Hideaway LED's? Your Thoughts?

KuhnElectronics · Post by **KuhnElectronics** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 9:16 pm

I was flipping through a Galls magazine today at the firehouse, and I came accross Hideaway LEDS????? Has anyone seen/installed/considered using these? I wanted to start a discussion about them.

I am really interested in their preformance within another lighting housing. They are Code3's.

How big is the hole that gets drilled in the housing, 1" just like strobe tubes?

Here they are on gall's page:
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort= ... tyle=GR214

Post by Pj » Sat Jun 18, 2005 11:48 pm

Hmmm...interesting to say the least.

I guess they could work, but still will be as directional as optics on the LED's are. I don't know how much the vehicle optics will do. Of course, the hideaway halogen and strobe use the entire reflector (if installed correctly), but for $200ish..

According to the Code 3 price sheet, they are only available for the crown vic and impala. Front/rear.

The most expensive list price is for the white/white at $295. Cheapest list is R/B/A at $207.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 1:07 am

I talked to a guy who's installed a few sets. According to him, they're "OK". For his POV, he's still doing strobes with a Tomar 20-watt-per-outlet power pack, and that's what he recommends.

AVFD2922 · Post by **AVFD2922** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 6:32 am

If you read Galls catalog listing, not website, those hideaway leds are for 2005 crown vics only. Personally I prefer clear strobes because their good for moving traffic and also good for corner lights at intersections.

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 9:23 am

i would not even consider them.

and for tomar thats just as bad

nick.dejohn · Post by **nick.dejohn** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 7:05 am

I would have to agree with the others. The Code 3 LED appears to offer only a directional light output. I think that it is a great idea to design a LED light head that can be put into a small application like that for undercover activity. However, I don't think that it will be 100% possible to make a "Hide-A-Way product that can be mounted into a headlight. I am particular to the clear hideaway strobes with a Whelen power supply. I only use whelen and nothing else!!

KuhnElectronics · Post by **KuhnElectronics** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 9:42 am

I cant say that I am really amazed about the responses from this post. I also greatly agree on the Optics of Code3's products, and unless by some chance these are a major change from the earlier versions, I dont plan on ever seeing these in one of my future installs.

As someone mentioned earlier, I dont think anything now will beat hideaway Whelen or Tomar strobes with high power supplies.

Nick

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:16 am

I will give them creativity points. You can see it is a 1" hole fit with a little arm that holds something similar to a TIR3 and points outward in one direction. Although, I'd say whelen probably thought of this a long time ago and abandoned it for the reasons mentioned above.

By this design, it can only work properly on a vehicle where the 1" hole can be drilled on a surface that is flat and allows the LED pod to fire directly out. If you put this on any other angle, the LEDs will just fire into nothing.

commtek · Post by **commtek** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:19 pm

KitN1MCC wrote:i would not even consider them.

and for tomar thats just as bad

Tomar bad???? I can't tell you how many out of the box failures we have had with that Whelen junk. Just had one today.

Kit...feel free to visit us for a side by side comparison on performance. Didn't you use to work for Whelen??????

FFParamedic571 · Post by **FFParamedic571** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:46 pm

AVFD2922 wrote:If you read Galls catalog listing, not website, those hideaway leds are for 2005 crown vics only. Personally I prefer clear strobes because their good for moving traffic and also good for corner lights at intersections.

Im not bashing you AVFD.. for 2005 CV only?? since when are the 1998-2005 corner lights and tail lights any different? the 1998-99 Had amber turns in the tails.. Other than that NOTHING only Proves that Galls knows nothing about the Crap they sell

AVFD2922 · Post by **AVFD2922** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:55 am

I agree with you on Galls selling stuff they know nothing about. And yes the latest catalog says 05 CV only. Pj is right on with his info, checked it out myself and no mention of year for the CV either.

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 4:25 am

commtek wrote:
KitN1MCC wrote:i would not even consider them.

and for tomar thats just as bad

Tomar bad???? I can't tell you how many out of the box failures we have had with that Whelen junk. Just had one today.

Kit...feel free to visit us for a side by side comparison on performance. Didn't you use to work for Whelen??????

Actually yes i did work at Whelen in both the High Power Siren and on the Line Buildng all kinds of Power supplies and some one off units.

And know i am just a dealer and I have never ever had a single problem out of that box. and if and when i do i make a Call Direct into the Assembly Manager to advise on the problem.

Are u Shure this is not the Return of jim from Pittsburg. we all know how long he lasted when he started Whelen Bashing

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 2:28 pm

Hey [idiot], I didn't go away because of Whelen bashing or you.

The bottom line is that I DO THIS PROFESSIONALLY AND FULL-TIME for a living- not as a hobby like many of the wannabe wackers out here. I own a REAL business that build emergency vehicles and not just little police car packages.

I carry most brands, including the POS Whelen line. I also replace many failed Whelen products since they have proven to be inferior to most others. Why is it that many OEM fire and EMS vehicle manufacturers are going away from Whelen and switching more to Tomar and Federal? Huh? This isn't just me- look at many Pierce and such large manufacturers and you'll see it yourself. Oh...that's right. You only see what is in your town's fire department and not on a large multi-state region like we do here. So until YOU actually do something with all manufacturers (and work directly with many of their engineering departments LIKE I DO) and stop believeing what YOU WANT TO BELIEVE and read on the internet, I'd recommend not opening your little penis-inhaling mouth too wide because the fact is that the few out here that do know what they are talking about do realize that you are just a chump wacker.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 3:55 pm

Ooh, this is going to get nasty. $5 on Jim (although I've had good luck with Whelen products myself...)

commtek · Post by **commtek** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:43 pm

KitN1MCC wrote:
commtek wrote:
KitN1MCC wrote:i would not even consider them.

and for tomar thats just as bad

Tomar bad???? I can't tell you how many out of the box failures we have had with that Whelen junk. Just had one today.

Kit...feel free to visit us for a side by side comparison on performance. Didn't you use to work for Whelen??????
Actually yes i did work at Whelen in both the High Power Siren and on the Line Buildng all kinds of Power supplies and some one off units.

And know i am just a dealer and I have never ever had a single problem out of that box. and if and when i do i make a Call Direct into the Assembly Manager to advise on the problem.

Are u Shure this is not the Return of jim from Pittsburg. we all know how long he lasted when he started Whelen Bashing

Ding, fries are done!!!

Post by Pj » Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:54 pm

Alright, this thread is done before it gets out of hand...

Besides, last time I checked, the indivual departments specify's who they want for the lighting packages just like they do hose sizes and other options, so its really a mute point.