Anyone using Hideaway LED's

pfd radio · Post by **pfd radio** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:08 am

I have a fleet of vehicles that are "Hideaway Strobe Happy" for lack of a better term. I would like to change everything over to the Whelen hideaway LED's, but I don't know anyone that is using them. I guess I just want to know if anyone here is using them and are they any good.

fd2119 · Post by **fd2119** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:18 am

Whelen's universal LED hide-a-way is quite good, especially in a smaller (read: tight) reflector; we have these in the backup lamps of a 2008 Ford Explorer. I am fairly impressed with the output of these lamps.

While I have not yet seen Whelen's Vertex hide-a-way LED, I have read some reviews on eLightbars, who have pretty good things to say about it.

There is certainly a price difference, with the Vertex heads being sold individually for approximately $75/head, and the Universal LAWs being sold by the kit (either 2 or 4 head systems) for approximately $200 for the 2 head kits.

Post by Pj » Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:02 pm

I have a pair of Vertex's, and for the price, you can't go wrong. I think with most of these on the market, tighter the reflector the better.

HALO's would be my first choice as it will use the entire refector, but they are not cheap by any means....but are the best you can get.

fd2119 · Post by **fd2119** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:58 am

I would agree with PJ about the Halos, but aren't those intended for the Crown Vics and vehicles using the...1157...bulb?

Man, I wish eLightbars would come back up!

Post by Pj » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:08 am

They are designed to replace those bulbs, as well as they are certified with all the federal requirements for safety, specs, blah blach. But yes, if your vehicle wiring is setup the same way for turn signals as the CVPI you could use them.

I have seen the HALO's used in a Chevy Avalanche and it looked very sweet.

pfd radio · Post by **pfd radio** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:27 pm

Thanks for the input - Excuse my ignorance in reference to HALOS? I imagine that you are not referring to Halogens.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:42 pm

http://www.whelen.com/details_prod.php? ... rod_id=334

pfd radio · Post by **pfd radio** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:23 pm

I guess I was a bit ignorant - Thanks for straightening me out. They look pretty cool. Once again thanks for all your input.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:15 pm

No sweat. Actually, I had never seen the Vertexes... I'm preparing to do a low-profile install (well, as low profile as a 6-radio, 18-head LED lighting package can be) and they may work out better (and cheaper) than the LAWs for my purposes.

I'd love to go HALOs, but they're about $300 for a two-head front and $500 for a four-head rear configuration. Not happening any time soon.

ka8ypy · Post by **ka8ypy** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:26 pm

tvsjr wrote:No sweat. Actually, I had never seen the Vertexes... I'm preparing to do a low-profile install (well, as low profile as a 6-radio, 18-head LED lighting package can be) and they may work out better (and cheaper) than the LAWs for my purposes.

I'd love to go HALOs, but they're about $300 for a two-head front and $500 for a four-head rear configuration. Not happening any time soon.

Upgrading the truck or dressing out something else??

Post by Pj » Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:53 pm

I got the low down on his next project...should be sweet. Not the truck though...(I don't think you could fit anything else on the truck..and not make it look tacky)

Jim1348 · Post by **Jim1348** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:59 pm

tvsjr wrote:...6-radio...

Okay, I give up.

-VHF low band

-VHF high band

-UHF

-800

But six radios? Why so many? Something could be done to reduce that a little bit, couldn't it? There must be some redundancy in there somewhere. A CB, a scanner, amateur radio, marine radio, aircraft radio, something?

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:06 pm

Dan, check your PMs.

Jim1348 - different protocols. I've never seen an XTL that will do LTR or DSTAR...

ka8ypy · Post by **ka8ypy** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:31 pm

tvsjr wrote:Dan, check your PMs.

Jim1348 - different protocols. I've never seen an XTL that will do LTR or DSTAR...

10-4, replied

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:21 pm

i put vertex in my truck the other day damn they are bright

OCSD117 · Post by **OCSD117** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:36 pm

We have 2 explorers with hideaway's in the taillights and in the fog lights. They work good in both! Kits are a bit pricey but it's not my money!

rsqemt911 · Post by **rsqemt911** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:28 am

i have just installed a set of amber vertex's in my front marker lights on my trailblazer. they came out quite well. and at $140 a set they were much cheaper than strobe hideaways. i just recieved a set in red yesterday and i will be installing them today in my brake lights.

i think they are definatly worth the price. and are a great upgrade from strobe hideaways (they are a direct replacement ie same hole size, ect.)

Post by **trackside.comms** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:12 am

I was at NASCARs trans dept yesterday, WHELEN had just sent them some to try out (VERTEX), ill bring back some intel when I get it.

thebigphish · Post by **thebigphish** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:32 am

the vertexes are very impressive for the light head size & price.

I just did a crown vic, and placing them in the bottom of the front reflector, approx 1" from the rear wall & side wall created a rather good reflective optics path and quite the impressive light out put. The inline power supplies stick nicely anywhere there is enough space (with some supplied double sided foam tape), and they ship with approx 3 feet of control / power wire. My biggest issues was remembering that "Gray = Green", as they have changed the color of the SYNC wire on the wiring, so that tying them into an existing installation with TIRs or TALONs requires some cross color splicing (eech). The heads fit nicely in the reflector, don't have to worry about nicking a trigger wire on the insert, or about the high voltage lines coming out of the back. It's also nice to be able to run 20g/4 down an engine compartment ONCE to set up a whole host of front lights.

I did not have the time to go thru all the patterns, but i was impressed @ the color output that they do have. I was a bit skeptical originally when i saw them, because i was convinced that they would not have enough punch to get someones attention during the daytime...but after playing with them in this vic, i was very suprised. The patterns really benefit from having LED (especially whelen patterns that ended in a "long on time" flash) because you can truly identify the color being displayed, not like that "white flash turned color tint" that you get from a strobe head.

All in all, hideaway strobes are gone. There is no way that i can see wasting my time installing a power pack when these light heads are drop in replacement, give you more effective light output for the power, and use less energy. Last real test i want to do now is get a set of reds & run them thru some taillights, as i have heard that the suggested new approach to colored reflectors is to run the same light head color as reflector color to maximize color out put. No more of the old white thru red in the rear, but that's gonna have to wait till i get my own.

spectragod · Post by **spectragod** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:25 am

thebigphish wrote:the vertexes are very impressive for the light head size & price.

Last real test i want to do now is get a set of reds & run them thru some taillights, as i have heard that the suggested new approach to colored reflectors is to run the same light head color as reflector color to maximize color out put. No more of the old white thru red in the rear, but that's gonna have to wait till i get my own.

You have to use red behind red lens, if you use the clear, it will be washed out and dim. I have used the HALO systems, they rock, they can be made to work in anything. The Vertex LED's are a close second to the HALO!!

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:54 am

Where do the LAWs rate in comparison to Vertex?

I'm looking at installing a pair in fog lights, as replacement for the stock headlamp bulb (think about how a headlight bulb is designed - fairly long capsule). I'm thinking the LAWs, since they are longer, would work best in this application - drilling the reflector and mounting straight to that is going to be near-impossible thanks to the way the heads are designed/mounted. Thoughts?

I did see a Charger a while back with reds in the brake lights and ambers in the reverse lights - I don't know if they were Vertex or LAW, but they were quite impressive. Hideaway strobes are definitely dead or dying...

Post by Pj » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:10 pm

LAW's will do better if replacing a bulb, and placing them in a large housing.

The vertex (IIRC, I'd have to look at mine again) are straight forward shooting LED's, but uses a "frosted" plastic diffuser to spread out the light to the angles. The LAW with its LED arrangements will work like the HALO's and will work very well in most applications (and for the price your paying for them....)

The nice thing about the Vertex's are the size of them. They are very shallow in the housings so they will fit where most will not.

In short: Large housings, LAW's. Medium to tight housing/reflectors: Vertex

spectragod · Post by **spectragod** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:26 pm

tvsjr wrote:Where do the LAWs rate in comparison to Vertex?

I'm looking at installing a pair in fog lights, as replacement for the stock headlamp bulb (think about how a headlight bulb is designed - fairly long capsule). I'm thinking the LAWs, since they are longer, would work best in this application - drilling the reflector and mounting straight to that is going to be near-impossible thanks to the way the heads are designed/mounted. Thoughts?

I did see a Charger a while back with reds in the brake lights and ambers in the reverse lights - I don't know if they were Vertex or LAW, but they were quite impressive. Hideaway strobes are definitely dead or dying...

I think it would be best determined by your paticular application, not all housings/spaces will acomodate both, your decision will have to be based on the type of light housing that your trying to use.

The LED hideaway system Whelen is using, gets "HOT", keep that in mind, the Vertex does not get so hot that you cannot touch the unit after running.

Both systems are bright, but, the type of housing and position is going to make the choice for you.

but then again, what do I know, I got banned from Elightbars.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:29 pm

Heh, so did I... it seems smart people get banned over there. Or John Marcson is a douche, but that's another story.

I know I'm going to run amber Vertexs to the rear (gotta have some amber to go with the R/B). I think I'll order a pair in amber, and I can play with them in the fog lights before mounting them. If they work, cool. If not, I'll try a pair of LAWs.

spectragod · Post by **spectragod** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:41 pm

tvsjr wrote:Heh, so did I... it seems smart people get banned over there. Or John Marcson is a douche, but that's another story.

I know I'm going to run amber Vertexs to the rear (gotta have some amber to go with the R/B). I think I'll order a pair in amber, and I can play with them in the fog lights before mounting them. If they work, cool. If not, I'll try a pair of LAWs.

The Vertex's are the bomb for certain applications, CV tail lights are a good example, behind a fluted lens, they are impressive. I was not as impressed with them in front corners as I was the hideaway LED's. It is a convienient package to work with (the Vertex's that is).

TXCAP · Post by **TXCAP** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:29 pm

I sell whelen and axixtech. I have tried both the vertex and the axixtech and have found the axixtech to be much brighter that the vertex. Plus the axixtech are also designed to be "plug-in replacments for strobe kits.

ka8ypy · Post by **ka8ypy** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:55 pm

TXCAP wrote:I sell whelen and axixtech. I have tried both the vertex and the axixtech and have found the axixtech to be much brighter that the vertex. Plus the axixtech are also designed to be "plug-in replacments for strobe kits.

Whelen = 7 LEDs at 1.5 Watts per LED.
Axixtech = 9 LEDs at 2.5 Watts per LED.

Guess which one will be brighter???

Post by **thomsoningreen** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:18 am

http://www.code3pse.com/productdtl.jsp? ... d=2&id=370
http://www.soundoffsignal.com/warnamber ... _UCLED.htm
The two products above are the ones I suggest and good products to use. The on below however is a good product but I know little about the company or the product reliablity.
http://www.strobe.com/index.php?option= ... &Itemid=32

kb9suy · Post by **kb9suy** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:16 pm

Well I just got most of my lights in for a install coming up on the Chiefs new buggy. I ordered Vertex leds and I pulled them out and tested boy was I impressed. I think they are going to look sweet. I was told NOT to put red behind red but clear behind red. Sirennet.com has the leds demoed behind tailights and hes using clear.

P.S. I got banned too lol but I got unbanned or it was a computer glitch lol.

Post by Pj » Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:48 pm

Whelen advises to use a color LED behind a color lens. Usually its due to the different plastics used by various manufactures. Some of the lenses may filter out the "white" light since LED color is very specific vs halogen and incansant light sources. Color behind color gets you the best output. Obviously any color behind clear is ok.

kb9suy · Post by **kb9suy** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:57 pm

Interesting, Time to do some testing. Glad I check the post before I installed. Ill have to send two back and get reds.

ka8ypy · Post by **ka8ypy** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:44 am

kb9suy wrote:Interesting, Time to do some testing. Glad I check the post before I installed. Ill have to send two back and get reds.

Or send them to me and I'll send you two Red ones.

Dan
KA8YPY

unlisted · Post by **unlisted** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:30 pm

TXCAP wrote:I sell whelen and axixtech. I have tried both the vertex and the axixtech and have found the axixtech to be much brighter that the vertex. Plus the axixtech are also designed to be "plug-in replacments for strobe kits.

Got a link for the axixtech ones?

ka8ypy · Post by **ka8ypy** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:16 pm

unlisted wrote:
TXCAP wrote:I sell whelen and axixtech. I have tried both the vertex and the axixtech and have found the axixtech to be much brighter that the vertex. Plus the axixtech are also designed to be "plug-in replacments for strobe kits.
Got a link for the axixtech ones?

Info is here: http://www.lightningxproducts.com/tri_led.html

Sorry, I haven't updated my website with them yet, if you are interested in pricing let me know.