Flashers

Do you guys use a light bar or a pole?<p>I custom build a Code 3 as follows:<br>Standard 2-rotator with clear dome.<br>Put Yellow cover over individual rotators.<br>Remove center mirror and insert 2 alley lights facing back-wards.<br>This package produces bright back-up lighting and a potent flasher in a small self-contained unit for about $150.00 total.

 

All my pickup's use a stobe light on the center of the roof. The stobe is 6&quot; wide and 5 3/4&quot; tall, and has a 15 joul output. The dump trucks have the same lights, only one mounted on each side of the body.<p>Enough light to warn people, not enough light to keep the world awake.<p>Geoff

 

I have a double roator on my 84 K-20. Used it last night and it is very visible, even more so then my strobes, however it draws about alot more amps then the strobes.<br>I have a 3 head system on my 98 chevy. Two oval strobes in the rear and one single on top. I like the single on top because it doesnt shine in my mirrors, causing eplietic seizures. Just kidding, all strobe makers make sure that doesnt happen. The stobe power supply is a 4 head x 60 watt unit with high and low settings.And all heads are about 15 joules on high and 10 on low.<br>Dino <p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org

 

We've got 3 cheap rotating lights (one for each truck). Magnetic & removable. Can't fit the trucks into underground parking with lights on the roofs. Technically it's illegal to use blue lights in Ontario but everybody does anyway. Don't like backin' in and out of lot entrances if I don't have a light going.<p>----------<br>Dave in S.Ontario<br>

 

why are you useing blue lights? I thought blue was for cops, and red for fire trucks. Why not just use yellow or orange?<p>Geoff

 

My friends all use strobes, mainly because they don't have moving parts. In the rotators, they have the small motors which if they get fry, your light doesn't work. I have seen some contractors with the small teardrop lights. But, most have strobes, and have them installed permanently.<p>Bryan<br>http://www.snowplow.web.com <br>

 

Does anyone else think the rotators are noisy. I have a few of them and I can't stand the noise they make. Most of our pickups have mag mounted strobes. Those are great. Althought those too make some noice, but not nearly as much as the rotator type.<br>Last week when we were plowing we saw a guy that had his truck all tricked out. He had strobes in his tail lights, mirrors, everything. Looked cool, but not pratical.<p>Andy

 

I can't hear my rotators, unless my truck is idling and the radio is off. I use rotators because the visiblity is better in daylight than a strobe. (that's when you need the visibility anyway)<p>I've run both and my Code 3 rotators have been every bit as reliable as the strobes we used. We've only replaced 1 or 2 bulbs in the 11 units we've got over 6 years or so we've been using them. Plus, there's 2 rotators, so if one bulb goes out, you've still got some flash.

 

Ok snow, just how does a rotator get wet? Think about it and get back to me. That is the last thing you need to worry about.<br>Yes they can be noisy, we refer to them as the meat grinders.<br>As far better visibility I will debate that with you, I feel my strobes on high intensity wil be as bright as any rotator. Although my rotator is very effective,even in the daylight.<br>And I think that hideaways are pretty practical, if you want to spend the extra money for them.I like the single mag mounted strobes as well. But you have to be willing to spend the $$ to get the good ones, we have a whelen that ran about 100 $ and it is bright. My double rotator new would be in the 150 range new , and my 3 head DOT system on my truck ran about 350$ when I bought it.<br>Dino<p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org

 

Check out the Nova 360 Strobe Lights, ya can get them from a-w direct. They have 80 quad FPM with 15 joul output. They cost 79.95 for permanent mount and 99 for magnetic mount. These are what i use and they work great.<p>Geoff

 

Nova lights are made 10 min from my house. My 3 head system is all nova.<br>Dino<p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org

 

I USE WHELEN DOUBLE SPINNER W/ MIRROR IN THE MIDDLE REALLY ONLY NEED IT WHEN SNOWS IN THE DAYTIME AND DOING LOTS WORKS WELL BUT EXPENSIVE IN MY EYES, PLAN ON GETTING MORE OF THE SAME

 

This is a reply to Dino, what I should have said was that there are moving parts in the rotators that could just stop working. The reason I said that they could fry was because it happened to one of my friends when they were out plowing. Also, about me not having to worry about this, I was just adding my opinion, that's the point of this forum, to share ideas. I'm was just sharing what happened to my friends. <p>Bryan<br>http://www.snowplow.web.com<p><br>

 

The only was i can think of that water would get into a rotating light is if you punched a hole in it. All rotating lights have a water resistant seal, even the cheap ones. If you have a hole in the light you shouldn't be useing it in a storm. I don't think the motor froze. I think if the water got into the motor, the motor got fried. Because if the motor was moving how would the water freeze? I just can't figure that one out someone please tell me.<p>Geoff

 

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&quot;meat grinders&quot; I love it that describes them perfectly. <br>I'm also not sure how water can get in there, but I did have one short out and melt.<br>Just replaced the connections and the melted parts. Away she went.<p>Andy

 

Snow, this frozen light is starting to sound like a henweigh to me.<p>----------<br>Eric@ELM<br>http://pages.prodigy.net/eric.erickson/index.html

 

Personally, I have never had any problems with my light. I prefer strobes because of non-moving parts, but for snow, they'll never freeze. I don't know where you find out about this, because I had one for a while until the motor went.<p>Justin

 

As a word of caution, when working on strobe lights/systems, make sure they have discharged their energy before you touch any connections, they will land you on your butt in a flash. Wait at least 5 min after shutting off/unplugging befrore servicing.<br>Dino<p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org

 

I have a strobe on one truck and a rotator on the other. The beefits mentioned above are all true. I have never have had any problems with the rotator freezing, but I guess anything is possible.<p>I have seen in the AW Direct catalog some strobes that mount inside your turn singals and tail lights. These look awesome! I would love a set, but am having a hard time forking over the $350 for the lights ans controller. Sure would be nice though.<p>I am really surprised at the number of plow trucks out there with no lights on them. I have on more than one occasion seen a contractor backed out across the road, pushing into the lot, and at night, they are difficult to see, especially if it is still snowing. I definatly want to be seen.