Man this brings back some memories. The very first patrol car I ever drove was decked with an MX7000 with the rear traffic advisor. I loved it. I loved I could flash to the rear without blinding people to the front while working traffic enforcement (think DWI/DUI roadside tests), plus the oscillating lower outer lights were simply amazing at clearing traffic at intersections. Up until the day I first used that light bar, I had been on a fire department, and always had issues with having to wait for people to realize I wasn't just sitting there with my lights flashing just because I wanted to look pretty. Those oscillating outer lights on the lower deck really are missed in modern light bars.
Yeah, the MX was easily the best rotator bar made, it had a TON of features, and it's super easy to work on... which is why I have more MX bars in my collection than anything else. Thanks for watching!
There’s currently a 2002 Crown-Victoria in my town’s fleet. It’s awesome! Has the black steel wheels and chrome center caps. Running a huge blue Federal Signal rotating bar. It’s awesome seeing the old girl running code 3!
The Rusty Hubcap US that’s really cool! It’s hard to find anybody running the old halogen stuff anymore. Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe for future videos!!
Thanks Chris!!! I don't know if you've checked out my other videos, but I've added quite a few since this video was made. Check them out, and be sure to subscribe, so you catch my VOLUME III Collection video!
Adam's Lights even in the mid 80s, the County I live still had just a single dome light on top of the police cars. It was a light with 4 sealed beam bulbs that rotated. A few cars had a single strobe under a big dome on top. Good memories. 👍🏻
i love the fact federal signal brought back the vision with LED lights and rotators.. i swear i sent them an email once asking if it was possible to combine LED and rotator technologys and then they came out with the vision SLR years afterwards.
Yeah they are pretty cool. Honestly, they sent super bright during the day, because the light head aperture isn’t very big- but the technology is definitely very cool.
The time, effort and money that would go into purchasing, restoring and creating a working setup would be phenomenal. Huge amount of respect man! Looks awesome, great job!
Great collection. I love the FS Twinsonic, the granddaddy of all cool lightbars, and the all rotators (and flashers) Aerodynic, probably the coolest of 'm all. Thanks for your videos.
ONE- O-FOUR thank you so much!! I will have a ton of new videos coming out in 2020, so make sure you subscribe to the channel, so you can see all of my new bars that I’ve gotten since this video was made!! Thanks for watching!
Thank you!! I have updated it since this video, and am working on making a new video. Make sure you subscribe so you get notified when the new video comes out!
I just bought a vintage fire truck, it has a federal signal twinsonic with red and white lenses. I absolutely love these vintage light bars. Awesome collection!
Glad to hear I inspired you to collect! In fact, it was watching someone else's RU-vid collection video that inspired me to start collecting too. Good luck! Thanks for watching!
Loved the vid! Rotators are definitely my favorite. The Fed Signal the NC Highway patrol used to run was always my favorite to see on the roads... well until it was behind me when i turned 16! I was on a fire dept for many years and i always loved it when you flipped the switch and seeing the 2 center clear oscillators leading the way....
Old School Cop lights right there, from the 70s Heavendies, 80s ladies, and the 90s naughties 😂😂😂, and early to mid 2000s mountain. I think either 2010 to 2012 and after started the LED cop lights. I miss the old cop lights not to mention the Crown Vics
I agree! The light output of these bars is insane. They are also really easy to work on, which is why all of the custom bars I've made, are almost all MX bars. Thanks for watching!
That is pretty awesome! I love light bars, and think there are some really unique ones out there! Thank you for repairing those, putting them on display, and sharing them all. Would've been cool to see them all lit up at once! Of course, could be seizure inducing and a little rough on your electric bill :) Cheers mate!
Nice collection. That Whelen 8000 is a classic and rare strobe. One of the cities I grew up in back in the 80s, the police used those in the red/blue (which the lens looked green) config. so seeing the one you have really took me back. If you get another TwinSonic you should build the CTS edition. Probably one of the most widely known TS's ever produced. A number of years ago I restored a StreetHawk which had originally come with clear domes, red filters, a center grille for the speaker, red and blue flashers opposite corners). I bought the conversion kit from FS ($150) to make it an all light. The one lights I'd love to add as the final hurrah for it are the intersection lights. I'd read that those were an optional upgrade to the StreetHawk, but I'd never seen departments use them. They were low profile that utilized the space between the alley's and the lower corner flashers. I used to set it up like Minneapolis PD had (red domes, clear center, red front flash, center TDs, rear red/blue corner flash, and center amber) Inboard rotators and center rotator were fast, outboard were slower). I like the osilaser, but never got it sadly. I still have this light bar and hope to have it displaying in my garage again. The other lightbar that I sadly got rid of was my fave. A late 70s Aerodynic "Rosco" lightbar. I didn't have the alleys or the end caps for it that had the clear cut out, but it had the red/blue domes and corner flashers. These old ones were driven by a belt and the belt is hard to come by even back in the 90s when I owned it. Also if you looked on the rotators they have a clock dial on the main gear with 12, 3, 6, and 9 stamped so you can create custom flash by adjusting he offsets. That was a neat feature. Sadly when I was working on it, I cut wires I should not have and since they were daisy chained to the bulbs, it became a paperweight. I used to obsess over the Galls and Striker's catalogs for this gear. Starting in the 90s when hologens and strobes were the major choices. Since the push for LEDs (to cut down on power/amp usage and MPGs) they are harder to find. My dream was to take part in the Police Car Owners of America and display my police car. Which I was a member of, and have known about since the late 90s. I had a 2000 Crown Vic Police Interceptor that I was restoring, but there was an electrical fire somewhere and it destroyed the interior and actually separated the windshield into chunks. That's how hot it was inside apparently.
Thanks for the comment! Sadly, the Whelen 8000 bar is a dud... The cruise lights are the only lights that work on the bar- the strobe power supplies seems to be done. I am doing some work in California sometime this year, and will hope to come into possession of some older CA-spec bars. That really is a missing piece in my collection. I also have an all-light Streethawk that hasn't been seen by the RU-vid community yet- Amber/Green. Stay tuned for that one! :)
Ahh that's a drag. You know ebay might be a good source to find working strobe PSUs for that 8000. Nice man. Yeah those were so ubiquitous in CA that there probably is a surplus of them. When I moved to TX from MN this year, I left my StreetHawk behind. Made me very sad. But my father probably will be making a trip in a couple of months so he'll bring it. BTW did you get those Tripp Lite power supplies from Amazon or Tripp Lite? What was the cost for the 60 amp?
I actually got all of the Tripp Lite PSU's from eBay... and they were pretty pricey.... somewhere in the neighborhood of $300-400. BUT, I've found a PowerMax 100 amp model on Amazon for $189, and it's a champ. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that it has no power switch- so you have to unplug it to power it off.... but otherwise, it handles the bars like a pro.
Adam Ogden Wow that is over the top for those units. You probably can retro fit a 20amp 12v switch to that PowerMax. In fact I'd use the same switches as are used in the light controllers if you have a spare. I have 6 from an old switch box I had taken apart.
Yes, I have all of the power supplies on separate power switches on the wall anyways, then I used SW300 switch boxes to power the lights themselves. Not having it's own power switch isn't that big a deal, it's just the only major difference I noticed between the PM and the Tripp Lite.
@@AdamsLights yes a lot. For the sake of analog lights and rotators, not necessarily cops btw, the good ones, yes for sure but a lot of them have used those light bars against its own citizens without reason ( to say the least ) and each and everyone one of these pieces have its own histories and stories...just to let registered...thx again
By far my favorite of all time is and will always be the Code 3 MX7000. I think those sweeping intersection lights do it for me, haha. Code 3 360 is right there with it, tho!! Hoping to find one for myself one day.
In 2000 I was issued a new Silverado from the BNSF. I lived in Chicago so I had to go to Fort Worth TX to pick it up and drive it home. Since I was an Inspector I was able to request certain add ons. One was a roof light. Choices were all minibars at that time. But. I found a never installed FSC 47" Turbobeam. I slipped the guy a 20 and with in 4 hours I had it mounted along with wigwags and a sw200 4 switch panel. I was the only guy on the BNSF Chicago yards to have a full size bar. Not like it mattered to anyone lol. I was the only one who cared lol
I see what you did there.... Check out my other videos, and be sure to subscribe so you get notified when the new stuff comes out! Thanks for watching!
Whelen Edges xenon strobes with halogen alley and flashers are my favorite. Those are what I grew up on and saw mostly during my childhood in the 2000’s Whelen Edge 9000.
@@AdamsLights do they still use them any there? I saw an ambulance with xenon strobes a month ago and was shocked, because that’s the first time I’ve seen them on an emergency vehicle in 8 years or so. They’re super bright too even with the red filter, maybe even brighter than LED, it just doesn’t seem to send the light as physically far, for some reason. And can you still find xenon strobes online or anything?
Fantastic video. Lots of work went into putting everything together. My favorite are the ones at 17:07. I wonder who uses the beautiful blue and green combination?
Thank you! To my knowledge, nobody uses a blue/green lightbar. I just happened to like the color combination, so I created it myself, when I built the custom all-flasher lightbar. I'm glad you like it! Make sure you check out the other videos on my page- I've almost DOUBLED my collection since this video was made several years ago! Thank you for watching!!
Thanks! I'm not a fan of having multiple of the same bar, but mine are different enough that I am OK with it. I have 4 MX7000 bars for instance, but none of them are even remotely the same. Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe for future videos, which will be released soon!!
As soon as LED bars came out everyone one of those became instantly obsolete. The new LED bars with very good computer controlled patterns are 1000x brighter in the day light than any of those old rotates with sealed beams or halogen lamps that came out in the 80's. Plus LED bars are 1/2 the price,essentially never burn out, and have an insanely low power draw.
I've seen old halogen rotator bars for like $300. These new LED bars, try about $3,000 to $6,000. I have a bunch from my work in my garage and can't sell them here as blue is LE. I wish I lived closer to NY because I know I could sell them easy for volunteer firemen.
You are all correct! The LED's are definitely brighter and more efficient, but the right flash pattern is key. They do tend to be too bright, and too fast sometimes.
It does! It doesn't help that I live in the Desert in Western US, so in the summer its an easy 120* in the garage anyways! This project definitely gets more attention in the winter :)
Thanks for watching!!! If you scroll down in the comments, I've mentioned a couple different times where you can find the lightbars... it's actually easier than you think! Stay tuned for future videos, and be sure to subscribe!
You would be surprised at how many there are just lying around on top of police cars! crazy to think people just leave them there. All you need is a spanner and to be fast at running.
The Code 3 mx7000 custom is hands down my all times favorite barlight etc. The Illinois State Police used to use them in the mid nineties. Great lights.
Wow impressive! I really like the old lights turning, It Looks more professional and chill if they turn like that, not just flashing so fast like the new ones do! Really nice collection, now you just need the cars and vehicles corresponding to those lights :-)
Thanks, I really appreciate the compliment! I'm not so much a 'car guy', so I'll probably never have the corresponding cars, but I know a lot of guys who do! Thanks again for watching, and feel free to subscribe to get updated when I release the next video, which will have a ton of new, never-before-seen videos!
LOVE your collection!!!! I'm really interested in learning how to restore the old mx-7000 I just recently acquired. It's not in terrible shape, but it needs cleaned up. And some oxidation removed. I was also looking into maybe converting it to LED as I'm planning to use it on my POV. I'm subscribing to see more!
You guys in the US always had the best mechanical lightbars and rotating beacons compared to our boring British simple single rotators. It's all LED now..still cant beat a mechanical system for looks 😁
You're right on both accounts.... the old stuff is WAY cooler than the LED stuff..... AND, the British lights ARE super boring :). Thanks for watching!!
@@AdamsLights we did have a moment in rhe late 80's when we tried and went for light bars and now also have decent warble and wail sirens like you guys. 😁
Since I was a kid growing up in England. I’ve been amazed by the USA police light bars. Id love to start collecting but the shipping would be horrendous. Any suggestions mate, and also where would I be able to get these from? Cheers
Thanks for watching! Unfortunately, I know the international shipping would be terrible. There ARE some European guys who collect though, so I know it's possible. Check Facebook for some groups, and the ask around. Good Luck!
I used several of them and the one I liked the best was the Code 3 SD with the Federal Twin Sonic coming in 2nd. Used the Smith and Wesson too but didn't care for it. Obvious they didn't get a cop to help with the design for those rectangular headlight bulbs took up unnecessary space that could've been used to spread out the rotators and better position the mirrors which I would've put a diamond shaped one in between and would not have offset them.
Thank you! I love the vintage stuff too... almost every one of these bars sparks a memory of some sort, from lights I saw growing up, to movie scenes. Thanks for watching!!
I love them all but IMHO my favorite was the FS AeroDynic bar. We used these bars almost exclusively throughout the 80's (Fire Dept). We also had a few Whelen 8000 series strobe bars. They made a profound "whooping" strobe sound but they weren't near as effective as our halogen rotating AeroDynic bars.
Yeah, the Aero's are cool. I would love to add another one to my collection, preferably a 10-rotator 'all light' version. I do actually have a second one that has been added to the collection, LAPD style. Be sure to subscribe to see my next video, with all of the new bars I have. Thanks fo watching!!
Ha!! Fortunately, my collection was in the garage with no windows- so unless I had the big roll-up door open, they didn't see anything..... BUT.... when I did have it open, the neighborhood looked like a crime scene, with lights reflecting everywhere :)
AMAZING COLLECTION! I have a small one so far. Now when you get a light bar, do you leave it how it was with the color configuration or do you make them how you like them?
Thank you! Mine started off with one bar too.... you just build it a little over time. As far as the bars themselves, it really depends on the bar, and what I want t achieve. If the bar has a interesting color combo, or its specific to a department, then I'll leave it. But if I want to create something specific, I'll just get any bar and rip it apart to make it what I want.
My now forgotten dream was that one day they would invent a rotator that could also flash like a strobe light while rotating, and could do it in any colour or combination of colours. Something that would cause as many traffic accidents as it prevented. We truly witnessed the death of a golden age with the invention of the boring old LED.
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one got bite by the light bar bug. Not many are. I get looked at like I'm a nut. Are there any on line groups I can join. I'm clueless about them got 3 bars so far. I have so many questions about them . My 3 are not power. No clue even how to wire them up . Money tight so I can't spend much on them . So if anyone knows any groups on line let me know
Hey Nathan, there are TONS of online resources, as well as probably 50 different Facebook pages dedicated to buy/sell/trade of lightbars. I have addressed this in previous comments in this thread, so feel free to check it out.
Thanks for subscribing!! Green is typically used for private security companies- but personally, I just like making fun and random color combinations, just for fun! Thanks for watching!!
+Adam Ogden I've found me a streethawk for a good deal with red and blue beacon with an unusual Amber strobe light on rear what year run would this be and it has 2 clear alley side lights?
Yeah, I am a fan of the Vision, too! Since this video was made, I have also acquired one of the Vision SL's. Go check out that video too, it's dope! Thanks for watching!!
Adam's Lights I’ve got an 8 head 24” Neobe and it’s heavy at 24”. Can imagine a full-size. Bulletproof, though! Looking forward to seeing your video. I haven’t found any videos of the LED versions.
I’m looking for a how to wire up my first light bar. It’s a federal around 1990. I don’t know what size wire and how many multi wires I need also how many amps it needs. Also need away to control it I was thinking some kind of 4 ch remote control. Thanks
Hi Mark- If you want, you can check out my whole series on wiring up my collection. It's a 4-part series, and goes pretty in-depth, but you can find it under the "Lightbar Power Supply" playlist on my channel. Otherwise, here is what I can offer you. First, you told me it was a Federal Signal..... But that's like tell ing me it's a Ford.... it could be a Ford Focus, or a Ford F-250 Super Duty. But regardless, here are some things to keep in mind: - Cable size has to do with amps AND length. If you are less than 25' of length, it's not that big of a deal. - I would suggest using a 8ga. BLACK wire for the ground for the bar. - For you multiple positive wires, I would use 12ga RED (or various colors, if you want to help keep it easy to remember). - You will need one for each function of the light. Again, since I don't know what light you have, I can't speculate. - Are you mounting this on a car, or at home? If mounting at home, you will need a power inverter to transform the 120v AC in your house, to 12v DC for the light. Again, not knowing what bar, you have- I don't want to speculate. However, if You find yourself a PowerMax 50a power supply, that'll likely do it. - Lastly, for the switchbox... Again, depending on how many wires/functions you have, but I would suggest the Federal Signal SW300. it's 6 switches, all individually fused. You can find them on eBay for about $40 usually. I hope this helps!
Nice collection. Nothing beats the pop-flash of incadesent rotating lights, but they have such a horrendous power draw. Strobes are a close second. Now, if someone would come up with high power, truly rotating, LED light bars, it'd be perfect.
Have you ever thought of taking down the shelves and putting up some mirrors just some cheap ones from Kmart/walmart. Their light weight usually about 5' tall by 2' wide you hang up behind your door put about 6 of those behind your light bars and I think the Room would really pop, Not that it doesn't already! Ps. I really like the edge 9 thousands Our Illinois State Police used to use those on their Box Caprice back in the early nineties! Also anything by code 3. I live about 20 minutes from the Federal Signal factory do you Know if they are open for tours or a visit?
Thanks for watching! That's an interesting idea about the mirrors- but the colossal amount of work it would take to remove every bar, means I probably aren't going to be able to pull that off. Thanks for watching!!
Hey buddy that was really kool but you forgot on your collections the tow single lights of ADAM 12 remember in the back yellow front red show started in 1968 ended in 1975 nice video 👍👍👍👍👍
I do remember (although, I wasn't even alive when that show was on). I've considered doing some cans and beacons, but I really just prefer the full sized bars. Thanks for watching!
Great collection! I just bought a TBD 3000 in Amber for a ramp truck I just bought. How do you get the lenses so clear? Mine are really scratched up would love to clean them up. Look for a restoration video getting it running on my channel soon!
Thanks for watching!! I've often thought about creating a how-to video for polishing the domes. Maybe I will do that soon. To answer your question, it's basically the following steps: 1. Give the lenses an initial clean, using soap and water, inside and outside of the dome. 2. Using 3000 grit sandpaper and water, wet sand the domes. Really use some elbow grease. You will see a ton of yellow muck coming off the dome. MAKE SURE to keep the dome and paper wet while doing this. I use a spray bottle very 30 seconds or so, but Ive also done it under a running faucet. 3. After you are done wet-sanding, dry the dome completely. At this point, some people use some kind of rubbing compound, however I use Mother's Headlight Restoration Kit with the powerball. Apply a liberal amount of the stuff, and buff it in with the powerball. 4. Once you are done with that, use a lint-free microfiber towel, and wipe off the excess product, and give a final polish. That's it! I hope this helps!!
@@AdamsLights Thanks, I did it and will post a video soon on my channel. What is your contact info? I found some light bars for sale on Facebook in NJ if you are interested. Email me at DansgarageNC@gmail.com
man thats so awesome im currently setting up my daily driver with full led emergency lights and i have gone with full amber light bar just ordered a new led light bar i have all undercover red n blues in front and rear windows + amber undercovers in front and back just tryna source some under car leds now i have posted video on here and my tiktok
2 nd one down i think u called it ( jet sonic federal some thing )..... in the middle thing in all black is that a built in siren & horn & loud p.a. speaker in there............ or what................ & what year era is this from 70's or early to mid 80's or what.........??? i like to have one of those w/ the built in loud p.a. & loud horn part in mine.............. where can i get one of these light bar's i want mine in all amber & green light's thooo WHERE DO I GO EXACTLY TO FIND ONE & BUY IT............................????????? & WHAT WOULD ONE OF THESE OLDER COOL LIGHT BAR'S COST NOW A DAY'S IN GOOD WORKING ORDER..................???
Your use of punctation is like an action movie! To answer your questions......Yes, the model is JetSonic, and it it made by Federal Signal. This lightbar hit the market in 1987. You are correct- the black thing in the center is, in fact, a speaker... hence the "sonic" portion of the name, Jetsonic. (In case you are unaware, Sonic means Sound). There were other models of this light, (like the JetStream), that had an extra light in the middle, instead of the speaker. There are lots of places you can buy them.... eBay, Craigslist, and dozens of Facebook Groups. They can go between $100-200, depending on who is selling them. You'll have a hard time finding green lenses, as they are harder to find... but not impossible.
