Whelen ION TRIO "old" vs "new" models

[Sfd295]

I'm a bit confused. I received two used universal mount ION TRIOs and they seem to be a bit different than my other ones. All my other units have individual control wires for each color, with the color of the wire matching the color that will be enabled. These two units have different colored wires and include a yellow wire. It appears they only have control of the colors via the flash patterns plus a white override wire. For example, you can have a single color in a pattern, dual color, or triple color. But that's it. You're locked into the colors when you set the pattern. I use a Cencom Core system to flash all my lightheads, and I need that to utilize patterns for nighttime and scene use (ie steady flash and DVI). I don't see any way to do this and utilize multiple colors. I'll have to use the ION flasher's integral patterns to use multiple colors. One wire controls on/off for the unit.

So basically, is this the case? Am I SOL if I want to use multiple colors with Core controlling the flash patterns? I had no idea this was an issue. Seems to be with 2018 and earlier mfg dates as far as I can tell. Only way to spot it seems to be that yellow wire instead of wires matching your colors in the lighthead.

Nothing's ever simple is it?

Thanks!
Dave

 

[NoLimitSquads]

https://www.whelenmassnotification.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/14797.pdf

This is what you have. I guess Im not sure if there are different models of the ION trio, or if it is a date thing. I feel like I had a set of trios that were older than 2018, that had individual control of the colors, but maybe not.

 

[Sfd295]

Thank you @NoLimitSquads! Appreciate the help. I have also seen the date thing be unreliable. I have a set mfg in 2018 and they're individual control yet these also mfg in 2018 do not.

I loathe Whelen's habit of releasing different versions of lightheads with the same name.

 

[NoLimitSquads]

Ive been looking at a bunch of Whelen stuff trying to figure it out. I don’t ever use trios, so my knowledge there is limited. However, if you look on Whelens website, the ION description still lists the trio as the mode type. But the individual model numbers reflect that there is individual control of each color. So Im guessing that they started switching them sometime around 2018 from mode lights to individual control. Maybe somebody on here who has been using trios can chime in to clarify this. I also was able to find some old listings for Ion trios, and the model number is the same as it is now, but the description also lists it as the mode type.

 

[NoLimitSquads]

I found this. Dates on the install sheets. Looks like 2016 you could get individual control. I wonder whats up with the 2018 dates on the ones you have. I wonder if you could get both for awhile, or you just got what they sent you.

 

[JohnMarcson]

I found this. Dates on the install sheets. Looks like 2016 you could get individual control. I wonder whats up with the 2018 dates on the ones you have. I wonder if you could get both for awhile, or you just got what they sent you.

I figured Core killed the need for "modes", but I had no idea there was overlap. Whelen dates usually do have overlap though, now that I think about it. I have an Advantedge bar with the older series parts next to new series parts and a build date that would have meant the bar should get none of the types. The bar is NOS. Also Whelen's pictures in literature have always been a few years behind the description. However, they do seem to try to support legacy editions for replacement and service reasons, I am guessing the "old style" was available for at least a year intentionally. But like the catalog pics the literature and website aren't clear.

Good find on the PDFs