What's the worst lightbar made by a well-known company? (FedSig, Code 3, Whelen)

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
I was just thinking about this the other day when I saw a Federal Signal Jetstream on a wrecker. They're simply bad. Crappy output, little off-axis lighting, all of the things I don't like about a lightbar… in a lightbar. So my vote goes out to all halogen Jetsonic/Jetstream lightbars from Federal signal.


With that being said, I know there are more crappy bars (new and old) out there.


So what's your least-favorite major brand lightbar? Why? Discuss.
 

cory y

Member
May 21, 2010
1,614
lotsofbars said:
I was just thinking about this the other day when I saw a Federal Signal Jetstream on a wrecker. They're simply bad. Crappy output, little off-axis lighting, all of the things I don't like about a lightbar… in a lightbar. So my vote goes out to all halogen Jetsonic/Jetstream lightbars from Federal signal.

With that being said, I know there are more crappy bars (new and old) out there.


So what's your least-favorite major brand lightbar? Why? Discuss.

Strobe lightbars that were originally designed as halogen bars


strobe MX or a strobe vista
 
Sep 13, 2010
761
Holland, Michigan
As far as design goes I am going with the streethawk. Theres so much wasted space. I also didn't like the whelen lightbars that were put on the back of the FDNY Batalion trucks. The ones that you could flip each one side vertical, and it has stop lights in it and stuff.
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
i think that the aerodynic or whatever its called the one on the dukes of hazzard car i think its retarded since it has no side coverage due to the fact that it has a flasher blocking the rotators from the side STUPID
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
Halogen Jet series, moreso the sync rotators... dim, dim, dim
 

MATT3045

Member
May 23, 2010
269
Akron Ohio area
A fully loaded Whelen Freedom, everyone knows you can barely see that thing. j/k

rwo978 said:
Halogen Jet series, moreso the sync rotators... dim, dim, dim

+1, or even when you added the strobe beacon inside of it.
 

CrownVic97

Member
May 21, 2010
3,350
Hazen, ND
Station 3 said:
i think that the aerodynic or whatever its called the one on the dukes of hazzard car i think its retarded since it has no side coverage due to the fact that it has a flasher blocking the rotators from the side STUPID

It's this design here (photo credit to ERIC6913)


ai734.photobucket.com_albums_ww341_eric6913_24CA7.jpg


I do agree that the side coverage is really bad, with two front & rear flashers plus alley lights. Unless you have the alleys on a alt flasher to add side warning, it probably wouldn't help. The AeroDynics with just synced rotators and no flashers are much better at intersection warning IMO.
 

NPS Ranger

Member
May 21, 2010
1,988
Penn's Woods
Every halogen rotator Whelen AdvantEdge on an ambulance, eventually self-destructs with the tiny rotators turning black or rusting leaving you with essentially no warning. The original Jetsonic also gets my vote.


I like Streethawks. :yes: Super bright and lots of room inside means they run COOL all day in the hot sun.
 
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lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
NPS Ranger said:
I like Streethawks. :yes: Super bright and lots of room inside means they run COOL all day in the hot sun.

I totally agree. It's true that there's a bit of "wasted space," but they CAN run forever. And nothing beats the streethawk rotators, they're phenomenal.


It's also true that the strobe vistas suck, but I had a strobe MX and currently have a strobe 360 and I can testify that they're surprisingly great.
 

Fast LT1

Member
May 24, 2010
2,018
Sedgwick County, KS
RBRONKEMA GHTFD said:
As far as design goes I am going with the streethawk.

Um they kick ass, they're bright as crap! I just ran code3 9 hours ago using one and it clears a 4 lane highway fast!
 
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JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Halogen jetsonic (independent rotators) or strobe vista.
 

CrownVic97

Member
May 21, 2010
3,350
Hazen, ND
GPC said:
Strobe vista sucks.

Vistas in general for me, just because of the design. Seriously, who came up with the idea to use a football shape for a lightbar :weird: ? They look absolutely bulky as heck!
 
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bfd740

Member
Jul 4, 2010
285
Babylon, NY
RBRONKEMA GHTFD said:
As far as design goes I am going with the streethawk. Theres so much wasted space. I also didn't like the whelen lightbars that were put on the back of the FDNY Batalion trucks. The ones that you could flip each one side vertical, and it has stop lights in it and stuff.

That's not a bad lightbar; the highway patrol here used to use those as the ONLY lightbar and they worked well. The only problem they have is that they look a little dim when the domes get cloudy because the front facing lights on the rear bar have to go through two domes, but cloudy domes is a problem with any bar.


aimages16.fotki.com_v272_photos_4_49373_2273006_cnpca4554_vi.jpg


aimages18.fotki.com_v270_photos_4_49373_2273006_cnpca4554a_vi.jpg


awww.phildorsett.com_images_whelenhiriser.gif
 
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SNOW SYSTEMS

Member
Sep 26, 2010
173
Illinois
Cant hate on the streethawks or halogen vistas. They had to be up there in top sold lightbars for fedsig. Yea the jetstreams are a little weak when they get old but still plenty bright when new. Streethawks wicked bright! Vista strobes kinda sucked but halogens kicked butt!! lp6000 seemd cheap. whelen advantage sucked.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
Streethawk rotators were some of the best around.... blocky bars, but very effective. The independent jet rotators were just bad....
 

Newberry13

Member
May 21, 2010
613
SC, USA
Definitely the advantage. The halogen jet bars are week, put are aesthetically pleasing. They are great project bars, and they're one of the most aerodynamic bars available - only 3% resistance in wind tunnel testing! Another useless POS: any flush bar with rotators! Especially Whelen's.
 
May 21, 2010
1,591
Berlin, MI, 48002
Federal Raydians are among my most hated....stupidly set-up as far as internal wiring & they're heavy.


I don't think the Vista would've been bad if the shape wasn't so huge.


Federal almost always seems to have some kind of dumbass idea to make a lightbar "work".
 

gman021

Member
Dec 8, 2010
648
CT
I, by far, have the best one. I'm kinda surprised no one said it, probably because it's not a traditional lightbar.


Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Whelen Fastraxx (FRONT STROBE VERSION)

3681436186_47c9494d65.jpg
 
Sep 13, 2010
761
Holland, Michigan
bfd740 said:
That's not a bad lightbar; the highway patrol here used to use those as the ONLY lightbar and they worked well. The only problem they have is that they look a little dim when the domes get cloudy because the front facing lights on the rear bar have to go through two domes, but cloudy domes is a problem with any bar.

The only thing I don't like about them is the wasted space. Theres so much more room for flashers or take downs like the code 3 Mx and excals. I'm not bashing thir preformance.
 

lotsofbars

Member
Jul 20, 2010
1,999
NYC, New York
Phillyrube said:
2nds on strobe vista...our entire fleet has them....

I am so sorry… The entire fleet in my city has Liberties and they're just fine. I much prefer FedSig solaris LED's, though.
 

chief1562

Member
Mar 18, 2011
5,840
Slaterville/NY
lotsofbars said:
i was just thinking about this the other day when i saw a federal signal jetstream on a wrecker. They're simply bad. Crappy output, little off-axis lighting, all of the things i don't like about a lightbar… in a lightbar. So my vote goes out to all halogen jetsonic/jetstream lightbars from federal signal.

With that being said, i know there are more crappy bars (new and old) out there.


So what's your least-favorite major brand lightbar? Why? Discuss.

i don't know about that i have a strobe vista and it's plenty bright and people move when they see it. I'd say the streethawk
 

NJEMT

Member
May 22, 2010
377
Essex County, NJ
gman021 said:
I, by far, have the best one. I'm kinda surprised no one said it, probably because it's not a traditional lightbar.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Whelen Fastraxx (FRONT STROBE VERSION)

You don't say that about the Fastraxx, Its a nice lightbar.
 

nerdly_dood

Member
Jun 15, 2010
2,312
Georgia
I'll refrain from saying it's the FedSig Jetstream because I've seen some of those that were genuinely bright... I'd have to say Vista strobe.
 

bfd740

Member
Jul 4, 2010
285
Babylon, NY
RBRONKEMA GHTFD said:
The only thing I don't like about them is the wasted space. Theres so much more room for flashers or take downs like the code 3 Mx and excals. I'm not bashing thir preformance.

I added 2 pics to my original post - takedowns are available. The ones the PD had didn't have any of the black sections. When it's down, there's 8 across the front and when it's up there's 10 across the front (both have 2 sets of takedowns and they are in front of each other when its down) The empty space on one is filled on the other so that no lights are blocked when its down. They actually have more lights than their fully populated Edge and Freedom bars.
 

gman021

Member
Dec 8, 2010
648
CT
zacmtz7 said:
I loved my Fasttrax, if it hadn't have blown off i'd still be using it today.

haha that must have been interesting. I'm all for a rear led version, but I will not go for a front one
 
Jan 20, 2011
1,264
Lake of the Ozarks
Strobehawk. I like the Streethawks though! I love the design of them and how they look, but they were meant to be a rotator, not a strobe. Oh, and about the Fasttrax...the ugliest frickin lightbar I've ever seen, so long as it's facing to the front. When it's in the back it looks cool, but not to the front. I can't say on the performance though, as I've never seen one in real life.
 

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