# Help with info on these strobes ???



## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

My wife surprised me at Christmas with a set of strobes for my F150............. I asked her about them in Oct and told her that S&M had them on here.............. She got them somewhere else [and I am sure the outfit that sells them probably never wants to hear from us again] as they were somewhat less money , I have no idea who actually made them or anything about them . They look fine at first glance but have not been able to find out much about them. The 120watt part seams high? and I question that that is really true but again just dont know. I have not been able to find them anywhere else; and am suspect they are some Chinese wanta be system. Here are some pictures of them to see if anyone recognizes them???
























????
I have not installed them and any helpful hints or tricks certainly appreaciated and am wondering if I wanted to put two up in my topcab rear brake lens can a guy use the existing wires without pulling new ones somehow?????? Placement is also up for grabs as I have never mounted them before??? I have read alot of disapointment on here about getting them tooooooooo close to the lens and burning up the strobe tube??? Can someone shed light [pardon the pun] on normal distances to stand off the tubes so this isnt an issue???
I ran nothing but Whelen Strobes on my airplanes in Alaska and tryed a couple of "porkrind" wantabees and they didnt work for us on the aircraft .
I hope this isnt a replay of that ??? Any help greatly appreaciated!


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

I have seen them on ebay before. I also no nothing about them. If I were to get a strobe kit for my truck I would get whelen.


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## 7d9_z28 (Dec 3, 2010)

look like chinese knock offs based on the power switch... i too have seen many on ebay, never did a double take cause they looked chinsey to me

perhaps do a temporary test before you install them all (plug in lights and power to the power supply) to see what they do. usually you only have to put power to one control wire to get them to fire, but it looks like the control wires go directly to that switch and (pattern select?) button.

i would at least test them before installing. thats alot of work (installing) to go through just to find out that they are junk or not what you expected. but who knows, they could be better than expected too!

one question... do you have to reselect your pattern every time you turn them on? thats usually a sign of the chinese ones.


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## 7d9_z28 (Dec 3, 2010)

did a quick ebay search, they look decent. definately not whelen quality but not too bad..

heres a link to one of the auctions, it has two videos you can check out of these lights in action

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/120W...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

They look very cheaply made to me.


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## REAPER (Nov 23, 2004)

I would thank the wife for the thought, give a kiss and then put the entire system in the garage telling her they will be installed later. 

Then I would put them back in the original box with all packing material and get a refund. Then I would make the wife watch that commercial about "not really the same" in a loop for 24 hours. :laughing:

The whole kit is under a $100.oo. I would not waste the install time just to take the chance. Once installed you can not return them. I also went with a cheaper set years ago. They did not even last the entire season let alone a year. The warranty on what I had was a whooping 30 days. Kicked myself for a while on wasting that money and time. 

Explain to your wife that yes it is the thought that counts but quality can never be replaced and in cold weather conditions and extreme use of the truck you need reliability of a good set. Or you could sell them on the sly and get a real set that will last.

I know it is a no win situation because if they fail before spring she will say "You could have returned them". Then she will make you feel like an a$$ because she will claim she didn't know any better and start crying and claim you hate the gift she got you. 

They are Chinese made and sold not to mention their name is associated with Bovine feed supplies when googled.

Chalk it up to thinking women will get exactly what you want when told what you want. I have been through it for over 33 years with my wife and put a stop to it finally when I started requesting gift cards or cash only as a gift after a bad ordeal over a socket set years ago. 

The saying "You get what you pay for" has never been truer when it comes to a good strobe kit. ussmileyflag


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

REAPER;1179427 said:


> I would thank the wife for the thought, give a kiss and then put the entire system in the garage telling her they will be installed later.
> 
> Then I would put them back in the original box with all packing material and get a refund. Then I would make the wife watch that commercial about "not really the same" in a loop for 24 hours. :laughing:
> 
> ...


OOO too funny!!


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## swtiih (Nov 30, 2008)

I say try and return. Get a brand name set.


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## cameo89 (Dec 8, 2007)

There is a thread on here some where about these strobes, someone said they get really hot. But for $100 they may last a yr. But for a $200 a whelen kit will probably last you a lifetime!


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## squeaky3 (Oct 3, 2010)

i got mine off ebay and they look exactly like that

as someone said they do get a lil warm but i havent had a problem with mine 

just make sure when you put them in to use lots of silicone around them or they will leak

i can put up a vid of what mine look like in my truck if you would like


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## cameo89 (Dec 8, 2007)

squeaky3;1179667 said:


> i got mine off ebay and they look exactly like that
> 
> as someone said they do get a lil warm but i havent had a problem with mine
> 
> ...


We all love videos and pics! I would like to see how bright they are!


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## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

I now know ALOT more than I did this morning as my 12 year old saw me type this post this am and he has been searching on here all day and has come up with a ton of info on them .
Here is a link to them on Youtube pretty interesting ??




 These are now being marketed by JC Whitney under the name Wolo and are $200 from them and they have had a different decal made up for the power supply but it is obviously the same unit.
They are marketed by various others under the name of ECHO and seam to run more from $150-180 in that market and like everyone mentioned on ebay with no name for even less. [Seconds or rejects??? hence no name???]
Thanks everyone for the help and I will let you know how we make out . I was really hoping someone would comment on HOW FAR away from the lens covers is a SAFE distance to make sure and NOT have heat problems???


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## squeaky3 (Oct 3, 2010)

heres the vid of mine in my truck






i drilled a hole in the top of the housings on my lights as far off to the side and back as far as i could in my lights and they get the housing covers a lil warm but i have cheap housings too


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## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

*Impressive!*

Thumbs Up Hey that looks good to me............... am I seeing an optical illusion or are they doing like a double or tripple flash each time the bulb flashes???
I had tripple flash Whelens on my Cessna 185 we put on in the late 90s when they were the hot ticket and I cant remember the damage but I do remember it was over a grand  back then!! Thanks alot for posting this as they look pretty darn good to me!
I have a nice light bar but am nervous about backing out into the road here when we get high snowbanks and the logging trucks are sailing by at 60/70 mph I thought it would be nice as the rear lights start to appear out into the road, that they had stobes in them; before they would ever see the lightbar???? So I am thinking about 4 in the red area of the tailight lens; and probably two up front in the SIDE of the Amber parking light lens; but am not sure if that is my best protection or not?????:salute:
Squeaky can you remember what size hole saws you needed to do this install??


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## squeaky3 (Oct 3, 2010)

my flash patter flashes 2 flashers per side and goes back and forth, but i have a bulb in each high beam light and one in each side parking light

i have led tail lights and didnt have room for the strobes in the rear lights, but i have leds under my tailgate the the whelen lightbar up top so i have plenty of warning


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## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

!!!!NICE!!!
Gosh I sure hope I have room in my tail light covers as this whole exercise is going to be a flop if I dont!!!!!!!!


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## Strobesnmore (Jan 31, 2007)

I think Reaper hit the nail on the head. They are very cheap chinese made strobes.


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## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

Strobes and More , I am going to guess you are right about that............. 
And that brings to mind an old quote that is more true today than ever!

<<<The Bitterness of poor quality; remains long after the Sweetness of the low price, is forgoten !>>>

Thanks everyone for trying to help!


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## Strobesnmore (Jan 31, 2007)

I prefer the old "buy cheap, get cheap"


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## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

I am sure I will take alot of flack for this, but I have a set on all 3 of my plow trucks. I bought 1 set 2 seasons ago, just to try them out. I liked them enough to buy 2 more sets this summer and put them on the other 2 trucks. I understand they aren't Whelen, and are most likely made in China, but all 3 sets are going strong, and I haven't had any problems at all with them. If I lived in an area that had more snow than the 8 or so events we get each year, I might consider the Whelens, but since I don't I tried the cheap ones, and liked them enough to do up all the trucks in them. By the way I used a 1 inch hole saw, it was quick and easy.


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## REAPER (Nov 23, 2004)

Rc2505;1181829 said:


> I am sure I will take alot of flack for this, but I have a set on all 3 of my plow trucks. I bought 1 set 2 seasons ago, just to try them out. I liked them enough to buy 2 more sets this summer and put them on the other 2 trucks. I understand they aren't Whelen, and are most likely made in China, but all 3 sets are going strong, and I haven't had any problems at all with them. If I lived in an area that had more snow than the 8 or so events we get each year, I might consider the Whelens, but since I don't I tried the cheap ones, and liked them enough to do up all the trucks in them. By the way I used a 1 inch hole saw, it was quick and easy.


So you would employ a child working @ $1 a day rather then keeping a job here in the States? ussmileyflag


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## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

Thanks 505 ,
Those were my feelings exactly ..................... we avg about 15 events a year except for really bad winters and then its 20 or so. So I thought that they probably would be ok for us as well; so am going to try them . If I needed some for daily work; I am sure that the best ones you can buy; wouldnt be good enough; as I used to have to have them on everyday in the airplanes; and all of them blow tubes; and the power supplys get lazy or quit. 
Its encouraging to hear you have had such good luck with yours............. so I will post a picture of my F150 lit up when I get em installed ! No one around here runs them; And most of the locals go down to NAPA and just buy the $15 orange "duffis magnetic revolving beacon" to be legal in Maine. And you CANT see it at all in the daytime. I have a really good lightbar; and is very bright; that creates a strobe effect that I really like. But when we get a bad winter here;[I have plowed 7 times so far this season] and get over 200" of snow; the banks are so darn high; that having them in the rear light covers; could certainly save you in some situations; as the backend go out into the street; but the lightbar is hidden behind the snowbank!
When I spotted Herring in Alaska; back in the 1980s and there were 200 airplanes turning in a 1/4 mile area; all after the same school of herring; you couldnt imagine some of the light shows; we had rigged up on those airplanes!!!!!!!!!!!
I have wig-wag system on my headlights as well; so the strobes should be a nice touch, I do have a small red strobe back there already on my little backup bar; that is down on my Reese hitch but it is not very bright ;so does nothing in the daytime. Thanks for your comments all are appreaciated
Hey Reaper I hear you ....................... and I know what your saying, and I respect your decision to buy only USA!!!


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