Jean-Marc Dugas
PCS Member
I am thinking of adding a wig wag option to my 54XL. Would anyone have the hardware that allows for the lights to function as wig wags?
he doesnt have a 6 volt systemTime may be leaving my memory a bit foggy on when wig-wag first began coming into use but I'm thinking it wasn't in the era of 6 volt lighting systems.
Beyond the lack of need because drivers in general weren't idiots, there are 3 problems building a 6 volt alternating system, all revolving around the current being switched.
1st, a 6 volt headlight consumes twice the current a 12 volt filament does, necessitating a large surface contact. This can be accomplished with a headlight relay if you can still find one but you better buy 10 because they don't last long in flasher service.
2nd any tungsten filament lamp has a short duration overcurrent spike from cold to full on. Rule of thumb here is 10x running current, a lamp that draws 10 amps running will suck near 100 amps for a fraction of a second coming on.
You can actually see it on an analogue ammeter.
3rd if I haven't introduced sufficient brutality into your life, understand there are 4 stages in a switch's action. On going to off is the most brutal on contacts because arcing across the contacts happens in that phase. While arcing isn't much of a problem in the headlight switch due to number of cycles in normal use, it becomes a nightmare when flashing lights on and off.
None of the above should be taken to mean it can't be done though. We have some marvelous switching transistors in 2021 or you can hunt up a 6 volt windshield wiper motor and build a motor driven flasher.
PS: stock up on 6 volt headlight bulbs, they don't live long in flashing mode.
Walter I'm almost afraid to ask, but what in the sam hill is a rooftop siren with built in showers?Cops had them first here in the mid 60s just after removing rooftop sirens with built in showers. Some overpaid politician made the decision flashing headlights along with 25 watt electronic sirens were a good idea. After about a year of demolition derby on the streets the whole RPD fleet had flashing headlights and an extra switch on the dash. The idea was sold on Rochester having a huge deaf population.
Sheriff's garage climbed on the bandwagon and Vern was sure he could vary the flash rate using heater switches just like he used on them barber pole lights that replaced the roof sirens. Note: the Sheriff was running 6 cyl Chevy Biscaynes with 3 on the tree. It took a few years for all the cars to get the headlight thing.
City Fire Dept shop (Rochester still built their own) figured out a flasher & a couple relays could put on one hell of a show, either wig-wag or on/off on the high beams and wouldn't share the wiring diagram. Interagency cooperation at its finest.
As car stereos became more common the theory you can never have enough flashing lights marched along in lock step.
Some people even went to sawing holes in ambulance front fenders to install flush lights so the car could be seen exiting an alley between buildings.
Package shelf lights hooked to the tail lights became the new thing for cop cars. Then somebody discovered they couldn't be seen with the trunk open so inside trunk lid lights had to be added. Since I had a bucket of free lights and some free time I had both amber turn signals and red stop lights on the shelf of my Duster. Drove a few people over the edge trying to figure out that controller.
It was a fun era. And then came Halogen lense roasters.
Kevin, Chicago P.D. had wig wag headlights on our marked and unmarked squads in the late 1960’s, in addition to the blue Mars roof lights for the marked cars. I think they used a flasher possibly numbered 357, but mechanics and electrics aren’t my strong point by any means. Eventually, the wig wag system spread to the suburban areas. Everybody in Chicago knew that wig wags in your rear view mirror was popo. Hope this helps.I never saw alternating headlights on an emergency vehicle until 1971. So I haven't put them on my rigs.
Kev, It was a 537 Flasher... worked on a blue grill-light option DIY, to work in conjunction with with a blue Fed-Sig FB-1 teardrop.Kevin, Chicago P.D. had wig wag headlights on our marked and unmarked squads in the late 1960’s, in addition to the blue Mars roof lights for the marked cars. I think they used a flasher possibly numbered 357, but mechanics and electrics aren’t my strong point by any means. Eventually, the wig wag system spread to the suburban areas. Everybody in Chicago knew that wig wags in your rear view mirror was popo. Hope this helps.