Batboard

I want to put strobes in my vehicle so that when I'm shooting news by the side of a highway, rubber neckers and other distracted drivers would (hopefully) not slam into the back of my truck.

The back window is security-tinted, and I've been told that LEDs mounted inside don't cut through the tint too well. The other solution would be to have strobes mounted in perhaps the back-up lights for a nice white light.

Are there LED alternatives to the hide-a-way strobes?

I don't think I necessarily need grill-mount LEDs or strobes for the front, unless, well, they come in the package I buy!

Good question, but this is a frequently hashed over can of worms here...some will say yes the LEDs suck thru tints, and some will say go strobe , and some will just say both. You can search for this string before, it's been talked about.

If it's just a security tint in your vehicle, like a lightgrade tint, and not limo-tints or mirrors, then you can basically just pick what you want..as either option will cut the tint rather well. If you're looking for just brute cheapness, go with some deck strobes in the back window.

Based on the optical physics of LEDs and how they are a much more focused light source, newer generation LEDs will throw more light out on a specific axis than a strobe will... a strobe usually looks brighter from the sides due to the sloppy light emission pattern.. LED heads may say that at a certain feet back from the emitter, they will only have a peak spread of say 15 or 30 degrees off axis, while a strobe will be closer to 65 or 70 degrees off axis.
What does that mean to you? If you were to park your vehicle on an angle to the traffic, say 20 degrees on the left axis - (left front wheel on the highway and all of the others off, so you don't get walloped while going into the trunk), then an LED mounted in the rear window will be barely at the end of it's effective light pattern, while the strobe will be splashing light all over hell and creation.

If you were to put hideaways in your taillights, you have to think about the fact that (depending on your vehicle style) it very well could be quite low to the ground, and under the casual driving level of eyesight...making them marginally less effective at warning people of your prescence. would you want something that MIGHT not get their attention? or something that gets their attention to the point that it just blinds them?

It is ultimately your decision what you want, and the topic is frequently well bitched about on here...most frequently when a camera crew cought a wild T bone accident on scene and some of us thought it was possibly the camera crew's fault.... ...do yo uwant to report the news, or become it?

A very effective idea is to mix and match the two styles, but not turn your vehicle into a rolling lightshow / weather whacker car....if what you want is just "i'm here don't hit me" lighting, you could very well just put an AMBER double LED in the back window (it WILL CUT THAT TINT BETTER THAN YOU THINK) and then put a single set of corner strobes in the turn signals in the rear...if you're not a stemwhacker and don't care that the strobes / LEDs arent' synchronized, then this can be done rather cheaply. Granted yo uneed to take into consideration what the local light laws are, you might have to use another color...but i wouldn't discredit those LEDs thru tints as fast as you do, you'd be surprised.

I would avoid putting any more than 4 lightheads to the rear if you'redoing non-emergency stuff, it's just too much firepower and doesn't offer any more protection. People driving down the highway might be dazzled by all that epilepsy-food being offered up, some might see spots in their vision when you'rethrowing 10 lightheads up to the rear, as their driving almost paralell into them! Look around and see what some agencies use for non-emergency lighting setups...I know here in CT, many of the CSP cars have the option to JUST turn on the two alternating halogen lights in the back of the lightbar...that pair of focused halogens, going thru amber lenses, is incredibly bright and is visible from a LONG way away! The troopah' doesn't have to worry about people seeing this strobing mass of light on the side of the road and are less likely to rubberneck two lanes over and drift into the scene...i think that when it's not something that you have to stop traffic for....less is better. Hell, you may find a nice LED arrowstick and realize that it's all you need! YMMV.

don't go balls out, if you don't have to...and remember that less is more, when done correctly...


oh, and i haven't seen size compatible LED alternative hideaway strobes, i've seen people mount small heads in amazing places, but i'd still go with the hideaways if you're going for the invisible mount.

and you're right, if you're onscene filming something, you probably don't need front heads....why add your own exposure-destroying strobing light to that pretty-lil scene of yours? lol if you are gonna be going somewhere, and you're not gonna be actively using your vehicle for operations of rescue or such, why have a set of tlights to the front? just pull it farther off road! Front for a video-car is probably overkill, plus, you'll almost always be pulling up behind somehting on a highway, not from in front (ok, fine, flame the rural road situation then)

well, food for thought.
good luck, and keep reciepts so the boss can pay for it
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I feel 4 90-watt corner strobes are the most effective road-side warning device I've seen. I've seen some strobes placed inside the red lenses, but I'm not impressed with the lighting penetration. Mounting them within the clear housing punches through both during the day and at night.

Even though I have other warning lights in my vehicle, I usually have only the corner strobes on when I'm sitting on the side of the road.

First off, let me calm your fears, I have no want or need to become a rolling lightshow or any type of ____sexy wacker wannabe. I won't be using my vehicle for rescue, I'm not emergency services.

The tint on the back windows is the limo-style tint plus there's a cage that's installed (theft deterrent for our gear), leaving only a few inches of room from the back window to the cage bars. I don't think there's enough room there to mount an arrowstick, and one that would cut through the tint. I don't want to mount any sort of lightbar on the outside of the vehicle.

I don't need to blind anybody with the strobes, just to make it noticable that I'm not a rolling vehicle, and that I'm stopped. That's why I figure two is enough, I don't need four in the back.

I've been to several scenes where a secondary accident from rubber-neckers is worse than the one I showed up for in the first place. Many instances, idiots even stop in the passing lane of the Express lanes to gawk.

In terms of vehicle lighting laws, the only colours I can use are white and amber.

In darker situations, I bought a red LED flashing light that goes on the back of bicycles, I put that on the back of my camera. Not sure if it helps any, but rather be safe than sorry. And with pedestrian vs. vehicle, we all know who wins that game.

go with e slim lighter or talon in the back window

Just go the cheap route and get you a tear drop light.

AVFD2922 wrote:Just go the cheap route and get you a tear drop light.

and look like kojack or some goonmobile with minimal light output? Teardrops have, shall we say, less than perfect characteristics IMHO.

videonerd wrote: The tint on the back windows is the limo-style tint plus there's a cage that's installed (theft deterrent for our gear), leaving only a few inches of room from the back window to the cage bars. I don't think there's enough room there to mount an arrowstick, and one that would cut through the tint. I don't want to mount any sort of lightbar on the outside of the vehicle.

tailor made for an AMBER / AMBER slim lighter.... low draw, lower profile, brighter than snot thru tints....go for it


hahaha, wasn't implying that you'd deck it out and don't want you to think i was trying ot insult you by implying you were a weatherwhacker or something....just a common thread...just tellin it like it is...

try a slim LED in there, you'll be impressed.

Well, figured I'd throw my hat into the ring here. We sell LEDs over strobes now at a rate of about 8 to 1 for a few reasons. First off, cost, secondly, power consumption and finally, long term life.

A pair of remote mount strobe heads are going to run you about $200.00 + by the time you buy a pack and everything else you need to run it as compared to say $90.00 for a pair of amber LEDs with a strobe effect flasher with selectable patterns and a switch kit.

You can turn your vehicle off while running LEDs without the fear of them killing the battery. Most dash dual light LEDs draw less than 3/4 of an amp. per hour so you can basicly leave them on for hours before they even start doing any kind of damage to your battery.

As for durability, the grill LEDs we sell are water proof and have an average life span of 15 - 20 years (depending on usage) before you have any bulb failure whereas a strobe tube lasts approx 3-5 year (again, depending on usage) and cost an avearge of $35.00 - $70.00 to replace.

The LEDs that we sell are from Sho-Me and can be ordered by the inch in any lengths from 1" to 48". (The above mentioned kit contains a pair of 3" lamp heads.) They have a 2 year warranty and are cake to install. As for the tint issue, we have installed these on vehicles with the factory limo type tint with MINIMAL (if any) reduction in light disbursement. (I have several pics I will try to post of some slick top suburbans we did for a local PD where we put them in the back side windows for additional intersection warning lights. SHARP!!!)

Now, for the drawbacks. Yes, they don't give as much light as a strobe would past 20 degrees, but if you are using them for traffic while parked on the shoulder in a normal fashion, there should'nt be much of a problem.

On the bright side, we are getting some new models in from Show-Me (also waterproof) that can be mounted flush on any surface using a couple of stainless self tapping screws. The nice thing is you can mount them right to the body of a vehicle at critical 45 degree points such as on mirror housings, corners of vans, etc. Prices are going to be pretty reasonable too.

As had been suggested, you may want to consider an amber roof light though for true rear warning. (And no, not a Kojak or teardrop light either) Get a decent twin rotator mini bar from Fed-Sig with a permenant mount and just set it on the roof at the middle of the rear of the truck. It's at a very good height for visibility and they can be seen from all directions.

Our new heavy rescue truck has Whelen's new TIR6 LED Traffic Advisor on the back. Mother of god, that thing is brighter than the rest of the lights on the truck combined!!!

I would also go for LED's in the back window. Strobes are quickly becoming "not worth it" for those applications. The old school slimlighter in my tinted back window blasts right through it better than the strobes do.

or even a set of tir 3 wont even se them there

I would look at a Traffic Backer ($20 or so) to use your existing brake and reverse lights to flash brake>reverse, brake>reverse simulaneously.

Or get a dual amber slimlight from sho-me for $48 and get a $20 flasher for it. Amber is a bright color and should punch through the tint. If you have a truck with a roof rack, this will hide low profile outside nicely. And its weatherproof. http://www.rimindustries.com/able2/11.8600.htm

Other cheap led options:
- http://www.rimindustries.com/able2/11.2840.htm

- http://www.rimindustries.com/able2/12.5003.htm

If you just want a simple rotating light, I have a 55w pancake I'll sell for cheap.

Or, for a nice led stick, lshlights.net has one on clearance in amber:
http://www.lshlights.net/catalog/911ep_ ... 943233.htm

$140 and has the factory warranty

Hey, if you really want to do it nice and have some money to spend, replace the back glass in the vehicle with an original pane from your local auto glass company, but order it non tinted. Then have a tint shop or buy it yourself, and tint the window around the lights. You can then run Halogen, LED, or Strobe and they ALL cut through but you will still have the mild security of the tint.


Set it up once of a local LEO and he loved it for their Smackdown Van.


CHART

ohh my god you guys are gettin out of hand now

those pancke lights are POS as well as the Show me Slim Lighter

Plus the how me ones can nto be called a slim lighter cause that name is TM by whelen

i agree...knocking out windows and retinting AROUND installed lightheads isn't cheap...and i don't think that the gain you are gonna get is really cost effective (especially for videonerd's pursestrings). AND FOR GOD'S SAKE THE TINT ISN'T GONNA KNOCK IT DOWN THAT MUCH!!!!!!!!

chartofmaryland wrote:Hey, if you really want to do it nice and have some money to spend, replace the back glass in the vehicle with an original pane from your local auto glass company, but order it non tinted. Then have a tint shop or buy it yourself, and tint the window around the lights. You can then run Halogen, LED, or Strobe and they ALL cut through but you will still have the mild security of the tint.

A FD here (in Howard County, MD) did a tint around some rear DeckBlasters...looks like crap, in my opinion. Dark tint, with some cutouts. I really don't care for it; it almost looks like some retarded monkey did it (no offense to retarded monkeys).

just put the lights in the tint, it'll work fine... your not running command at a international airport or anything!

see there too is the problem deck blasters

KitN1MCC wrote:see there too is the problem deck blasters

It was a county (translation: low bid) Crown Vic.

KitN1MCC wrote: those pancke lights are POS as well as the Show me Slim Lighter

There is no such thing as a Show me Slim Lighter. But there is a Sho-Me SlimLIGHT. The guy is not a squirell, the slimlights, especially in amber would do great for his application.

KitN1MCC wrote: Plus the how me ones can nto be called a slim lighter cause that name is TM by whelen

If I were you I'd buy a new keyboard, it seems your A and S keys are failing. Again, it's a Sho-Me Slim Light not a slimlighter. Do you even know anything about them?

Station House Products wrote: We sell LEDs over strobes now at a rate of about 8 to 1 for a few reasons. First off, cost, secondly, power consumption and finally, long term life.

Not to hijack the thread, but ....

Hey Chuck - do any of your vendors have a PAR36 LED lamp, suitable for use on a motorcycle yet?

I'm massively unimpressed with what I've seen so far...

Priority one could not have said it better. Seriously, it's not a physics final. A traffic advisor woiuld be ideal for you or a rotator, or something, dont beat yourself up over it.....
Joe

Traffic Advisors are quite effective. Unfortunatly it's a van, otherwise i'd suggest a DashLaser on the rear deck (I use one, very noticable)

I'd go with the traffic advisors, they draw alot of attention. Need more than that, put a strobe kit in the rear lights (Check local laws)

The new Nova WIC LED's are super thin. I would bet that you could put them between the glass and that cage. They are probably only 1/4" think. Or you could mount them on the outside of the van. They only come in amber or red. Go to http://www.strobe.com for more info.

DPEMA140

Check out Whelen's TIR6 Super-LED Traffic Advisor, model TA4437M. It is an eight lamp unit, split into two parts, each with four lamps, which fit nicely into the rear barn doors of Suburbans, Tahoes, vans, etc. As nmfire 10 said, these things are incredibly bright, and will unquestionably cut through any tint. Scroll down to page 35 of Whelen's catalog to take a look. http://www.whelen.com/pb/automotive/Catalogs/11032.pdf

Good luck and be safe.

motor59 wrote:

Station House Products wrote: We sell LEDs over strobes now at a rate of about 8 to 1 for a few reasons. First off, cost, secondly, power consumption and finally, long term life.

Not to hijack the thread, but ....

Hey Chuck - do any of your vendors have a PAR36 LED lamp, suitable for use on a motorcycle yet?

I'm massively unimpressed with what I've seen so far...

I'll check for you today. Any particular style or size? (Round, rectangular, 2", 3", etc.)