What are these lights/interesting use...

May 21, 2010
1,258
Minnesota
A while back I saw an interesting light setup as I passed a police car with lights on at night. Today I was driving and saw the vehicle during the day with the lights off.

Just curious as to what they are and wanted to share this interesting use.Screenshot_2019-06-17-11-46-34.pngScreenshot_2019-06-17-11-46-24.png
 
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John Smith

Member
Oct 19, 2010
304
CO, US
And here I am pissed that my upfitter used 4 mPower modules as opposed to nForce ones.

Interesting, though moronic and a shit lighting package. Every hole drilled in the body increases wind noise, moisture problems, and decreases resale. It's the reason we switched from exterior to interior bars.

I don't mind the high exterior mounted lift gate lights, but personally we put a full 8 module bar in the back window and even through the tint it's certainly not dim. Hopefully they wired the lift gate lights to traffic advise as well.

Side note, I like their paint/decals. Are they not required to run license plates?
 

Phillyrube

Member
May 21, 2010
1,272
Flatistan
As LEDs have evolved, I was critical of the lighting on my agency's cars. First off, we had no say in the setups. The city garage spec'ed the cars, and that upfitter up north built them. Fire and EMS could design their cars, but not PD. We used the joke that the head of the garage had naked pictures of the Chief. When the new chief came on, he had meetings with the sergeants. We asked about the car lighting and he said when the took the job, the city manager told him hands off on the garage.

That being said, and after seeing some of the LED setups in the horlando area, well, there is such a thing as overdoing it. Are those lights maybe a directional arrow?

Oh my God, I used to respond in a car with a single PA-Light on the roof. How did I avoid being wrecked all the time?
 

John Smith

Member
Oct 19, 2010
304
CO, US
I never will understand why city shop workers have any say in how cars are up-fitted.

There is such a thing as overdoing it, especially overdoing it with these tiny 1 diode modules.

You also used to respond in a time where there were no cell phones, and that's huge. The amount of distractions in today's cars forces emergency equipment to need to evolve dramatically.
 

tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,511
Minnesota, USA
Are they not required to run license plates?

Minnesota does not require municipally owned PD/FD/EMS vehicles that are marked to have license plates. Many have ones that are state issued but just say "POLICE" "FIRE" "EMS" however more agencies are using custom ones. Unmarked vehicles typically have regular civilian plates, though I have seen some with tax exempt plates as well. Private EMS agencies (quite a few in the state) are required to have plates, a lot are tax exempt plates.
 

coop359

Member
Apr 16, 2012
495
USA Tennessee
Love to see a video with them on. I question the angle the are sitting at. Level lights work and punch better. Ford had exhaust fumes coming in from modified tailgates. Hopefully they sealed them. Rust will start at some point if that is steel.
 

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
I could live with them if they were supplemental and had a traffic arrow function. There's enough space between them and the spoiler lights to have some effect.

And if you hate holes on the back of a vehicle, you'll hate this setup:
ai1202-photobucket-com_albums_bb374_ajp3jeh_2012_20vehicles_sld506aee65feea8cd02bbb5a282a86dbf-jpg.187664


It may be ugly but it's visible.
 

John Smith

Member
Oct 19, 2010
304
CO, US
I'm not a huge fan of that setup, but it's not terrible. I'd do away with the top modules and warning and just leave those huge 4 lights. 2 in the middle Amber, on a slow alternating with the red and blue on the outsides. Perfect.
 
May 21, 2010
1,258
Minnesota
I was able to capture some video. It appears they are run by a flasher as I have seen mutilpe patterns (unless each vehicle has a set pattern).

The first 2 were the same vehicle just 2 cameras and a buggy windshild.

 

John Hearne

Member
May 27, 2010
346
Pontotoc County, MS
That's a very interesting use of the Nforces on the roof of the Park Ranger vehicle. Flood and warning perhaps?

The rear facing lights below the spoiler are Ions that are set for steady burn. The rear corner lights are surface mount intersectors. They are there for side warning. Subsequent builds used under mirror intersectors on the spoiler to get a cleaner install.

Original write up:
 
May 21, 2010
1,258
Minnesota
Saw a different style lighthead today on another vehicle. Maybe these are dual color as I thout I saw multi color a long time backScreenshot_2019-07-10-16-16-11.png
 

Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,580
Shelbyville, TN
looks like cannons or the like
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
I know a local shop that installed Whelen Ions on the grill but facing towards the ground for "underglow" effect why...
 

BLUELIGHT

Member
Jul 7, 2018
118
Hendersonville NC
I never will understand why city shop workers have any say in how cars are up-fitted.

There is such a thing as overdoing it, especially overdoing it with these tiny 1 diode modules.

You also used to respond in a time where there were no cell phones, and that's huge. The amount of distractions in today's cars forces emergency equipment to need to evolve dramatically.
Maybe they're paid ot to put then on.
 

rynec

New Member
Oct 31, 2023
2
Wisconsin
As another said, their previous upfitter had too much freedom in their builds. For the most part, those lights on the tailgate were mainly used as an arrow stick function or a secondary warning function. Their current builds are worlds better. I used to work in the area where this department is located and have friends who currently work there.
 

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