Well I am new to the scene of putting lights and radios in my car. Before I get to the radios, which is already down-pat for my needs (One VHF and one UHF) I have tons of questions about lighting.
I go to college in NJ and live during the summer in Massachusetts. I would like to do a light install (details about that unknown for many reasons below) but am plagued by a problem. From what I vaguely understand from both states, an EMT would have blue lights in NJ but red in MA. Problem is that having only one set of either color would create a conflict in one of the 2 states when on a call. MA would hate the blue flashers and NJ would hate the red. So I would like to figure how feasible it would be to have either stobes with different lenses for when I am in each area... or if I can get a dual color bar/internal pods and rig them to only flash one color per switch.
On a side note - anyone have the exact details for strobe colors for MA and NJ emergency personnel. I am an EMT with HazMat and CBRNE training. I am currently situated in an ambulance corp. down in NJ and will be joining one in MA once I get back up there.
Thank very much for the help.
Wiring Newbie
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flyinace09
- Posts: 67
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- What radios do you own?: XTS/XTL5000, AS+, etc.
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thebigphish
- Posts: 1477
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- What radios do you own?: AM/FM
Re: Wiring Newbie
No. hahah, this will start a firefight on this board. Best bet? Ask each agency what they are allowed to run by local standards, that is the ONLY surefire way to not get in trouble, don't go by what some of the people here will say is this or that...it starts the mother of all flamewars. There are enough locked threads on this board about the bloody light colors that everyone is allowed to run, and frankly some of us are just sick of the BS that stems from it.flyinace09 wrote:On a side note - anyone have the exact details for strobe colors for MA and NJ emergency personnel. I am an EMT with HazMat and CBRNE training. I am currently situated in an ambulance corp. down in NJ and will be joining one in MA once I get back up there.
we had a bunch of people hop the fence and join the volly fire dept also, which runs blue as compared to our green...all we did was tell them to get a dashmiser or equivalent toy with 1 green head & 1 blue (or we would get 2 green and 2 blue and parts them up), we would open it up and put a simple slide switch on the power leads for the lightheads so that if the swtich was 1 way , you'd get just the green head & the other way you would get just the blue head. We've done it with the Dual Talon, the Dual Dashmiser, basically anything that had the two different color heads.flyinace09 wrote:I go to college in NJ and live during the summer in Massachusetts. I would like to do a light install (details about that unknown for many reasons below) but am plagued by a problem. From what I vaguely understand from both states, an EMT would have blue lights in NJ but red in MA. Problem is that having only one set of either color would create a conflict in one of the 2 states when on a call. MA would hate the blue flashers and NJ would hate the red. So I would like to figure how feasible it would be to have either stobes with different lenses for when I am in each area... or if I can get a dual color bar/internal pods and rig them to only flash one color per switch.
Considering you would be going back and forth from one to the other, i would reccomned this as the easiest way to pull off a dual color setup, rather than running a bar or (gasp) hideaways w/ 2 color heads...if you put a dual head in the front, and a dual head in the back, you will have more than adequate coverage (consider the minimalist approach here, considering what you are trying to do - it's more cost effective and also easier to implement.) Considering you are a "wiring newbie" as you call yourself, i would do something plain jane for now, and upgrade it as your skills progress and your prowess improves. trust me.
NJ allows blue for volunteer first aid and firefighters. Red and a siren are allowed for the fire chief and assistant chief and for the first aid squad captain.
There are also candlepower limits, limits to number of lights and physical location of each light. I am unsure of the details, but they can be found in the motor vehicle code, title 39, available at the library.
There are also candlepower limits, limits to number of lights and physical location of each light. I am unsure of the details, but they can be found in the motor vehicle code, title 39, available at the library.
Chris,
Hamming 31 years
http://www.wa2zdy.com
Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, Florida
Snow? What's that?!
The human race is proof that Darwin was wrong.
Hamming 31 years
http://www.wa2zdy.com
Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, Florida
Snow? What's that?!
The human race is proof that Darwin was wrong.
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resqguy911
- Posts: 613
- Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2004 3:35 pm
The NJ law was changed a bit this year, removing the candlepower limit and location requirements. Similar changes were made to the part about Chiefs, but I don't think that applies in this case?
39:3-54.7 Mounting and operation of emergency warning lights.
1. a. An active member in good standing of any of the following organizations may mount and operate, on a motor vehicle operated by that member, an emergency warning light or lights as provided in P.L.1977, c.223 (C.39:3-54.7 et seq.):
(1)a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad recognized by and rendering service in any municipality; or
(2)any county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency Management recognized by and rendering service in any county or municipality, provided the member's official duties include responding to a fire or emergency call.
b.The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall not require the member to specify on which motor vehicles the emergency warning light or lights may be mounted.
L.1977,c.223,s.1; amended 1979, c.71, s.1; 1995, c.37, s.1; 2005, c.34, s.2; 2005, c.218, s.1.
39:3-54.8. Time of operation
Emergency warning lights may be operated only while the vehicle is being used in answering a fire or emergency call.
L.1977, c. 223, s. 2, eff. Sept. 16, 1977.
39:3-54.9 Specifications.
3.Emergency warning lights shall be removable or permanently attached, of the flashing or revolving type, equipped with a blue lens and controlled by a switch installed inside the vehicle or shall be blue of the light bar type, in accordance with the specifications prescribed by the chief administrator.
L.1977,c.223,s.3; amended 1979, c.71, s.2; 2005, c.218, s.2.
39:3-54.7 Mounting and operation of emergency warning lights.
1. a. An active member in good standing of any of the following organizations may mount and operate, on a motor vehicle operated by that member, an emergency warning light or lights as provided in P.L.1977, c.223 (C.39:3-54.7 et seq.):
(1)a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad recognized by and rendering service in any municipality; or
(2)any county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency Management recognized by and rendering service in any county or municipality, provided the member's official duties include responding to a fire or emergency call.
b.The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall not require the member to specify on which motor vehicles the emergency warning light or lights may be mounted.
L.1977,c.223,s.1; amended 1979, c.71, s.1; 1995, c.37, s.1; 2005, c.34, s.2; 2005, c.218, s.1.
39:3-54.8. Time of operation
Emergency warning lights may be operated only while the vehicle is being used in answering a fire or emergency call.
L.1977, c. 223, s. 2, eff. Sept. 16, 1977.
39:3-54.9 Specifications.
3.Emergency warning lights shall be removable or permanently attached, of the flashing or revolving type, equipped with a blue lens and controlled by a switch installed inside the vehicle or shall be blue of the light bar type, in accordance with the specifications prescribed by the chief administrator.
L.1977,c.223,s.3; amended 1979, c.71, s.2; 2005, c.218, s.2.
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flyinace09
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:34 pm
- What radios do you own?: XTS/XTL5000, AS+, etc.
I am picking up a new car after Christmas. Right now I have a deposit down on an '02 Liberty and a '00 Grand Cherokee... still need to bring both to the mechanic and have them checked before laying the rest of the cash down. I want to do a whole hidden system with 2x dual pods in the front and 2x in the rear and maybe 2 in the grille. a PA/Siren is nice but I doubt I will put one in. I want to spend less than a grand doing all this - including wiring my UHF and VHF mobiles into the car. I want to keep it all as discreet as possible so I am getting those Antenex (sp?) antennae for the roof of the car. If the hidden lights in the car are too expensive, I might consider a light bar up on the roof rack and a single hidden on the tailgate glass.
The biggest problem I have had in planning this all is the way of getting it to be acceptable to both NJ and MA regulations so that I don't look like I am impersonating a cop or anyone in either state. I liked the idea of wiring a switch into the power lead so that I can switch between red and blue. But I am not sure what Mass. or NJ wants in terms of color... Blue/White and Red/White? I know when doing NY that my setup had to have a green light in it along with the blue. I also had an amber rotator up on top of the truck for when parked. But that car is long gone so I need to start fresh.
The biggest problem I have had in planning this all is the way of getting it to be acceptable to both NJ and MA regulations so that I don't look like I am impersonating a cop or anyone in either state. I liked the idea of wiring a switch into the power lead so that I can switch between red and blue. But I am not sure what Mass. or NJ wants in terms of color... Blue/White and Red/White? I know when doing NY that my setup had to have a green light in it along with the blue. I also had an amber rotator up on top of the truck for when parked. But that car is long gone so I need to start fresh.
This is advice, and take it for what it's worth:
Check with your employing agency and find out what they authorize you to use. Legal, illegal, or whatever you can only use what you're authorized by the head of your agency to run.....period.
As for the lighting, just get two of whatever type you want...one for each color and put them on separate switces. problem solved. If space is an issue, look at 911EP. They have some very VERY low profile LED stuff.
Anyway, thats my .02
Check with your employing agency and find out what they authorize you to use. Legal, illegal, or whatever you can only use what you're authorized by the head of your agency to run.....period.
As for the lighting, just get two of whatever type you want...one for each color and put them on separate switces. problem solved. If space is an issue, look at 911EP. They have some very VERY low profile LED stuff.
Anyway, thats my .02
You can only buy so many bags of lime before people begin asking questions...
be carefull
Just one more thing....
Be aware that certain municipalities in NJ have stricter laws that go more in-depth than the state laws.
For example, if you are caught in Princeton Twp with a red light in your vehicle and you do not have a permit for it there is not just a fine but a 30-day jail term with it. This goes back to a situation they had years ago with college students.
I fully agree that you need to check first with your local agency then with the state and local laws of each area you will be working with.
Good luck.
Be aware that certain municipalities in NJ have stricter laws that go more in-depth than the state laws.
For example, if you are caught in Princeton Twp with a red light in your vehicle and you do not have a permit for it there is not just a fine but a 30-day jail term with it. This goes back to a situation they had years ago with college students.
I fully agree that you need to check first with your local agency then with the state and local laws of each area you will be working with.
Good luck.
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JustinHale
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:27 am
New Jersey "Lights on display"
New Jersey used to have it worded the warning lights on "display" must be (your allowed color) .... If you have the incorrect color lens visible (doesn't have to be illuminated) it is considered "on display" and is the same as running the light illuminated and will also draw a nice fine if you are not authorized to have it. I know someone that got a ticket for this exact situation. I'm not attesting to current law for any state, but, thats the way it was at one time.
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flyinace09
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:34 pm
- What radios do you own?: XTS/XTL5000, AS+, etc.
I thnk you are right about that JustinHale... one of my friends was hassled by a cop here in Wayne for having a red lens sitting up on his dash even though it was non-operational (shorted out). I think that colored LEDs (white when off) or changeable lenses are the only options for that case. If I were allowed to just use red in NJ I would be set but then I would be fragged for posing as a cheif.