Hey,


So I've started having an interest in strobe lights and now want them on my truck. I've been looking at the RECON strobe lights for 300 bucks. Are there any better ones out there for that price or cheaper? How do I know if they are good or not? What should I look for?



Ryan

go talk to the local Voluteer Fire Dept. they will have atleast one or two guys that are strobe light junkies. go to Galls.com they have a vey large section of stuff. the top of the line lights are Whelens. awesome stuff.

what are you thinking of doing for light package?

how many lights and locations?

not sure if the Recon stuff is made in house or they put thier name on somebody elses units. but there is so much stuff out there its really cool and fun.

While you're looking, check out companies the pro's use (police/fire) like Federal Signal, Whelen. Made for the long haul. Galls is one company that sells them, plus they offer cheaper ones under thier own name. Checl local laws on colors/flashing lights allowed front and rear before using them on the road...you'll get more attention than you ever wanted from the 5.0.

2 minutes too slow I guess lol.

ive been using whelen for years, just stay away from the recon kits imho. stay away from anything but amber, clear is technically allowed but you might draw some heat from the pd as that is also what we call firefighters use to respond to calls.

All of the guys in my department that have them use Whelen. I've had a set for a year and have not installed them yet. Whelen is one of the best in my opinion. Some of the guys have tried cheaper sets and ended up buying Whelen later on.

oo alright thanks guys. I was just thinking about getting strobes on my headlights and turn signals. What whelen setup is good in my situation? Im new at this whole strobe light thing so bare with me.


Thanks

oo alright thanks guys. I was just thinking about getting strobes on my headlights and turn signals. What whelen setup is good in my situation? Im new at this whole strobe light thing so bare with me.


Thanks

Do you mean bear with me-- sorry couldn't resist!

you gonna show/plow/roadside help?

stay out of the headlights, had a set of blues in the high beam pockets and they really werent that good. ( reflector vs refractor housing ). if your gonna plow get some for behind the grille and mount up high; so that way they can be seen when the plow is down. mounting the other lamps in the turn signal pocket is a good spot. use a amber stobe in here not a clear. use amber for the grille as well. for the rear; it will depend on which tail lights you have; if thats where you want to mount them. know a couple of guys that have mounted LED strobes in the space between the tail gate and the bumper. ( amber ) I see that your truck is a '05 so that means you have the all red tail lights. mount a amber lamp in the reverse pocket and you can legally mount a red lamp in the brake/turn isgnal pocket.

Whelen makes a 4 head 4 lamp kit with the needed wires to do 95% of the install, just need some sort of on/off switch and a pattern switch. if yu were to get two of these you could do the front and the back put a second on/off switch in the controll the fronts so that way you could use the front only, back only or both.

they also make the LED systems aswell. Im sure youve seen some of the new cop cars with the real thin light bars on top, those are all LED's. theymake'm for the hide-a-way stuff too

Do you mean bear with me-- sorry couldn't resist!

haha my bad

Just like every one else says, go with Whelen and don't look back...or at them up close:D

hmm alright. Yea this is just purely for show.

i've got 2 sets of stobes in my truck, they are Omega 60watt, i have in my front and rear turn signals, my back up lights and in my high beams..they are a good product, and give of alot of light

Whelen TIR4 (amber) @ $60/each

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/garageimage.php?do=full&p=68864&d=1215479392
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/garageimage.php?do=full&p=68865&d=1215479474


These are pics with TIR6 up front and TIR3 out back. Next truck gets TIR4 lamps, as they are that much better. Having used hideaway strobes until this truck, I'm definitely an LED convert.

Strobes in anything but an amber housing are sub-par in effectiveness. With the GMT-800 trucks, I have them in the Amber rear turns (GMC lenses) and the clear front turns. The rears hit great, but anything in the front is marginal at being effective. Amber strobe bulbs are definitely "less bright" than clear strobe bulbs. Also, Strobes require individual (supplied) harnesses to each position (and a hard-to-hide power supply), whereas the LEDs can be grounded right where they are mounted and 16ga single wires run to the switch.

Here's a link with the TIR3 lamps on a fellow member's truck. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225802&highlight=strobe

And remember, TIR4 is the shiznit now.

I would spent the money and buy a Whelen, like everyone else they are the best out there. and when chooseing the watts and how many strobes you want. Take the watts and divide the numbers of strobes you want and that is the watt per strobe. 90/4= 22.5 watts or 90/6= 15 watts etc. Im buying a 120 watt system and 6 clear strobes (front turns, and the back have the brake/rev. flash the oppersite of each other) for my truck because I want to be seen a mile away

I would spent the money and buy a Whelen, like everyone else they are the best out there. and when chooseing the watts and how many strobes you want. Take the watts and divide the numbers of strobes you want and that is the watt per strobe. 90/4= 22.5 watts or 90/6= 15 watts etc. Im buying a 120 watt system and 6 clear strobes (front turns, and the back have the brake/rev. flash the oppersite of each other) for my truck because I want to be seen a mile away
At least here in PA, RED = Citation and/or confiscation. Some BS about impersonating the po-po:rolleyes:. Same with clear up front.

http://galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=GR184 good?

http://galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=GR184 good?

I put the power supply next to the jack under the rear seat, had to make a hole (1") to get the wires through the body, and, here's the important part, had to have 2 25' cables to reach the rears on my 8' bed trucks. The kits come with 4 15' cables as standard.

I'm not trying to sway you to LED, but where you mount the strobe in the reflector/ lense is important for effectiveness.

galls system is an ok unit. not complete junk but not the greatest thing around either. yes you will need longer cables to reach the rear lights and a regular cab truck. the 15' cables just barely make it on a mid sized car.

for brithness 90w x 6 heads is the most you want to go. if looking to run 8 heads off one drive unit get the 120w or the 150w units. placement within the housing is importatnt as well. try to mount as close to the factory lamp as you can without touching insde or out.

for colors use clear in clear lens or another color in clear; its just that colors wont be qas "intense" as behind a refratured clear lens ( i.e. in the high beam pocket with a reflector body and a smooth clear lens, it will not be as "brite" as behind a refractured body with a refractued lens ).
in the turn signals use amber behind the amber lens, clear srobe/LED lamps will wash out the amber in the lens and it will look whitish/yellow.
in the brake/turns use a red strobe/LED, the clear will wash out a lot og the red and the light will be pinkish in color.
in the reverse lamps its the same idea as the headlight/front facing lamp i stated above.

its all about how much money you want to spend - LEDs area about 2x as much if not 3x/4x as much as "strobe" light systems. they do make systems that control the LEDs in groups for "patterns". the LEDs that are direct wired may or may not be "sync'd" together, it depends on who makes them; so your flash "patterns" may look "odd".

LEDs will "normally" last 50,000 to 100,000 hrs of run time. where as the Strobe units will last about 1,000 to 2,200 hrs. hence part of the higher cost.

I have installed many of these systems in as many configurations as you can think of and more. the LEDs will overpower standard Storbes when used on the same vehicle ( the LEDs are so brite that you can barely see the standard Strobes ). The LEDs will have a smaller amp draw per head/controller than the "strobes".

The standard Strobes are a proven dependable product and will serve most poeple very well. Like I say its just how muc do you want/have to spend.

I don't wanna turn this into an argument, so I'll just highlight my "difference of opinion" throughout your quote;).The Galls system is an ok unit. It's not complete junk, but it's not the greatest thing around, either. Yes, you will need longer cables to reach the rear lights on a regular cab truck. The 15' cables just barely make it on a mid sized car.

For brightness, the 90w x 6 heads is the most you will want to go. If you are looking to run 8 heads off of one drive unit, get the 120w or the 150w units. Placement within the housing is important as well. Try to mount the "strobe" capsule as close to the factory lamp as you can without touching inside or out. Remember, go in the bottom or side of a housing, as the top mounts tend to distort their opening, allowing moisture entry.

For colors, use clear in a clear lens, or another color in clear; Its just that colored strobes wont be as "intense", as they will behind a refracted clear lens ( i.e. in the high beam pocket with a reflector body and a smooth clear lens, it will not be as "bright" as behind a refractured body with a refractued lens ). Use of any "colored" strobe lamp will result in less light output than the equivalent "clear" strobe lamp.
In the turn signals, use amber behind the amber lens, as the clear strobe/LED lamps will wash out the amber in the lens and it will look whitish/yellow. My "clear" strobe bulbs will not wash out the rear amber lense on the GMC taillamp.
In the brake/turns, use a red strobe/LED. The clear will wash out a lot on the red, and the light will be pinkish in color.
In the reverse lamps, it's the same idea as in the headlight/front facing lamps as I stated above.

Its all about how much money you want to spend - LEDs are about 2x as much, if not 3x/4x as much as "strobe" light systems. 4 TIR4 Whelen surface mount lamps cost $240 shipped to my door. They do make systems that control the LEDs in groups for "patterns". The LEDs that are direct wired may or may not be "sync'd" together, it depends on who makes them; so your flash "patterns" may look "odd". The Whelen TIR4 lamp is syncronizable with the connection together of the gray wire from each head, although the "Action Scan" mode works better than any "Sync'd" mode. So, simply put, ground the black and 12v the yellow.

LEDs will "normally" last 50,000 to 100,000 hrs of run time. where as the Strobe units will last about 1,000 to 2,200 hrs. hence part of the higher cost. Plus, the additional wire routing, RF noise through the CB, and the extra time/ space to mount the power supply. Plus, the poor corrosion resistance of the standard "AMP" plugs. I use "deutsche" or "weatherpack" plugs, although that adds to the cost.

I have installed many of these systems in as many configurations as you can think of and more. The LEDs will overpower standard Strobes when used on the same vehicle ( the LEDs are so brite that you can barely see the standard Strobes ). I couldn't agree more. The LEDs will have a smaller amp draw per head/controller than the "strobes".

The standard Strobes are a proven dependable product and will serve most poeple very well. Like I say, its just how much do you want/have to spend.

all good points. you got a real good deal on the TIR4's, cool.

what size ( watts ) head unit are you running for the truck with the rear "amber" lamps; last one i did was a 150w 8 head using only 6 ports and it washed out to the whitish/yellow, changed just those heads and look a lot better. we agree that placement is a big part of the "effect" of how a lamp is seen

when ever I use the "AMP" connectors anywhere outside the cab I use black rubber rtv ( could probably use silicone aswell ) on all the open ends and joints; have had good luck so far.

just a general term for "sync'ng" lamps together. have seen some guys ( ricers-:t no less ) run really cheap set ups and it looks really bad. you pay for what you get.

just remember that if installs are neat and tidy to begin with they look better, are easier to trouble shoot if a problem does occur and can be removed easier when the time comes.

all good stuff, dude.:thumb::beerchug:

i bought a set off ebay for 150 shipped I think..they work great

all good points. you got a real good deal on the TIR4's, cool.

what size ( watts ) head unit are you running for the truck with the rear "amber" lamps; last one i did was a 150w 8 head using only 6 ports and it washed out to the whitish/yellow, changed just those heads and look a lot better. we agree that placement is a big part of the "effect" of how a lamp is seen

when ever I use the "AMP" connectors anywhere outside the cab I use black rubber rtv ( could probably use silicone aswell ) on all the open ends and joints; have had good luck so far.

just a general term for "sync'ng" lamps together. have seen some guys ( ricers-:t no less ) run really cheap set ups and it looks really bad. you pay for what you get.

just remember that if installs are neat and tidy to begin with they look better, are easier to trouble shoot if a problem does occur and can be removed easier when the time comes.

all good stuff, dude.:thumb::beerchug:

All mine are 90W/ 6 port with only 4 ports used. :cool: I've only got 6 trucks with 'em, though. I also use clear strobes up front in the turn lamp housing, but I wire my park lamps to come on when the Strobes are on. This gives me the required amber. The amber strobe lamp wasn't cutting it. All the rears are inboard-side loaded and required "flush cutting" of the tailgate strap bolt protrusions.

yeah alot of vehicles dont leave much room to add another lamp to the housings without some sorta mod to something else around it. never thought of having the strobe switch turn on the parking lights, always ran everything as a seperate system.
have you used any of the newer style "pop-in" LED or strobe housing from Whelen. They are a little tough to get in ( cant go too big on the hole, no screws to hold it in ) , havent tryed to take one out yet. hopefully they arent too much of a PITA.

Whelen are great unit, I use ShowMe they are very good lights. I have leds & strobes inrooflight bar. Blue in window(led) very bright. Leds in headlights & taillights. They do some unique configurations.

You should try going with whelen storbes. Plus it all depends on how many storbe heads you want. I put a set in my truck for $200.00. I had 6 stobes and a switch. Plus a $50.00 headlight flasher

You should try going with whelen storbes. Plus it all depends on how many storbe heads you want. I put a set in my truck for $200.00. I had 6 stobes and a switch. Plus a $50.00 headlight flasher

All I want to stobe on the truck is the head lights, turn signals, and reverse lights. Where did you find your kit?

Captain A, you have any pics of the light bar? Thanks

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j26/louisianarebel14/PIC-0116.jpg
Got white and amber leds on top
2red/whites for playing with my friends when i pull up at parties.
Now they are hidden behind the grille
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j26/louisianarebel14/RIMGP0584.jpg

http://www.oviedosafetylights.com/Strobe-&-LED-Light-Kits/Whelen_90_Watt_Strobe_Light_Safety_Kit_with_6_bulb s_and_Cables_for_Vehicles_and_Snowplows


does this kit come with switches?

i also have two of the tir3's mounted one both sides of my bowtie in the slot on my grill. cant even tell they are there till turned on and no drilling of headlights

Im not sure if my strobe light kit came with a control switch, wasn't mentioned in the description so im guessing i need to buy one. I have the whelen 90 watt 6 plug kit, what kinda switch to i need in the cab to operate them?

whats the difference between pop in bulbs and flange mount bulbs?

flanges I think you need to use screws to hold them in.

ok i have a 2005 2500 HD Reg Cab long bed, do you think the 15 foot cable is able to reach the rear tail light with some slack if i mount the control box under the passenger seat or should i get some 30 foot cables instead?

ok a couple of ?? can be answered here.

for the whelen 90w 6 head unit you will need 2 switches - 1 to turn the unit on/off, so a single pole sigle throw will work. the other one is to control the "flash pattern" you will need to look at hthe instruction sheet that comes with the unit; it will tell you which wires to connect for different flash patterns. if you dont want to change patterns you can just splice the wires at the unit. last setup i did i used a double pole double throw switch for this.

flanged bulbs do require 2 srews to hold them in where as the "pop-in" or "push-in" bulbs are as the name says. you just have to watch how big of a hole you drill with the "pop-in" style as if you go too big they will not hold correctly or just fall thru.

the 30ft cabes will be plenty long enough for a reg cab long bed truck with the control unit mounted under either seat. the 15ft cables are only good for the grille area. remove the door sill and the back plastic pieces so that you can get access to the "vent" at the lower back of the cab to run the wires out of the cab thru it. it works very well and no holes have to be drilled.

dont forget to silicone or rubber rtv all the splice points out side of the cab. i.e. - cable connectors to lamp connectors

I have the Sho-Me kit by NOVA electronic great kit use it atleast 4 times a week. This kit came with a controller with what looks like a telephone wire really easy to hook up unlike the Whelen which requires 8 wires and 4 switches to take advantage of all the functions(Had one). Mine is a 6-90 watt head kit. Two are mounted in the high beams two in the parking lights and two in the brake lights. With the sho-me kit you have the option to turn the front or the back off at any time also has a low power mode (60 watt) and flash pattern on the controler. The 15 ft cable will not get you far you can pick up 18-4 shielded cable at any electrical supply house by the foot and splice the cable by using butt splices and heat shrink. Just make sure what ever you do that the splice is water proof as it will ark on a wet day. Also a little silicone around the bulb will help keep the moisture out of the head and taillights.

I installed the Whelen 90w 4 strobe kit on mine. Works really well. I do have one question... I was thinking about installing some red and blue lights in the grill but don't know for sure what the laws are for volunteer firefighters... Anyone help me out on that? I live in Oklahoma.

All depends on where you are in the state and the state itself. If you live in the city and the FD is all paid/career then no lights are alloud. if you live the country and have all volunteer or combined vol/career then you can run the color that the state says you can run. usually either blue or red. not both together as that "normally" indicates some type of police force/dept.

For CT volunteers can run all blue lights. state and local pd is red and blue, fire trucks are usually all red, but some vol. companies run a blue or two on the truck somewhere.

In Mass state the volunteers have to run red becuase the state and local pd is all blue.

There are also some other rules about red and white also. but that gets real long to try and explain here.

Now this is all in respect that you are actually on a FD in your state. as you need to have a permit signed by the chief in your vehicle at all times that you have the lights displayed. even if they are clear when off.

The only color that can be displayed or used by "civilians" is Amber. Technically you need a permit for this also, but have never seen or heard of any PD break stone for any body running one.

The only way to run any other colors including clear/white is if the vehicle is a "show only" vehicle and not registired for road use.