Home Made Emergency Warning Light

[kirkendol]

this would make a good rear deck light

[DavidStudioHungary]

it's a very good idea, I made the same "home made light" with relays and it's fantastic because it is very cheap, you just need to find good lamps and for example it is a perfect solution inside the car, on both sides

[ptfirefighter]

what is the housing made out of?

[kd4hvz]

@ptfirefighter I made it out of scrap wood. I never did use the light. Really had no use for it at 99.9% of the time I don't use my lights. But it was pretty neat.

[AdmiralKakarot]

@kd4hvz you have any plans of selling it? would make a nice novelty item

[kd4hvz]

@AdmiralKakarot Nah. It was more of just a project I was tinkering with since I had some time and miscellaneous parts laying around. I could never make enough on it to justify my time. Feel free to copy the idea and sell them yourself if you have any interest. :-)

[elmorefire]

Nice

[mrledlights]

cool man! i like it

[kd4hvz]

Grow up!

[heatherandpaul2]

Why would you want to do that? Based on my recent studies and what I have read, You are one of those people that "always wanted to be a cop" and you surround your self with authority figures. Maybe u can use it to pull someone over and kidnap them.

[kd4hvz]

Maybe. Or, maybe in the Commonwealth of Virginia volunteer fire & rescue use them on authorized vehicles as what we do to serve our community because we don't care about being a cop and would rather protect and save the lives our our fellow citizens and their property. I suggest you do some more studying so you don't sound so immature and ignorant in the future.

[heatherandpaul2]

So instead you run code to a fire with home mede lights and no siren. YEAH THATS SAFE. No one should have lights like that UNLESS they were trained on how to drive with emergency equipment such as: lights and sirens. People on the road become total morons when they hear or see an emergency vehicle. THATS why training is necessary. If they didnt give you a set of lights that meet certain standards, like flashes per minute and brightness, then you should get the point and not make them.

[kd4hvz]

You make the assumption that those of us using them are not trained. Ignorant assumption. I am in Virginia, and we have laws in here, just like every other state. This light works in accordance with the vehicle and traffic codes of the Commonwealth of Virginia. You are welcome to your opinions, but don't go around assuming that we are all inept regarding emergency warning lights or emergency warning light laws. Maybe in YOUR area people act irresponsibly, but around here people are responsible.

[willie0319]

@heatherandpaul2 Perhaps you haven't heard of the "fire lane"

[alistairism]

where did you got the relay flasheer from

[urbex2007]

It's an indicator flasher unit wired to a relay. As simple as that, so it switches between one light and the other. The on/off of the relay is controlled by the flasher unit and the lights positive wire to either side of the relay, the common connection being +12v. To stop one light staying on when the flasher isn't on, you need a DPDT switch to supply +12v to the relay and the flasher. Easier than it sounds.

[kd4hvz]

@urbex2007 The flasher and relays are one in the same. It only has three connections; supply, and the two lights. So a DPDT is not needed. Simply a SPST to drop the power to the flasher. The flasher does it all for a measly $5 or so.

[alistairism]

the light are good

[robertgift]

Nice!

Leave the red on steadily and flash only the white to attract gaze of the unexpecting eye.

[kd4hvz]

God idea! Never thought of that.

[robertgift]

We had an ambulance which had many Blue PAR36 bulbs (rotating)

I added some clear bulbs to attract gaze. The less bright blue and red bulbs conveyed meaning.

The biggest goal in emergency vehicles is getting the lights noticed earlier so that drivers have more opportunity to think, signal and pull over.

Many EVs have many small lights flickering.

I coordinated our lights to fewer but bigger flashes. Worked much better.

We can switch wig-wag to ALL ON/ALL OFF. Also better!

[GroundXeroEmpire]

I have a couple of videos up where I did something just like this on my van. I used the 537 relay also.

[dougins554]

AAAHHHH The good ole school bus flasher.

[fireboytj]

Hi i like this light and would like to know how you wired it.

Thanks

[dcfrmp255]

Where did you get the relay flasher from?

[kd4hvz]

I had it in a box from several years ago. I know they have solid state ones now days that work better, but don't know any part numbers. Sorry.

[kd4hvz]

I had it from many years ago. I know you can buy a solid state version of it now days. Not sure what the part number is but I have seen then in Wal-mart or Advance Auto Parts or somewhere like that. I don't remember for sure.

[exiledconnections]

hey im a volly fire rescue howd you make this its pretty cool

[trainlova12]

what is your job?

[kd4hvz]

Engineering Tech for a global 2-way radio company. This was a couple hours of boredom that got me to thinking and making this. :-)

[Ultraussie]

LOL the clicks. Is that your indicators?

LOL.

Just speed it up alittle.

[thunderbird1]

i bet those clicks get annoying after a while

[kd4hvz]

Depends on how long of a drive it is to the scene. :-)

[rhblakeman]

Or where the relay was put - it can be put under the hood or in the trunk (old bars had the relay in the electrical box on the bar) and even noise isolated in a foam ring. I use a system similar to this on my van just to make me more noticeable when I have to be on the roadside. I have a roof strobe but an LED pad in each rear window alternating gets better notice.

[rhblakeman]

The "old days" prior to xenon strobes even pro cop equipment had lights like this and yeah they got irritating. Ever watch the old TV program Adam 12 - their reds on the bar were set with a relay like this. Was a lot better than the rotating gumball machine lights that got stuck and stayed in one place due to cold weather or dried bearings. A lot of motor cops' bikes are set up with these even today for departments without a budget for newer types.

[dcfrmp255]

do you have anymore cool ideas like this?

[kd4hvz]

Nope. I am only alloted one cool idea a year. ;-)

[THEFINALHAZARD]

Well if you don't use it anymore I'll buy it, I'm a vollie in NC and I need a light.

[kd4hvz]

I don't recall if I tossed it out or gave it to someone.

[THEFINALHAZARD]

Ah, ok. Well hope ya can find out which one it was.

[ten8goa]

Get a pair of red/white mini phantoms and put one on either side of of your 3rd brake light. If you are on the highway, people will pull to the center lane as they approach. Much better than the factory flashers

[simpleman601]

i cant seem to find a 537 relay anywhere.. does anyone know where to get them

[raisehell08]

was that actually bright enough to move traffic?

not doubting it i saw your other vid but just wondering did it do a good job?

[kd4hvz]

I had made it with spare parts while I was waiting to find a good deal on some strobes. Given the fact that I got some strobes a few weekes later, and the fact that I rarely use my warning lights to start with, I never did use it. SO I'm not sure how it would have done. When I get a few minutes I will take some more video during the day and during the night from a distance and that might give you a better idea of how it looks from a distance...

[meyerwerftNCL3247]

use leds

[ninjatarian58]

i really like that. too bad i theres no automotive applications that use blue lights

[44adam1]

wow! nice idea. I finally found what i was looking for!! So how exactly do you do this? what do i need to buy?

[kd4hvz]

Hi! I won't get another evening off until tomorrow. I'll write up a parts list and a wiring diagram and send it to you then.

[44adam1]

Alright, thanks!

[Manostuff]

Mind sending a parts list my way too?

[mgospeed31]

This is great. I am getting ready to move from Ohio to Florida and would like to make one of these for if I get stranded. I blew a tire at 2am on the freeway last Saturday, and it was scary just relying on the plain old flashers. Nobody seemed to care.

[PublicSafetySupply08]

With the information provided in these comments, i was able to find the exact parts and I made my own as well,it is actually brighter than my Galls dual halogen dash light! thanks for the advice!

[kd4hvz]

Look at my other videos. There is one with both units running. It is certainly not the same as my Dash-Miser, but it does give it a run for the money.

[marinenut68]

Aside from the lenses, bulbs and the flasher, what all was involved with making something like this?? I would imagine you had to get some sort of relctors, and either a halogen or incandescent bulb, as well as a bulb socket. Not trying to steal your idea or anything but I was just curious how you put togetether somethin like this.

[kd4hvz]

It no secret. I have nothing to hide. Walmart or any similar store has brake lights that are a complete package. Mount, bulb, lens, etc. I bought one of those, then a similar style dome light (came with mount, build, and lens as well). I used some scrap 1/8" wood to build a housing, and then mounted the stuff in the box and spray painted the box black. I used a cigarette plug and a 537 relay flasher that is used for turn signals. You can get one at any auto parts store.

[meyerwerftNCL3247]

where did u get the housing

[simpleman601]

how did you make this? looks great do you have a detailed wiring diagram? id like to build one too

[kd4hvz]

The key is a 537 relay flasher. It has three connections. One is the input, and then it has two outputs that alternate. All the grounds are tied together. (The flasher does not need a ground - it works off the heat created by the current flow.) I also tied the brake and parking light filaments of the brake light together to get maximum brightness. It's a crude setup, and certainly not a Whelen strobe, but does work and is cheap!

[simpleman601]

Ah ok so each side is of the relay is for each blinker or in this case each light with the third connection being your hot (B+) wire?. Thanks great job BTW looks good.

[kd4hvz]

Yes, that is correct.

[simpleman601]

Do you have the wiring diagram for this light?

[marinenut68]

Great job. Almost resembles a Fed. Sig. Signalmaster. Probably took less time than most people think. Nice clean work.

[firemike550]

damn ima try that sumtime, you could make money with this you know

[chris72982]

exactly...great idea...thats creative and such

[camopaint0707]

Haha good idea