Solvarex said:Think I already know the answer but maybe someone here has tried this...
Is there any way to sync a WeCan light bar with external lamps? Without needing Cantrol that is (assuming it can do that).
got_ygurt said:...Unless you want to hack up the wiring and tap into some lamp feeds and run the feeds back to whatever lamps you want to synch.
Jman423 said:That is the logical idea here, but the concern then becomes the added amp draw on the solid-state circuits that each head, or channel runs off of. I've considered using an LC I/O board to do something like this, but I am not sure what the capabilities are for each channel.
got_ygurt said:Yeah from what I've been told the liberty and freedom I/O boards are identical... so if you had a liberty in theory you should be able to run at least one additional LIN-6 off of each channel.
Solvarex said:Think I already know the answer but maybe someone here has tried this...
Is there any way to sync a WeCan light bar with external lamps? Without needing Cantrol that is (assuming it can do that).
Interesting idea! I'll have to check eBay and such for a used one.factorone33 said:Simple. Get a second WeCan I/O board, run the comm wires from the second I/O board to the same box as what's being used for the lightbar, and use the I/O board as a glorified flasher for whatever else you're using in conjunction with the lightbar. No tapping wiring inside the lightbar and running it back outside to other lamps required, and the connections can be made inside the cab instead.
I can draw a schematic if necessary. It's an expensive alternative (WeCan I/O boards run about 600 bucks from Whelen by themselves), but it's doable. One WeCan controller can handle several I/O boards at a time, and you can mess around with different combinations of heads for various patterns and applications.
factorone33 said:Simple. Get a second WeCan I/O board, run the comm wires from the second I/O board to the same box as what's being used for the lightbar, and use the I/O board as a glorified flasher for whatever else you're using in conjunction with the lightbar. No tapping wiring inside the lightbar and running it back outside to other lamps required, and the connections can be made inside the cab instead.
I can draw a schematic if necessary. It's an expensive alternative (WeCan I/O boards run about 600 bucks from Whelen by themselves), but it's doable. One WeCan controller can handle several I/O boards at a time, and you can mess around with different combinations of heads for various patterns and applications.
got_ygurt said:This is an interesting idea... have you actually tested it? As the wecan boards would not actually be talking to each other wouldn't they eventually get out of synch though?
Solvarex said:Thanks for the detailed explanation! I'm one of those types that is bothered when I don't know the how and why of the ins and outs of something technical. Very interesting that the WeCan controller is actually doing all of the work. The I/O board in the bar is pretty complicated, what functions does it serve exactly?
Solvarex said:I also can't flash my takedowns with anything except regular flash patterns. If I try to get them up on BAR PATTERNS they seem to get ignored. I could try programming them in as a lighthead rather than takedowns to fool the program but that would eliminate my takedown activation wire!
Solvarex said:And even WeCan has its limitations. For instance if I want to use the DUO function of my bar by alternating one color with the other, I have to use a section called BAR PATTERNS which scrolls through predetermined flash patterns (or all of them) depending on the lightheads I choose to be active. I can't select my inboards to alternate red then amber and have the outboards do something different; soon as I try programming a second color with the regular patterns it overwrites the previous color.
Solvarex said:I tried toying with reconfiguring my bar in WeCan last night so the takedowns were put in as white LIN6. Turned on the bar and only the passenger side worked! Soon as I put them back to TDs both sides came on. Ugh.
Solvarex said:So you're suggesting downloading the Cencom Sapphire software and using it to ONLY program the bar correct? Ignore everything else in it? Glad to hear about the updated software, maybe an HHS2200 update is in the works too so programming it isn't a pain in the ass!
Solvarex said:I tried the Sapphire software and the new WeCan6 for the Legacy and my god, anyone else think we went from bad to worse?
That's not saying much...factorone33 said:It beats the hell out of Code 3 and Federal's programmables, that I can say with confidence.
Solvarex said:That's not saying much...
I know it says WeCan 6 is for the Legacy only but I'm going to try sending a program to my Liberty with it and see what happens. Sometimes "for so-and-so ONLY" really means "just tested with so-and-so only".
Solvarex said:I just tested a WeCan 6 program on my Liberty and it worked 100%. I need to program more functions and modes but it seems to be working fine so far.
One thing I don't like is you need to re-make your bar in WeCad first, export the configuration, then import it to WeCan 6 in order to program it. Why?? WeCan 5 lets you configure your bar right in the program, what's wrong with that?
Also I don't know if it's just me but I haven't figured out how to make individual DUO heads alternate colors with regular flash patterns. There is a slew of individual patterns that seem to be specifically for DUO but they don't sync with the other patterns like SignalAlert. They just do their own thing depending on what Whelen programmed "DUO upper pattern 1" to do. Lame.
I was able to get my takedowns to flash in zig-zag mode though which flashes them only briefly, which I like. They're way too bright to be done in any other pattern.
I mean, it's only been a measly 8 years since it was started.Dunno how I missed this thread when I started mine, but...
I think they use LC bars for those trucks but you would think that you could have more then one bar look at euro setups and some van setups often got dual barsThere has to be a way, look at all the fire engines running so many lights and multiple bars esp if your an aerial, ladder, platform...
Actually the aerial across the street from me has 4 small bars 4 of those whelen led half rotator looking lights and multiple other lights around it, and all synced.. not sure of their setup I'll ask next time they aren't running calls ( formerly busiest station in the southern us )I think they use LC bars for those trucks but you would think that you could have more then one bar look at euro setups and some van setups often got dual bars