Batboard

Thinking about replacing the third brake light in a cruiser/suv's with an LED or an LED+flasher that pulses/flickers the LED when applying the brakes and then comes on steady right thereafter.

I have seen this on police motorcycles, ambulances and fire vehicles before. It's greatly attention-grabbing when you first hit the brakes and then just stays on solid as long as the brakes are applied, like a normal brake light.

The ones observed on ambulances I think were all Whelen, IIRC. Anyone have any idea if this is a specific LED or flasher?

I know the 600-series Smart LEDs support a "Steady-Brake" flash pattern that gives you the stutter-steady pattern. Check the lighthead catalog - I know they've got quite a few S/T/T lightheads - perhaps they support the flash pattern you're looking for?

Justt so you are aware Jedi, it violates the FMVSS to flash a third brakelight. That is why all new cruisers that are equipped with a tail-light flasher do not flash the third brakelight. That being said, Whelen produces an in-line flasher for the purpose of adding the Signal Alert flash pattern to any LED lighthead. From what I could find, the model number is SGNALRT but I could not find any price listing for it. So give Whelen a call and see if the device is still available.

Not looking to flash the brakelight as part of the warning system, just keeping it independent and making it a better, more noticeable brakelight - just like on motorcycles, ambulances etc, as mentioned above.

If this proves to be too much of a PITA, I might opt for a 911ep LS12-STT. Anyone have any experience with these?

Technically, John is right... what you're trying to do, even as a simple brakelight, does violate federal regulations. That said, there are lots of vehicles doing it... hell, our local public transportation authority has a pair of rear-facing Par36 red LEDs that fire together, CometFlash, for the duration the brakes are applied... truly irritating.

I'm interested to see what you come up with. I need to reinstall a CHMSL on my truck as the Arrowstik required its removal. I need to mount the lamps on each of the double-doors, necessitating two lamps to make things look right. So far, my best choice has been a couple of TIR3s, but that's a. expensive and b. probably too bright.

Jedi, I may not have explained myself properly. The SGNALRT from Whelen is exactly for the purpose of a brakelight. The Signal Alert flash pattern is a flash then steady on, which I think is exactly what you are asking for. Installation is very easy, three wires: One to ground, then you cut the factory wire going to your brakelight and this module has an input and output wire.

http://www.whelen.com/install/134/13413.pdf

Thanks to both of you for the clarification and model numbers. I will have to think about this one and will let you guys know what exactly we'll end up doing.