Lightbar Attributes That You Cannot Do Without

By Author: Sunil Punjabi
Total Articles: 2565
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When you are purchasing a lightbar, there are certain attributes which are cosmetic in nature and certain features which you cannot do without. Whether you purchase a mini bar that costs around $200 or a feature rich 72 inch light bar, that could cost more than $2500, you should be able to distinguish between the two sets of features. At the time of emergency, there are some aspects of lighting which cannot be ignored and this is where your selection assumes a great importance. The attributes which can affect the reliability, resilience and effectiveness of the lighting should be checked before you look at the bells and whistles of emergency lighting.

A high quality lightbar should be able to give you 360-degree, long range lighting which can be spotted even in adverse weather conditions. The light bar itself should be functional in all kinds of weather, whether it is raining or snowing. The lighting elements will therefore have to be encapsulated with UV resistant domes and sealed polycarbonate bases which keep the moisture out. Powder coated extruded aluminum, composite nylon polymer and ABS, are some ...
... of the options for the casing of the light bar. You should make sure the light bar is lightweight, while still being rugged and strong. Good quality light bars are vibration, high impact and corrosion resistant with epoxy coating providing extra protection.

The lightbar you pick should have sufficient LED modules to provide you bright lighting. 72 inch light bars usually come with corner strobes, flashing alley and takedown lights, gyratory light heads, passenger and driver side end caps and configurable LED modules. The design is very important which is why split color LED segments are used. On one side, they offer multi colored flashing if required, while on the other they provide reliability. Even if one segment isn’t functional you have other modules still flashing hard to caution the motorists or to convey warning signals to distant law enforcement or patrol cars. Besides, individual LED modules can be programmed to flash in desired patterns to enhance visibility of the emergency lighting.

When you mount a lightbar, you should pay attention to certain attributes. You need to pick aerodynamically styled models which offer less drag resistance and therefore better fuel efficiency. It also avoids an annoying rattling sound on a speeding vehicle. Uniform weight distribution is the key for bigger light bars which is why the length is much more than the width and the height is hardly ever more than 5 or 6 inches. Swivel brackets and a set of 3 suction cups are useful for mounting the bars, although a set of 4 powerful magnets with a combined pull exceeding 60 lbs is useful for temporary mounting. Rubber grommets, flanges, mounting screws and mounting bolts are also part of comprehensive kits. You should also pay attention to the lighting elements. Gen3 super bright, 1, 2 or 5 Watt LEDs which are small but effective could be the best choice, especially when they are rated to operate for more than 50,000 hours.

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