FireLink

Hello every one, My name is Luther Berge and I am a member of the Pickwick Volunteer Fire/Rescuse Department and I also own and operate my own vehicle lighting and accessories business here in South East Minnestoa. Ever since the introduction of L.E.D. Emergency Vehcile Lighting Systems were introduced, they became very popular and departments and agencies were starting to pahse out their old strobe and halogen warning light systems due to the popularity and the concept that L.E.D.'s draw much less current and have very little maintenance. I am a fan of all kinds of warning lights and different setups that departments and agencies use and I will sell and service any type that is out there but there are a few differences that I have found very interesting over the years of doing this. I do agree with the very low to no maintenance of these particular lights, but not all L.E.D. lightbars draw less current than the ones that they replaced and they don't "throw" the light light a halogen rotator does but they are coming pretty close to the effect of a strobe light has.

The things that I have found over the years is that L.E.D.'s do increase the lifespan of the light and can sometimes out live one or more vehicles but they can't "throw" the light like everyone got acustomed to and liked. There are products out there that are coming close to it and I recommend them for a secondary or lower level warning instead of the primary or upper level of warning. Also, some of the L.E.D. Full Size Lightbars draw about the same, if not more than a halogen rotator light bar or a strobe light bar, but this is where it gets kind of tricky. For example, the most popular lights I have come accross are either made by Whelen, Code 3, and Federal Signal. These companies have many, many great products and they serve their purpose for what they are made to do but, some of their L.E.D. versions of popular halogen and strobe light bars draw more current than the previous light bars.

I guess it all comes down to what you are looking for and what the primary use of the vehicle is going to be. I have found that in bad weather, rotators work the best along with some strobes as a secondary light source. I have also found that L.E.D.'s and some strobe lights do not show up very well during very sunny conditions but all 3 types of lights are very good at night.

For more information I suggest you visit the companies websites and look at all the technical information and then decide on what type of lighting package you would like to go with. I am not trying to sway people in one direction or another, just simply providing my advice and what I have experianced over the years. If you would like some more adivce on what types to go with or if you have questions about lights and what to do or if you are just starting to build a truck, I will be happy to assist you or even sell you some products.

As always, stay safe in everything that you do, no matter on or off the clock and always look out for your crew members.

Luther Berge

I am also going to add a poll to see which lights you like the best, either L.E.D., Strobe, or Halogen.

my truck has a triple combo.  rotator mx 7000,  grille leds, and a visor strobe.  i like the full functioning bar.  alleys, takedowns, and intersections.  leds can't do them any better.  i have looked at the radian bars our local pd uses.  all led.  not very impressed with the alleys and takedowns.  red/blue upper warnings are impressive though. 

It is really tough to answer your poll question because anyone that has been around awhile has seen all three types and should be aware of their advantages and disadvantages.  The continued research and development of LED technology will cause increased function of these lights.  It is important to remember the distinct advantages of each type.

Strobes: Quick, bright light flash.  Grabs a drivers attention.  First strobes were single flash on  a regular pattern, newer versions have multiple flash patterns which increases their visibility.

Halogen:  Steady light, always there, always on.  Even when light beam was not directed at the driver of a vehicle the light could be seen inside the lightbar reflecting off all the interior surfaces.  Lightbar was never dark.  Flashing halogens have similar problems as strobes and LEDs in that when they are not on they are not visible.

LEDs:  Quick, flashes of light, lower power use.  Original LED's light were very hard to see from any angle other than directly on.  Each ensuing improvement helped improve the visibility and magnification of the LED. 

The optimum lightbar would incorporate all three or at least one halogen with one of the other kinds.  The Strobes or LEDs to get the quick flash to get the drivers attention and then the halogen light in a constant on rotating or oscillating light so when the driver looked there would always be a light there to be seen.

Many years ago the County Sheriff purchased some of the first full strobe, full size lightbars.  I was able to see one of these vehicles go past me at night with the lightbar fully activated.  Due to an alternating flash pattern the strobes on each side of bar got into a situation where for about a second there was absolutely no light being displayed by the lightbar.  This is a bad situation when approaching an intersection or a driveway or any vehicle being driven on the highway.  During that time a driver could look at the emergency vehicle and not see any emergency lights in use and therefore not realize the vehicle was being driven to an emergency.

Just a small part of the thoughts and ideas that have developed for me over the years.

DC502

Kinda like all three, But at least the price for LEDs are coming down a bit.

My Truck has:

1) 47" MX7000, 5 rotator, intersection lights, front flashers, rear flashers, rear 6 lamp arrowstick, 2 pr front takedowns, alley lights.

2) 4 LED module dash light (Simular to Whelen)

3) 1 pr of Sound Off 3 LED grille lights.

I really like to use strobes and LEDs.

i have a mini phantom on my front windshield and 2 on both sides. I have a 4 way strobe kit. and 4 grille LEDs with 3 LED sticks in the back windshield. I tried Halogens and didnt care much for them.