Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

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Audubon 1-1
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Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

Post by Audubon 1-1 »

Hi guys. Was looking into buying a bluelight for my car, but I'm not sure what would be best for me. I want something that's not expensive, because I'm not an officer, but at the same time I want to get people's attention, because otherwise I'd just be better off without. Since you guys are all experienced in it, do you have any advice?

Mike
jmr3865
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Post by jmr3865 »

Galls: mini phantom $105.00
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tensi0n
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Post by tensi0n »

I have the mini phantom too. It's ok in the day time, but at night...WOW it sure is bright! Can't beat the price too.
fd2119
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Post by fd2119 »

jmr3865 wrote:Galls: mini phantom $105.00
Most anything you can find in Galls, you can find cheaper elsewhere. Case in point: Galls has the Mini Phantom for $105, whereas Sirennet has it for $84.50 (+$10 for the blue, so $94.50), plus shipping.

Galls, in my mind, is like 7-11 for the public safety community. They have a lot of stuff, but you pay out just about every orrifice for it.
KitN1MCC
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Post by KitN1MCC »

Whelen Single Talon
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jedi_saber
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Post by jedi_saber »

I second Kit's comment. Talon is the best single LED light your money can buy. It'll blow that first generation phantom outa the water day or night.
jhook
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Post by jhook »

the micromax led for around $90.00 is a good buy there super bright and have i believe 18 diffrent pattern's . i have one in amber and sitting on the side of the road at night having it cycle through the pattern's head on traffic coming twards me litterly comes to a crawl. in 25 year's of working on the hwy's towing other than a edge bar your basic 55 watt rotatar bar's won't slow traffic down like this does.if you have seen the lightingx 4 up led it's the same as whats in the dash light. all i can say is it's one bright light


Jhook
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kg6bki
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Post by kg6bki »

I 2nd with the Phantom Led...it works and its extremly bright at night
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007
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Post by 007 »

Talon
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tvsjr
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Post by tvsjr »

Talon, preferably dual. Or, for a tad more money, a 3-head InnerEdge (red/clear/blue being my preference).
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60A
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Post by 60A »

I also highly recommend the talon. It's a great light, and whelen had an excellent warranty.
nick.dejohn
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Post by nick.dejohn »

I strongly agree on the talon. I have a dual blue/blue and it is outstanding
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SafetyLighting
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Post by SafetyLighting »

Take a look at the New 911EP LS12. I just had a customer trade a Dual Talon for one, but it is about personal preference so you should go look at a few lights and see what you think of them.
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Screwed
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Post by Screwed »

whelen visor led

firebeam
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redbeard
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Post by redbeard »

I have a Whelen Firebeam with a solid blue lens and the Ultra Flash mirror. Get lots of compliments on it. They are even better if you order it with the clear lens and then get colored half lens filters to snap on the outside. Then you can do dual color out of one rotator. If you go blue/clear put the blue on the back side, you get more flashes out of the back lens with the mirror than with it on the front. Doesn't look as nice turned off though.

Benefits over LED and strobe? Cost.... and it's still a lot of light.

Drawback is that they aren't sealed so can't leave them on the roof.
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williamh
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Re: Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

Post by williamh »

Audubon 1-1 wrote:Hi guys. Was looking into buying a bluelight for my car, but I'm not sure what would be best for me. I want something that's not expensive, because I'm not an officer,

Mike
here lies the problem .. if you are not a officer or otherwise allowed to use one ... your a wannabe and are going to get your self arrested .! ... or get yourself killed , running traffic or pissing off someone who hates cops etc.


you might want to think about that ... 2c.
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has made a huge tactical error"
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redbeard
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Re: Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

Post by redbeard »

williamh wrote:
Audubon 1-1 wrote:Hi guys. Was looking into buying a bluelight for my car, but I'm not sure what would be best for me. I want something that's not expensive, because I'm not an officer,

Mike
here lies the problem .. if you are not a officer or otherwise allowed to use one ... your a wannabe and are going to get your self arrested .! ... or get yourself killed , running traffic or pissing off someone who hates cops etc.


you might want to think about that ... 2c.
I think by 'not an officer' he wasn't trying to say he was a whacker.

Probably something simple like his dept. not allowing full lightbars for anyone other than officers(Capt., Lt., Asst. Chief, etc.) I know depts. around here like that. Makes no sense with state laws requiring 360 visibilty that you can't have a rooftop light...
Look, it's not in my nature to be mysterious. But I can't talk about it and I can't talk about why.
Audubon 1-1
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Re: Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

Post by Audubon 1-1 »

williamh wrote:
Audubon 1-1 wrote:Hi guys. Was looking into buying a bluelight for my car, but I'm not sure what would be best for me. I want something that's not expensive, because I'm not an officer,

Mike
here lies the problem .. if you are not a officer or otherwise allowed to use one ... your a wannabe and are going to get your self arrested .! ... or get yourself killed , running traffic or pissing off someone who hates cops etc.


you might want to think about that ... 2c.
What? I appreciate the advice, but at my station just about every firefighter has a bluelight, and no, we don't run people over and drive like maniacs. When I live in a different town then my department, it requires me to travel a far distance, and it's helpful when people see you are a firefighter and give you the courtesy of pulling over. It really isn't that big of a deal, which is why I said I wanted something cheap, but reliable. I mentioned not being an officer because it is yet again, not that big of an issue.
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wkr518
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Re: Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

Post by wkr518 »

audobon wrote:
What? I appreciate the advice, but at my station just about every firefighter has a bluelight, and no, we don't run people over and drive like maniacs. When I live in a different town then my department, it requires me to travel a far distance, and it's helpful when people see you are a firefighter and give you the courtesy of pulling over. It really isn't that big of a deal, which is why I said I wanted something cheap, but reliable. I mentioned not being an officer because it is yet again, not that big of an issue.

-blue light volunteers who SPEED around us get ticketed.almost every non-officer ( red authorized) who responds to calls runs some kind of blue dashlight or mini bar as a courtesy light only.NY just passed into a law the allowance of blue to add to bars for Police,so not sure how this will affect volunteer fire blue.
I would suggest the Single Blue Talon ( 5 yr warranty) or the newer Spec8 TIR ( 3rd generation LED) if price is issue.Even the Blue Mini Guardian Bar is bright enough.Seen alot of those around here.
happy hunting
wayne
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wkr518
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Re: Best bluelight for your everyday volunteer?

Post by wkr518 »

audobon wrote:
What? I appreciate the advice, but at my station just about every firefighter has a bluelight, and no, we don't run people over and drive like maniacs. When I live in a different town then my department, it requires me to travel a far distance, and it's helpful when people see you are a firefighter and give you the courtesy of pulling over. It really isn't that big of a deal, which is why I said I wanted something cheap, but reliable. I mentioned not being an officer because it is yet again, not that big of an issue.

-blue light volunteers who SPEED around us get ticketed.almost every non-officer ( red authorized) who responds to calls runs some kind of blue dashlight or mini bar as a courtesy light only.NY just passed into a law the allowance of blue to add to bars for Police,so not sure how this will affect volunteer fire blue.
I would suggest the Single Blue Talon ( 5 yr warranty) or the newer Spec8 TIR ( 3rd generation LED) if price is issue.Even the Blue Mini Guardian Bar is bright enough.Seen alot of those around here.
happy hunting
wayne
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Two Tone
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Post by Two Tone »

Well this got just a little off topic so i think ill get it back on track if its ok... I have gone through many blue lights in the past and nothing ive had compairs to the Code 3 Deckblaster. Its small and can be clearly seen day or night. I really have no complaints on it at all. And I like how it can have its flash pattern changed if needed.
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Pj
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Post by Pj »

The new Whelen SpecTIR is a nice light. Its a TIR4 over a TIR4 for under $100.
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jhook
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Post by jhook »

just recieved the lightning x version of the Hawk ordered a red and blue split and a amber,fits the windshield good,nice flash shield and has 10 diffrent flash pattern's there not the brightest on the block but for the price there a good buy. seems to cut through the tint nice has a 3 suction cup mount. just compared it to a single talon at night and ya know there close the talon has a bit bigger pattern but the reflector is bigger so thats understandable.but as far as brightness it's pretty damb bright one of the patterns is a alt wigwag that makes the light look like a revolving dash light pretty neat some thing a single talon can't do. Jhook
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Post by jhook »

added a bit more info to my last post regarding hawk1 led dashlight
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fly_on_the_wall
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Post by fly_on_the_wall »

try this one, its a show me dash light pro, i have 3 sets of them and they work a treat.

you can get them in any colour combo.

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Robert HT220
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Post by Robert HT220 »

If you want a basic everyday use light get a SVP or STAR teardrop halogen rotator. They have real strong magnets on the bottom so you can put it on the car or truck's roof and it won't go anywhere. I have a red one made by SVP and it works alright during the day, but at night it'll really get people to move over. YES they make a lot of grinding noise but some lithium grease on the gears shuts 'em up.
CMDR476
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911ep LS12

Post by CMDR476 »

I just installed a 911ep LS12 behind the rearview mirror of my Dodge Ram. I was skeptical at first because everyone has been buying up Whelen Talons left and right, and I wanted to try something different.

I bought mine in Blue/White and keep it on the accelerator flash pattern.

I live in a rather high traffic area, and I have yet to have a vehicle not move before I get to them.

It is absolutely blinding at night, and unbelievably attention getting even in the brightest sunlight.

At just under $300, it’s probably a little pricy. But, it gets the job done and is as effective, if not more effective, than the Talon. Everyone who sees it is blown away by it.

My only complaint is that the white totally overpowers the blue. But, it gets the traffic moved so I can’t complain that much.

http://strobeguy.safeshopper.com/80/2451.htm?272
MK4412
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Post by MK4412 »

Old skool. Federal Fireball II.
Mike
allcomm
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Post by allcomm »

If you can wait, I would go with one of these new dash lights from lightningX.... they are very bright and not to bad on the wallet.

Check out http://www.cheap-strobes.com

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Jay
rwo978
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Post by rwo978 »

If you need something visible but cheap, go with the Firebeam. Probably the best rotating dashlight available. Bright, multiple speeds, 7 flash mirror. It should work for what you need.

Any LED light is going to be more expensive, obviously. However, I recommend the Lighting-X MicroMax and MicroMax 2. Both are very bright with many flash patterns, and not too hard on the pocketbook.
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Post by shakakan »

You have alot of options. My advice is know the law, and follow it. In Missouri, either a forward facing red or a forward facing blue with a siren makes you an emergency vehicle, and people are required to yield to you. That said, people do stupid things when they see flashing lights (moths to a flame). Be careful.
Terriers618
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Post by Terriers618 »

I am sure that he is well aware of laws and his department rules and regulations. NEVERTHELESS we are not here on this forum to instruct him how to operate his blue/red/white/yellow/green light nor demand he operate it in any such way.

With that being said, i HIGHLY recommend whelen for one

The Talon (single or dual) is AN EXCELLENT LIGHT day or night it moved traffic in a tiny black celica.

Another AWESOME light is the slimlighter (the long one with the TIR6 modules in it) its prob a foot to a foot and a half long, very thin 6 leds on each side, GREAT LIGHT.

Both of these move traffic very well in the blue/blue combination
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