# color of beacon/strobe lights?



## TenOfClubs

Hi, Im new here in case that's not obvious.

I just recently bought myself a plow after going without one for a few years. Now that I got this Hiniker on, I need some proper lighting to satisfy Johnny Law up here.

Ive noticed most lights on Ebay, and pictures of people's trucks on this site, are Amber. Where I live, all snow removal is required to have blue lights . At least that is what ive been led to believe.

Is the blue lite only for Ontario? or maybe just my municipality?

Some of the lights on Ebay, ,say something along the lines that it's "Ebay rules' that any lights they sell must be Amber. I dont get it at all.

Can anyone shed some "light" on the subject? (pun intended)tymusic


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## Bruce'sEx

For us, we use Amber cause it's a light color anyone can use as a warning color.
Blue for us is a registered color to city snow removal equipment
red/white is of course police,fire,amb.
green is off duty firefighter.

But amber from what I read its something anyone can use, and with the past stories of people being ticket for blue light on the road, leave the amber on, and no worries. Plus we haul a trailer which we are suppose amber warning light present.

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Looked this up from e-law ontario highway traffic act

Flashing blue light on snow-removal equipment

(31) No person shall, while operating a road service vehicle on a highway, plow, salt or de-ice the highway or apply chemicals or abrasives to the highway for snow or ice control unless the road service vehicle is equipped with a lamp producing intermittent flashes of blue light visible for a distance of 150 metres from all directions. 1996, c. 33, s. 11.

Restriction on use of flashing blue light

(32) No person shall operate a lamp that produces intermittent flashes of blue light on a highway except in the circumstances described in subsection (31). 1996, c. 33, s. 11.


--
The way I read that. if you are not plowing, salting, or spraying, on the road. then you can not have a blue light flashing while driving on the Road.
Now private property well they can't do anything about it.
I've said in a post before about a toronto police officer one winter pulling plows over for leavin the light on as they drive down the road. (guys that did not do city roads).


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## starc

Here it's blue for anything dealing with snow...


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## jjklongisland

As far as the Ebay comment, ebay only allows amber technically to be sold because amber is not considered an emergency light and can be purchased by anybody. Amber is considered a caution light and is mostly used by construction vehicles, tow vehicles, etc. Regardless of what ebay allows most sellers offer different color lights but to adhere to ebay policy they have to advertise as an amber color. If you contact the seller and they will tell you the acual light color. Also some sellers have become creative to circumvent the ebay policy by example, if someone shows a Whelen Dash Miser Strobe as a amber light but all the text in the description is red than most likely it is a red light or they will say clear lense which means contact the seller for actual color. I have also seen people writing AMBER which really means blue. I know this first hand cause I have purchased many emergency lights off ebay in the color blue because I am a volunteer firefighter which NY law reserves the color blue for. Hope this helps...


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## bowtie_guy

Snow pushing = Blue. tymusic 

There was a link somewhere with all states and provinces and the colours of lights plus their uses.


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## mcwlandscaping

here amber is legal and that is what my lightbar is...however, my front strobes are white and my rears are red, so not technically legal.


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## TenOfClubs

thanks very much for the replies. 

in my previous plowing days, I had a blue strobe, and probably like most of us, on occasion, forgot to turn it off going from job to job. Its easy to do in daylight hours!

I have a friend that left his on while driving to another job, got pulled over, and the cop was livid! I think that cost him 75 bucks.

I'm thinking whatever light I get ,(probably blue) I will hook its power supply to a relay, that is triggered when my remote control is turned on. all I'll have to do is remember to turn off the remote! 

can someone explain these corner strobes?? do you just drill a hole in your existing lights, and insert a strobe bulb? do those bulbs come in different colours or do they just take on the colour of the lens??

thanks!


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## spittincobra01

here in NH, amber is for snow removal or towing, blue is for police. red is for fire or ambulance, and green is for security vehicles. I know that doesn't help you guys in Ontario, but incase anyone else was reading and wanting the info local to me


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## stumpslawncare

If you contact the seller on ebay and ask most will sell you different colors, they are only allowed by ebay to advertise amber.


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## jjklongisland

As far as corner light strobes, yes yo drill a hole, insert the strobe and silicone up around the light. You also need a strobe power supply. If the power supply has 6 inputs you can run up to six seperate strobes. The higher the wattage the faster and brighter the strobe... I am a big fan of Whelen. They have been around for years and parts are easy to find...


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## Embalmer

here in MA yellow/clear towing, plowing, construction, what ever. blue police, red fire ambulance, green security (mostly), purple/violet funeral cars.


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## BlueLine Ent

*greeen*

Technically, green is supposed to mean "command post location" at police and fire events/emergencies, at least in Mass, but its one of those things that isnt official anywhere in the law, its just understood among disaster officials and first responders


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## jersey250

does anyone know the laws in new jersey 
03 ford f 250
10-hide away strobes
2 dash led amber
2 visor led amber 
2 led deck light amber
1 48 inch led light bar amber 
4 whelen tir3 amber

I in need of a light doctor to help me with my light sickness


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## Michael M

*strobes*



mcwlandscaping;339301 said:


> here amber is legal and that is what my lightbar is...however, my front strobes are white and my rears are red, so not technically legal.


Where did you get your strobes? I'm looking for tailight strobes.


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## BlueLine Ent

try www.strobesnmore.com they're a good price, and they ship fast


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## mcwlandscaping

Michael M;340879 said:


> Where did you get your strobes? I'm looking for tailight strobes.


i bought them from another member on here.....check out strobes n more, ive had a few friends go through them and be very happy.


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## Antnee77

For practically all states, amber is the color for snow removal trucks. This does not mean you won't get away with clear lights all over your vehicle. I run clear Hide-a-ways in all four corners of my truck with (2) Blue TIR3 LEDs on the sides of my front bumper.


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## doh

Blue is for snow removal equipment in Ontario, If you get a good one it will last a long time. I am on my 8th year and it was in 35' of water for 6 days.


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## Lynden-Jeff

Hey,

Although not this year, next year I will be plowing. If a cop pulled my over for leaving my blue light running I don't think he has a ground to stand on. I would simply tell him, I'm a plow, I'm plowing or on my way to plow in inclement weather and for every ones safety my hazard lights are on. If he persisted to give me a ticket I would tell the same thing to the judge and hopefully get off. Its not like police use blue lights. 

Along with a roof top strobe I will probably use smaller strobes in each headlight and tail light. Can someone tell me if the "hide away strobes" are the ones I would use for this? It gets really foggy up here some times so I would rather a little extra visibility without the blindness from the strobes up top.

Cheers
Jeff


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## StratfordPusher

*Strobes Left On*

tymusic 
Hey All, in Ontario blue is the Standard as quoted many times....... 
I have found an easy way to prevent leaving the strobe lights on driving down the road between sites. 
My strobes have magnetic mounts, they came with a lighter plug in and long cord..

I had my mechanic wire the Blue strobes to my Cargo Lamps circut in both my trucks. Was simple, just remove the bulbs, drill a small hole in the lenses cover and wire into the power and ground, we took it a step further an used a weather tight set of connectors so the lights can be removed in about 20 seconds if need be.
In GM trucks the cargo lamp displays a large yellow warning on the dash when they are switched on.... so now try driving between sites with this bright yellow glow....... has not failed me yet...

Just a suggestion..

Regards Al


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## scaper27

amber/clear -construction, towtruck, snowplow

red- fire/police

green- ambulance

purple- funeral

blue- volunteer fire


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