What's in a cop's light bar?

LEDBE
O

Oznog

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 2, 2006
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595
OK, the flashing LED "light bar" that cops use now, as well as ambulance lights etc are composed of small modular elements about 1" or so on a side. The light pattern on each module appears as a bright spot in the center and a bright circle close to the perimeter.

What is the LED emitter is behind these? Are they those 3mm x 3mm squares, a Luxeon, or what? Just one per square module?

Is there a brand name associated with this type of LED module?
 
That's a great question! I have been pondering the same thing. I may see a cop car with its light on when I am walking by here in Cincinnati, and I am always amazed by the output of those light bars! I cannot stop staring at the thing to make out what emitters are used, or in what pattern/layout. Someday, I will be staring at the shiny lights, then I will get tackled by the man that was pulled over who escaped the officer's grip. There could be a chance I could get shot by not paying attention on what is going on, too. Oh well. I hope someone can chime in here...

-Tony
 
I read an article about those a while back. The article did discuss the LEDs, but I honestly do not recall the specifics. What I do recall is some of the police officers as well as EMS drivers complaining that they were actually being blinded by the new high powered LED lightbars when following another cruiser or ambulance on a run. They had to back way off in order to follow comfortably.

I did encounter an ambulance on the New York State Thruway one afternoon that was so bright it actually was physically uncomfortable to look at the vehicle. I never was close enough to see exactly what type of lighting it was running, which was probably a good thing.
 
greenLED said:
I think they're Lux bars.
Click to expand...

We have a few ambulances here with LEDs and they look like Luxs'. I think it's 10mm LEDs or those multi-die 10mm LEDs with out the dome, I'm thinking that they just drive them harder when strobing and drive at spec when it's constant on.
 
What, like Luxeon 1W emitters?

I seem to remember first seeing these many years ago, and they haven't changed as far as I can see. The thing is, many years ago the Luxeon emitters were quite expensive and there's quite a lot of emitting elements in there. Then again I hardly remember dates with any sense of accuracy.
 
I know I've come up behind a Cop that has someone pulled over on a highway where there's no streetlights or ambient lighting and some of those lightbars are blinding. I was not able to see beyond the lights to see what I was driving up on. That is potentially dangerous. You can see those things for miles. Why do they need to be so bright?
(Now there's a strange question from a flashaholic) :)
 
The Leds in lights in automotive security police or EMS comes in three options, called by generations, first generation 5mm Leds, second generation Flux 4 Leds in one or piranha and third or last generation Leds 1 watt, in the most of the lights on the streets right now are 3rd gen 1 watts Leds...

There it is a Police patrol from Venezuela...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn5dKfATCZA
 
Changchung said:
The Leds in lights in automotive security police or EMS comes in three options, called by generations, first generation 5mm Leds, second generation Flux 4 Leds in one or piranha and third or last generation Leds 1 watt, in the most of the lights on the streets right now are 3rd gen 1 watts Leds...

There it is a Police patrol from Venezuela...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn5dKfATCZA
Click to expand...
Thanks, Changchung. I was about to point out that there are different types of light bars. The dashbar-mounted ones I've seen are clusters of 5mm LED's, but the lightbars on top of the local police cars are definitely Luxeons of some type.
 
I love a type of light bar that uses blue LEDs ...:wow: they are bright...you could literally see them from a mile away weather permitting

what I don't understand is why patrol cars must have a number of different lights aside from the light bar flashing with the same high frequency with independent intervals...why not just the light bar and at a much lower non-seizure oriented strobes


if your driving at night one car literally looks like a ball of cars together...enough to blind you if your not careful:shakehead
I once had the privilege of seeing a multi car crash on a bridge and the entire section was closed off. in the sea of red road flares there must be 50 cop cars plus i dunno how many ambulances and construction [yellow light bar] vehicles all on the bridge....I got a glimpse of it while following a detour marker to another bridge...the thing looked like a blue and orange mountain of strobes with red flares trailing down, it was impressive...blinding, but impressive
 
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Illum_the_nation said:
I love a type of light bar that uses blue LEDs ...:wow: they are bright...you could literally see them from a mile away weather permitting

what I don't understand is why patrol cars must have a number of different lights aside from the light bar flashing with the same high frequency with independent intervals...why not just the light bar and at a much lower non-seizure oriented strobes


if your driving at night one car literally looks like a ball of cars together...enough to blind you if your not careful:shakehead
I once had the privilege of seeing a multi car crash on a bridge and the entire section was closed off. in the sea of red road flares there must be 50 cop cars plus i dunno how many ambulances and construction [yellow light bar] vehicles all on the bridge....I got a glimpse of it while following a detour marker to another bridge...the thing looked like a blue and orange mountain of strobes with red flares trailing down, it was impressive...blinding, but impressive
Click to expand...


About the flashing with the same high frequency with independent intervals, all the lights bar have different patterns for differents use, maybe you are saw the same flash patterns, if the light bars is from a famous marks the effects will be better, like Whelen, Sho-me or Sound off.

There are many unknown Chinese marks which much cannot be trusted...
 
greenLED said:
Thanks, Changchung. I was about to point out that there are different types of light bars. The dashbar-mounted ones I've seen are clusters of 5mm LED's, but the lightbars on top of the local police cars are definitely Luxeons of some type.
Click to expand...

Hi Green, those lights with 5mm almost they are already not used, if you compare the brightness of those with the type 1 watt you will know why...

Illum_the_nation; you must carrier with you your camara to take those moments...
 
Changchung said:
About the flashing with the same high frequency with independent intervals, all the lights bar have different patterns for differents use, maybe you are saw the same flash patterns, if the light bars is from a famous marks the effects will be better, like Whelen, Sho-me or Sound off.

There are many unknown Chinese marks which much cannot be trusted...
Click to expand...

well...the most complicated one I've seen
two stage white strobe [4 strobe heads total] for front headlights
two blue strobes [presume LED because they are about twice the size of matchboxes and square] mounted fog light style under the radiator opening
A very very low profile light bar thats almost flat on the roof, all blue with about 6 flashers on the front and a trailing orange marker in the back and 6 flashers on top of it.
front dashboard had two...each one blue and one red
one back seat mount strobe, also blue/red
two additional rear hatch strobes mounted to the roof on the interior
single stage white strobe [2 strobe heads] for tail lights

saw this ford near an accident...[the lanes is about 5 mph to standstill so I studied the car through sunglasses]. Personally I jog with a strobe light for safety and I cannot imagine if all the strobes mounted in the car were non-LED, the capacitor whine can drive anyone nuts...siren or no siren

different patterns for different uses, okay...but why turn them on all at once?:duh2:
 
Illum, you'd be amazed at how some drivers seem oblivious to even all that flashing display of lights.
 
greenLED said:
Illum, you'd be amazed at how some drivers seem oblivious to even all that flashing display of lights.
Click to expand...

unfortunately I'm too easily distracted.
I don't drive at night because everything is so bright for me....I will get dark spots in my eye from the taillights of a car in front of me if I get too close.

you can't imagine my frustration at patrol cars:shakehead

http://www.policedriving.com/article145.htm
the first four paragraph basically sums up the issue

from the fox-international catalog...Whelen's Dominator series uses [presumably lumiled] LEDs behind TIR collimators
no detail on the LEDs were given though...
 
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I see what you're saying. I was talking about single emergency vehicles with lights on and sirens blasting and drivers *still* don't notice them!

Multiple emergency vehicles at the same scene is another story.
 
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