Whelen PFE new products

crt6mrt-265

Member
May 23, 2010
800
Central NJ
those microns look awesome!!
 

TACKLEBERRY

Member
Sep 20, 2010
231
Norton, MA
MOTHER F*CKER!!!!

The CENCOM CORBIDE is exactly what I needed 2 weeks ago before we spent all this money on the SoundOff bluePRINT system just to be told it's not capable of doing everything we wanted as far as patterns, phases, and modes.

Anyone have details on it's projected release date?
 

fleetcomm

Member
Sep 2, 2011
717
south of nowhere
I am glad whelen is not sitting on its thumbs and it's coming out with new usable products. I was not able to make it to PFE this year because of more important commitments at work but, I plan on going next year this is the first time I have missed going.
 
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pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
Carbide looks great, but I'm sure it'll be pricey!!!

i like the idea of having tic marks, but I think that having various marks on the important buttons (ie something along the lines of a different "Braille dot" patterns on each siren tone decal) would honestly the best way to go.  I would also rather have 1 less button on the top row so that each of the siren buttons could be somewhat larger (like the lower 3 TA buttons) to further make it easier to change a tone without having to look down if you had taken your hand off the controller.

I think the micron stud mounts will be a popular option for the sides of PBs and am glad to see a newer mounting alternative for tight spaces
 

Kevin K.

Member
May 23, 2010
321
Northampton County, PA, USA
What features are you losing should you choose the CenCom Carbide rather than the CanTrol? If the Carbide is slated to directly compete with SoundOff's bluePRINT, I imagine that there will be CanTrol features deleted to reduce the cost.

Several evenings ago, I observed a PSP Interceptor Utility on a traffic stop, and the vehicle was displaying a unique flash pattern. The entire rear of the Liberty was steady-burn (half red/half blue). The front and rear corners were steady-burning too, and the takedowns were illuminated. The only lights that were flashing were the grille lights and the hideaways, and they were flashing in a slow wig-wag pattern. This was incredibly effective, and I believe this is very similar to the New England police configuration (I'm still waiting to learn all the related patterns).

With the bluePRINT and the CenCom Carbide, it is required to use an exterior lightbar from the same manufacturer?
 

nerdly_dood

Member
Jun 15, 2010
2,312
Georgia
Several evenings ago, I observed a PSP Interceptor Utility on a traffic stop, and the vehicle was displaying a unique flash pattern. The entire rear of the Liberty was steady-burn (half red/half blue). The front and rear corners were steady-burning too, and the takedowns were illuminated. The only lights that were flashing were the grille lights and the hideaways, and they were flashing in a slow wig-wag pattern. This was incredibly effective, and I believe this is very similar to the New England police configuration (I'm still waiting to learn all the related patterns).

Oh I do like the sound of that. I wend through PA a few years ago when they were just starting to use Libby's and it was pretty much a disorganized mess that didn't do much more than ensure that both red and blue were visible from all directions. I think it swapped colors in each head (of course it wasn't synchronized) every third flash or something. It was daytime so I didn't get the full effect of an ugly purple blob.
 

Outsider

Member
May 21, 2010
148
New Hampshire
What features are you losing should you choose the CenCom Carbide rather than the CanTrol? If the Carbide is slated to directly compete with SoundOff's bluePRINT, I imagine that there will be CanTrol features deleted to reduce the cost.

Several evenings ago, I observed a PSP Interceptor Utility on a traffic stop, and the vehicle was displaying a unique flash pattern. The entire rear of the Liberty was steady-burn (half red/half blue). The front and rear corners were steady-burning too, and the takedowns were illuminated. The only lights that were flashing were the grille lights and the hideaways, and they were flashing in a slow wig-wag pattern. This was incredibly effective, and I believe this is very similar to the New England police configuration (I'm still waiting to learn all the related patterns).

With the bluePRINT and the CenCom Carbide, it is required to use an exterior lightbar from the same manufacturer?

Think of Cencom Carbide is more of a built up Cencom and not a 'dumbed-down' Cantrol.  Carbide was not created to compete with Blueprint.  Blueprint was create to compete with Cantrol.  Carbide is a Cencom that allows you to choose how your outputs work, either flashing (like Cantrol) or steady (Like Cencom Saphire).  You have full control of the photo cell, there is a park mode that can be activated when the vehicle goes to park, and you have complete priority control of the switches and outputs.  Features like adding white bursts while pressing AH, drivers door cutting off drivers side lightbar, and full front scene activation from an input (high beam switch?) is all possible with Carbide.  Carbide has more outputs and more inputs than Saphire.  

Cantrol takes that a step further, allowing full programmability of the flash rates, synchronization changes and lighthead intensities and automatically displaying the appropriate warning signal for any given situation, without driver input.  By synchronization changes, I mean switching from alternating patterns while in motion to 'in-out' patterns when stopped in the daytime and again with a different set when stopped at night.  From the lightbar all the way down to the perimeter lightheads around the vehicle.  In reading some of the posts on this forum, Cantrol is the only system that can accomplish this.  Oh, all in one very simple amplifier relay box in the trunk.  Parts placed all over the vehicle with RJ-45 connectors including under the hood???!!!  Not here.  
 
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cabunty

Member
Sep 21, 2014
135
New England
my chief and lt just got "unmarked" utility pi's with this...or what i assume is this. since they rarely use emergency warning it seems a bit of a waste. that being said, they have the driver side door open cut off, red/white/blue corner lights when responding that change to the steady bright flicker of all lights when they are stopped, all lights can be put in low power cruise mode, etc. the state pd (connecticut) has this set up starting to show up in their cars as well as one of the towns our coverage area is in.

....while i rock out with my dual avenger front and rear and HAW strobes.. hehe
 

Kevin K.

Member
May 23, 2010
321
Northampton County, PA, USA
I'm assuming the "steady bright flicker" mentioned here is the SteadyFlash pattern that's become popular with the New England state police agencies. This is the specific pattern I'm most interested in. It still isn't clear if the CenCom Carbide offers this option.

In Pennsylvania, emergency vehicles must display flashing or revolving lights; colored steady-burning lights cannot be used without flashing or revolving lights. I imagine that's why the PSP vehicle I saw still displayed several lightheads in alternating wig-wag while the lightbar was in steady-burn mode. Even with the SteadyFlash, there may not be enough of a current interruption for that pattern to be classified as flashing, so a standard flash pattern still needs to be employed elsewhere.

Outsider mentioned there's a park mode with the Carbide. If this mode allows for steady-burn or SteadyFlash, the Carbide works for me.
 

Outsider

Member
May 21, 2010
148
New Hampshire
It is indeed SteadyFlash that is gaining huge popularity throughout New England.  I believe all WeCan products offer SteadyFlash in the list of selectable patterns.  This includes the WeCan Control point, Saphire, Carbide and Cantrol.  
 

TACKLEBERRY

Member
Sep 20, 2010
231
Norton, MA
I got to see the Carbide during a mini-expo here in MA last week.  I can say with confidence, it will be our new controller once it's release.  

The Carbide can also use the CanTrol 16 output WeCan expansion modules.  So you can keep one under the hood and wire all your lightheads to it and then just run the 3 WeCan wires to the Carbide.

Yes, the SteadyFlash pattern is becoming very popular and it can even be found as a pattern on the ULF44 flasher.
 

coopers

Member
May 21, 2011
271
WA
So the sapphire has the "flicker" mode available for steady burn/cruise mode? What is it's title? I must have missed over it because I thought that was only a Cantrol thing.

Nevermind. I just figured out my own question. I didn't realize steady flash was what I was looking for and "on" meant just on. :)
 
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