Storm4200 said:So how do u goto 'CanTrol school'?
Storm4200 said:oh I'm well aware that there is more to it than just synching of light heads. a WHOLE LOT more!!
http://www.whelen.com/pb/Automotive/ProductSheets/Sirens_Switches_Speakers/CANTROL_Siren_Switch_Control.pdf
Storm4200 said:i just came across the Install PDF for CanTrol, and call me nuts, but i think i can install and program it without ever going to this 'CanTrol School'.
does anyone have any updates on CanTrol, or are there any videos of newly configured set-ups utilizing this new system?
theroofable said:I agree. While people may not understand some of the more complicated tricks and features, who cares? Why not just sell it to someone willing to pay the money for it. I don't get why it is some big secret that you have to go to school for.
theroofable said:I agree. While people may not understand some of the more complicated tricks and features, who cares? Why not just sell it to someone willing to pay the money for it. I don't get why it is some big secret that you have to go to school for.
code60a said:I think it's:
A. There's a lot that someone who doesn't know what they are doing could potentially mess up
B. It helps support Whelen's dealer network. Especially on the service side
C. If just anyone could get it the fuzzy magic special sauce would be gone
D. All of the above
fleetcomm said:It is not a big secret but, Whelen does not want thier product being sold and installed without the installer knowing how to correctly program it. The CanTrol has a feature that you can program a single button to do 3 different functions or that every light output is programable. There is alot to know, to make it work the way it should and the school is a must so you can program it correctly. I thought the same thing when I was told about buying CanTrol why do I have to go to school I have been doing this for 27 years and how can this be that hard to program. I was wrong I needed the school.
C2Installs said:Funny..."You don't know what you don't know, " seems like an applicable phrase here.
CANTrol installs much like a CenCom Sapphire. It's not hard to wire for standard use. However, tying it into the host vehicle and integrating it into the whole vehicle warning and communications suite is something else entirely. And planning and designing the programming you want to run everything the way you want or need is another thing, too.
Most customers don't want or need the system, although almost all customers could benefit from using it. True system standardization is the real benefit, and is truly priceless, IMO.
Whelen is smart, and right, to control distribution of the system. If its not sold, installed, and programmed in such a way that customers are educated about the system benefits and to ensure maximum leveraging of system capabilities, then it loses value. And it takes a very keyed-in salesperson, installer, and fleet manager/customer, working together, to make certain this happens. It is about a holistic, total systems approach.
If you just want the whiz-bang, baddest, newest shiny-thing, that's not a compelling reason, IMHO, for Whelen to dumb down its strategic plan for the product class.
"Shut up and take my money" is not always the best method.
CANTrol school is put on by Whelen at the factory, or at select locations as needed to support large customers. I haven't been...I cheated and used my "phone-a-friend" lifeline. And programming was definitely a challenge.
emtanderson51 said:I believe it took Whelen over 100 hours to get the MSP program down.
ford-dealer said:I am in no way dissing the Cantrol system... but I will say this. For those of you that have never studied the B-Link system(s) and their respective capabilities, I think you would be very surprised as to how close the 2 systems are.
Example: Drivers Door Open Cancels Corner LEDs... nothing new there as far as capability. (You can do that with a Cencom as well....(Just saying)
Brake lights cause light bar to Steady Burn 2 light heads... B-Link can do the same.
Front Light activation when siren is on? No problem. Cencom can do that too.
Where the CANTROL system sings is the capability to "Sync' light heads. It has a few features (Like "Presses") that are unique to that system. All I am saying is that the B-Link system was far more advanced than most know. The B-Link system was WAY ahead of its time. The light bars and other equipment just hadn't caught up the capabilities of the system itself. That having been said, SC series Freedoms and Libby's were catching up quickly to the possibilities of the B-Link system.
Outsider said:I would agree that Cantrol is an evolution of the early SC systems. An important note you are missing is the ability to apply rules. Sure you can make lights come on with siren tones, but you can't choose when you want that to happen. Ie, when lights are in "rear only" mode, and not when lights are off, etc. SC only had two inputs. CenCom has 4, one of which would be used for horn ring. You have no programmability of the inputs, or timing. You have no ability to toggle between flash patterns that are built using virtual inputs. You have no virtual inputs for that matter. Virtual inputs are key programming features that are used to perform various scenarios.
SC was very primitive. Sure you could do certain things with it that were out of the ordinary, but it evolved into something so much better and far more useable.
ford-dealer said:Where the CANTROL system sings is the capability to "Sync' light heads. It has a few features (Like "Presses") that are unique to that system. All I am saying is that the B-Link system was far more advanced than most know. The B-Link system was WAY ahead of its time. The light bars and other equipment just hadn't caught up the capabilities of the system itself. That having been said, SC series Freedoms and Libby's were catching up quickly to the possibilities of the B-Link system.
Old thread but does anyone have the program for CanTrol? Really need to work on the new ride for work. Any help is appreciated rmclearen@aubreytx.gov