LED Lightbars on Apparatus? - Firehouse Forums

ESDA-20 · 01-01-2002, 02:06 AM

Anyone using these new fangled things on their apparatus? We had a few POVs running around our department with them, so we decided to put a new LED 911EP Millenium on one of our new BLS first response units. After we hooked it up, wired it in, and turned it on, there was a single response from the department.

"HOLY <insert your favorite expletive>"

These things are freaking -amazing-. They're bright, you can throw them into a 4 foot pool and they still work (tho, I have to wonder at the sanity of that...), run them into the ground, and they're relatively cheap on maintenance.

The future of emergency lighting is here. Lets hope our wallets can hold out. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

eyecue · 01-01-2002, 02:50 AM

You ought to look at them through a thermal imaging camera. You cant see them. They generate no heat! Hence they will outlast the truck that they are on. Also added bonus: Low amperage drain.

EFDems841 · 01-01-2002, 03:58 PM

I've heard nothing but great things about LED's Dash lights and visor lights are readily available, but I have yet to come across a full sized lightbar. Anyone know where you can find them? I did about 2-3 hours of web surfing one night looking for them with no luck.

FIREDUDE-167 · 01-01-2002, 07:55 PM

Here is a website that has lightbars as well as dash mount led lights at a great price. The lightbar is made by CODE 3 the cheapest one is all red 47" 2 takedowns and 2 alley lights using 8 led sets for $1059.95. They also have other bars available the site is <a href="http://www.bcsstore.com" target="_blank">www.bcsstore.c om</a> Van is the owner and is a super helpful guy. The light should be available sometime after the first of the year. I hope this is helpful.

berkut · 01-02-2002, 09:41 PM

Check out <a href="http://www.911ep.com" target="_blank">www.911ep.com</a> This is the company that manufactures the Millenium light bar that ESDA-20 is referring to. The video section has some pretty cool clips of this bar in action including the underwater operation of this unit! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

raricciuti · 01-08-2002, 11:57 AM

Our PD unmarked unit has a no-show red/blue LED dashlight, and it is very bright. You can't beat the low amp draw either. We have two new engines due this month, and we spec'd all LED stop, tail, turn, and clearance lights. The lamp life is about 100,000 hours - much longer than the life expectancy of the truck. The biggest downside I think is cost. Red and amber are a little pricey, but blue or white are obscene - twice as much or more than red or amber. This puts blue LED lighting out of the price range for most personal vehicle warning. Anyone know why the major cost difference?

SMCAPT7 · 01-08-2002, 03:50 PM

The main cost differance for Blue is that they were not a normal LED color. Red, amber, and clear are used for other non-emergency applications ( ie. school buses, traffic lights, rear brake light/turn signals ). As the services start to use more Blue lights, the prices have started coming down.

ESDA-20 · 01-09-2002, 12:19 AM

The main reason for the prices of LED blue/whites/green is the way they are made. They require a special pressure/gas ammount when they are made, which results in a 1 in 10 production value. For every 10 they make, only 1 is usable. But I know Code3 and Whelen are aggressively seeking a new way to make them cheaper. (All those southern states with blue lights on cop cars are a huge market.)

Donuts · 01-10-2002, 04:25 PM

we recently purchased a code 3 mx7000 with led flashers. they are much brighter that halogen flashers. i was also told by the salesman that code 3 is working on or has an all led lightbar. i don't know their web address, but its worth looking into. also the led's are warrentied for some outragious period of time.

Sentech · 01-28-2002, 10:46 PM

We just got 4 new E-1 engines. They are based on Peterbilt chassis with E-1 bodies. Four man cab and 1500 Hale pumps. Almost all the lights are LED. They are AWESOME! I did all the research on them on the internet. I knew of LED's from having them on my Harley. I took the Toledo Fire Rescue Div. kicking and screaming into the 21st century! The fire line loves the lights. We have not put a single new fixture on a vehicle with an incandescent bulb in it in the last year. All replacement fixtures are LED and even tho they are $$ alot of bucks they save the techs a ton of work.
Has anyone seen an HID light? I was looking at one at E-1 that plugs into a 12volt cigarette lighter socket and just pulls 6 amps but gave off more light than a 1000 watt halogen. It is styled as a work light. Very hi tech and alot of $$ but if you can eliminate a generator and all those troublesome GFI plugs it might be cheaper. If you knock this light over it is just lukewarm. You can lay your hand on the rectangular lens and it is just warm. Alot safer than a halogen . The
light is very white/blue just about like daylight. Sentech

TomE at Pierce · 02-13-2002, 11:51 PM

I am I Buyer at Pierce manufacturing and I spend a lot of time working with LED lights and pricing. The first company that could get us a NFPA lightbar with all LEDs was Weldon Technologies. They used their 3x7 perimeter lights in an aluminum extrusion. The bar looks sweet. Right now, Whelen and Federal Signal also claim to have full size bars that are NFPA compliant.

Prices should start coming down. Most emergency lighting companies are working on how to get more light out of fewer LEDs. This will make colors like Blue/White/Green affordable.

If you have any questions drop me an email.

tenz@piercemfg.com

HF&R_H28 · 02-28-2002, 07:23 PM

i think whelen is working on the all led light bar, i saw it advertised on their website. at the recent race at North Carolina Speedway, the pace car had a mostly led light bar, all flashers were led, the only strobs were in the 4 corners. www.whelen.com

01-01-2002, 02:06 AM	#1
ESDA-20 Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 55	LED Lightbars on Apparatus? Anyone using these new fangled things on their apparatus? We had a few POVs running around our department with them, so we decided to put a new LED 911EP Millenium on one of our new BLS first response units. After we hooked it up, wired it in, and turned it on, there was a single response from the department. "HOLY <insert your favorite expletive>" These things are freaking -amazing-. They're bright, you can throw them into a 4 foot pool and they still work (tho, I have to wonder at the sanity of that...), run them into the ground, and they're relatively cheap on maintenance. The future of emergency lighting is here. Lets hope our wallets can hold out. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

01-01-2002, 03:58 PM	#3
EFDems841 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Egremont, Massachusettes Posts: 134	I've heard nothing but great things about LED's Dash lights and visor lights are readily available, but I have yet to come across a full sized lightbar. Anyone know where you can find them? I did about 2-3 hours of web surfing one night looking for them with no luck. __________________ HELL YEAH!!! The comments made by me are just that. Not of the Fire dept or Ambulance squad I am on.

01-01-2002, 07:55 PM	#4
FIREDUDE-167 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 5	Here is a website that has lightbars as well as dash mount led lights at a great price.<br />The lightbar is made by CODE 3 the cheapest one is all red 47" 2 takedowns and 2 alley lights<br />using 8 led sets for $1059.95. They also have other bars available the site is <a href="http://www.bcsstore.com" target="_blank">www.bcsstore.c om</a><br />Van is the owner and is a super helpful guy.<br />The light should be available sometime after the first of the year. I hope this is helpful.

01-02-2002, 09:41 PM	#5
berkut Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Arkansas Posts: 51	Check out <a href="http://www.911ep.com" target="_blank">www.911ep.com</a> This is the company that manufactures the Millenium light bar that ESDA-20 is referring to. The video section has some pretty cool clips of this bar in action including the underwater operation of this unit!<br /> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

01-08-2002, 11:57 AM	#6
raricciuti Forum Member Join Date: Jun 1999 Location: Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228 Posts: 121	Our PD unmarked unit has a no-show red/blue LED dashlight, and it is very bright. You can't beat the low amp draw either. We have two new engines due this month, and we spec'd all LED stop, tail, turn, and clearance lights. The lamp life is about 100,000 hours - much longer than the life expectancy of the truck. The biggest downside I think is cost. Red and amber are a little pricey, but blue or white are obscene - twice as much or more than red or amber. This puts blue LED lighting out of the price range for most personal vehicle warning. Anyone know why the major cost difference? __________________ R.A. Ricciuti Mt. Lebanon Fire Department

01-01-2002, 02:50 AM	#2
eyecue Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: F.L. CO,USA Posts: 111	You ought to look at them through a thermal imaging camera. You cant see them. They generate no heat! Hence they will outlast the truck that they are on. Also added bonus: Low amperage drain.

01-08-2002, 03:50 PM	#7
SMCAPT7 MembersZone Subscriber Join Date: Dec 1998 Location: Windsor, CT Posts: 72	The main cost differance for Blue is that they were not a normal LED color. Red, amber, and clear are used for other non-emergency applications ( ie. school buses, traffic lights, rear brake light/turn signals ). As the services start to use more Blue lights, the prices have started coming down. __________________ "Fire Prevention is our Intention"

01-09-2002, 12:19 AM	#8
ESDA-20 Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 55	The main reason for the prices of LED blue/whites/green is the way they are made. They require a special pressure/gas ammount when they are made, which results in a 1 in 10 production value. For every 10 they make, only 1 is usable. But I know Code3 and Whelen are aggressively seeking a new way to make them cheaper. (All those southern states with blue lights on cop cars are a huge market.)

01-10-2002, 04:25 PM	#9
Donuts Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 17	we recently purchased a code 3 mx7000 with led flashers. they are much brighter that halogen flashers. i was also told by the salesman that code 3 is working on or has an all led lightbar. i don't know their web address, but its worth looking into. also the led's are warrentied for some outragious period of time.

01-28-2002, 10:46 PM	#10
Sentech Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toledo,Ohio Posts: 5	LED's We just got 4 new E-1 engines. They are based on Peterbilt chassis with E-1 bodies. Four man cab and 1500 Hale pumps. Almost all the lights are LED. They are AWESOME! I did all the research on them on the internet. I knew of LED's from having them on my Harley. I took the Toledo Fire Rescue Div. kicking and screaming into the 21st century! The fire line loves the lights. We have not put a single new fixture on a vehicle with an incandescent bulb in it in the last year. All replacement fixtures are LED and even tho they are $$ alot of bucks they save the techs a ton of work. Has anyone seen an HID light? I was looking at one at E-1 that plugs into a 12volt cigarette lighter socket and just pulls 6 amps but gave off more light than a 1000 watt halogen. It is styled as a work light. Very hi tech and alot of $$ but if you can eliminate a generator and all those troublesome GFI plugs it might be cheaper. If you knock this light over it is just lukewarm. You can lay your hand on the rectangular lens and it is just warm. Alot safer than a halogen . The light is very white/blue just about like daylight. Sentech

02-13-2002, 11:51 PM	#11
TomE at Pierce Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Appleton Posts: 1	ALL LED BARS I am I Buyer at Pierce manufacturing and I spend a lot of time working with LED lights and pricing. The first company that could get us a NFPA lightbar with all LEDs was Weldon Technologies. They used their 3x7 perimeter lights in an aluminum extrusion. The bar looks sweet. Right now, Whelen and Federal Signal also claim to have full size bars that are NFPA compliant. Prices should start coming down. Most emergency lighting companies are working on how to get more light out of fewer LEDs. This will make colors like Blue/White/Green affordable. If you have any questions drop me an email. tenz@piercemfg.com __________________ Tom Enz<br />Buyer<br />Pierce Mfg<br />(920)832-3045

02-28-2002, 07:23 PM	#12
HF&R_H28 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 228	i think whelen is working on the all led light bar, i saw it advertised on their website. at the recent race at North Carolina Speedway, the pace car had a mostly led light bar, all flashers were led, the only strobs were in the 4 corners. www.whelen.com Last edited by HF&R_H28; 02-28-2002 at 07:27 PM.

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