flash them amber and have clear steadyburn for reverse or anytime you just want some scene lighting. I also like the mpowers because, although small, they’re super bright and very rugged with the silicone housing/lens.
With the T ions and the mpower, you can mount them under the tailgate of most pickups instead of the LP bracket, since they’re very low profile
 
Last edited:

Jasper425

New Member
Nov 9, 2019
4
WA
Thanks for the reply, I was wondering if anyone was going to do that.

I wanted something below the tailgate last year, but noticed that space is very tight when the tailgate is down. I’m given a new truck about every 12 months, so I try to do semi permanent installs so I can pull it all out easier. I’d be tempted to just screw M4’s to the back of the tailgate but I’m not supposed to “intentionally” damage the thing. But anything that can’t be seen after a quick walk around when I turn it in is fine.

I wanted to sync stuff up with the front. Up there I run a Star signal ULB24 visor and two feniex T3’s in the grill. I probably won’t reuse the T3’s as I don’t like the piss color yellow and I’ve read they’ll likely not play well with a flasher. I’m also not too sure I want to pull the grill all apart again on one of these f150’s just to mount lights that will have to come back out in a year. So I thought about doing LP lights like in the rear. I could maybe use the SNM full size E6’s up front someplace. I could sync them with the clear minis too if I wanted. There’s no way I can get the visor to sync with anything other than using the steady override or something.

Over thinking pointless stuff is what I do best lol
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
The mpowers are only an inch tall and 1/2 inch depth, so u can fit them anywhere, and ppl aren’t going to be looking for those tiny holes in the tailgate, but you can easily LP mount them. The M4’s to the rear or sides of the tool box would be a nice option without drilling into the body.

Unless you took this to a totally different level and got a BluePrint/Carbide-type system, you won’t be able to sync the entire vehicle like you want to. There’s no need to sync rear and front together or have an elaborate sync to the rear for the purpose you described in the OP...as long as you don’t choose seizure/flickering patterns, you’ll be fine. Sync what you can with the standard sync wires (included on most LED lightheads these days), set what you can’t sync to simple flash patterns (slow, alternating is effective), and call it a day
 

Jasper425

New Member
Nov 9, 2019
4
WA
I was thinking of using whelen smartlogic flasher, it’s pretty much carbide lite. This is just as much about playing with a hobby as it is about lighting for my job. I don’t mind thinking about all of it, designing a system, etc. It’s way overkill since I could likely get away with just a single beacon. My co worker has basically no lighting, its not something he’s interested in.

I ordered M4’s today. Had to call whelen tech support to find out if the dummy heads were brighter than the regular heads with internal flasher. They said with the light set to steady burn that it would act identical to the dummy version and be just as bright. Guess we’ll see. They would have had to make the dummy version as they don’t have any in stock.
 

dg0223

Member
Feb 20, 2011
703
USA/Texas
What's a "night time op?"

Sometimes more isn't better, it's just more. If you don't need all those lights so you can be seen on your "night time op," just keep it simple.
 

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