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SDPD to LED lightbars!

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:35 pm
by hodad200
Just spotted a midcity radio car, brand new equipment. Came complete with a new lightbar setup, led lightbar similar to the ones SO uses. More to follow.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:01 pm
by N6ATF
Yay?

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:14 pm
by mike
Cant wait to see some pics of it sooner or later :D

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:18 pm
by w6pix
Ya, I saw a K-9 car with one of those last weekend.. slick

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:21 pm
by mike
I can kind of picture what they look like.

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:05 am
by 2912N
There are just several out there being tested. There has not been a decision made to outfit all new cars with them. (tho with the lower maint costs etc I will bet on this being the wave of the future.)

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:13 pm
by nobody33
I think there are like five six different LED light bars we are testing. K9 has a couple, northeast, midcity, gangs, all have one too. The midcity one is my favorite. I don't like the all white one. I think it's ugly.

All he new cars have at least the LED rear deck lights.

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:07 am
by w6pix
nobody33 wrote:I think there are like five six different LED light bars we are testing. K9 has a couple, northeast, midcity, gangs, all have one too. The midcity one is my favorite. I don't like the all white one. I think it's ugly.

All he new cars have at least the LED rear deck lights.
Those LED's bars cost about $1300, whereas incandescence cost about $700. However, the benefits may out weight the costs. Depends on the maintenance.

I'd be interested to see how its working out with city shops and the LED traffic signals. The LED units don't "burn" out, however, I'm sure we've all seen them, even as soon as a year after installation.. Spazzing out.. flickering, a quarter of the matrix burned out... On the surface LED sounds like the way to go, however, LED matrix drop in replacements are infinitely more complicated than a single incandescent setup. There are probably a few hundred solder joints in each unit as well as numerous voltage regulation components. There are circuit boards behind the leds. The replacements, while not for burned out leds, could be significant in cost. However, the energy savings might just surpass that. Think about it.. Everywhere in the city at every intersection there were numerous bulbs, maybe a few hundred watts, burning all the time (either red,green or yellow)... that musta been a hell of an SDGE bill. Don't know how it's worked out.. Maybe we should put Mike Aquire on the case to find out! LOL.

Back to bars:

Less getting a jump start at a traffic post if you turned the engine off

The LED bars draw a LOT LESS juice. Less load on the battery and alternator..

Drawbacks, daytime visibility, but they are getting better and better every day... CHP has about the brightness daytime LED setups I've seen.

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:33 am
by dbelleperc
I've seen them too. SDSO has fedsig's and the two SDPD I've seen have Code 3 LED's. Both use the same LED bulbs 3W lumileds. I wouldn't worry about the brightness durning the day. LED are IMHO superior to halogens. But sheriffs need to get a better flash pattern.

w6pix,
The led's in the traffic signals are gen 1 and 2 led's, different from the gen 3's in the light bars. Also they have saved the city millions of dollars a year on power at the intersections. Wow!

Dodge Charger

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:21 pm
by dangitdoug
I only caught a glimpse of it, but I'm pretty sure I saw a SDPD Dodge Charger on Ruffin Road between CMB and Balboa earlier this week. That's the first of those I've seen for SDPD. I'll keep my eyes open for it again.