Converting Whelen 900s/Similar Scene lighting to LED?

[patoz]

If you can wait a bit I'll try them again but I'm in Europe for a few weeks...

OK, don't worry about it then. I was just curious, and if they're mounted in open recessed boxes it's irrelevant anyway.

Enjoy your trip, thanks!

 

[herm]

when we went to led on our field trucks, we choose FRC for our scene lighting. these flat mounts are great for truck sides, we used the evolution on the rear.

http://www.fireresearch.com/product.php?id=spb900

Hella marine also has some great, high quality options.

 

[eporter]

Has anyone tried finding a baking/cake pan that fits the Whelen light cutout just right? Most are at least 1" deep, have a nice mounting flange already, and are fairly cheap. Some are steel/stainless/aluminum. They'd blend in with a coat of paint and a light mounted in them. Might need to enlarge the cutout a little.

8x8 Aluminum, $13:
http://www.amazon.com/Parrish-Magic-Line-Square-Pan/dp/B000A8J31E


8x8 Stainless, $20:
http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Stainless-Square-8-inch/dp/B000FBUUUE

 

[Abitibi]

Hum, you've got my attention with those...

 

[rlrenz]

when we went to led on our field trucks, we choose FRC for our scene lighting. these flat mounts are great for truck sides, we used the evolution on the rear.

http://www.fireresearch.com/product.php?id=spb900

Hella marine also has some great, high quality options.

Darley Fire sells the Spectra, at a price of about $464 - and that's even higher than Whelen. I'm going to pass on Spectra...

 

[rlrenz]

The stainless with a foam gasket would probably work just fine - but I suggest buying one to see how it all would work instead of buying a bunch first time out.

 

[patoz]

This is pretty much what I was talking about on my thread, but I was thinking restaurant grade serving pans, which are much heavier duty. I read the reviews on this and some people said it was heavy duty and the next review says it's too flimsy, so I don't know what to believe without actually seeing one. Maybe you could slap some fiberglass or something on the back side of it to stiffen it up some if it needed it.

Also, this pan is rated '18/0 Stainless Steel' as of early 2013, which means it will stain/rust. However, depending on where you're located, just keeping them clean and a coat of wax on them may prevent that.

Differences Between 18/10 and 18/0 Stainless Steel

The numbers “18/10” and “18/0” are simply figures that illustrate the amount of chromium and nickel content present in stainless steel.

• Chromium, or chrome, is a tough white metal, used in stainless steel and other alloys, because of how hard it is and its stain-resistant properties.
• Nickel is a corrosion-resistant silvery-white metal, often used for its shine to coat other metals.
• 18/10 stainless steel contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel content.
• 18/0 stainless steel contains 18% chromium and 0% nickel matter.

Two of the main differences you'll notice between 18/10 and 18/0 flatware is the luster and economic value.

Chromium and nickel both contain stain-resistant properties. Chromium, by itself, is not a reliable rust-resistant material. Combined with nickel, it takes on more hard-wearing properties. The combination of nickel also creates a brighter, polished look. Because of this, 18/10 products generally cost more.

http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com...-180-stainless-steel-flatware-fsw/c27835.aspx


With all that being said, this pan is the closest solution to the problem I've seen so far, and the price is certainly much cheaper that trying to build something or having a shop do it.

 

[rlrenz]

I've found that Amazon's descriptions can have errors, so the 18/0 may be a misprint. One solution is to paint the pan. Stainless needs different surface treatment, and an epoxy primer, but that's par these days for any automotive paint.

Also, now you know that there is such a pan. Amazon is not the only source, and there may be other suppliers out there with their own designs. Check Vollrath in Milwaukee - they have been making heavy duty stainless kitchen stuff for many years, and they have many distributors.

 

[Bikersmurf]

I'd use Sica-Flex rather than a gasket, and make a bracket to support the light, and then "flimsiness" becomes almost irrelevant because it's just to fill the hole. Primed and painted white, oxidation shouldnt be a problem with SS.

 

[patoz]

I've found that Amazon's descriptions can have errors, so the 18/0 may be a misprint. One solution is to paint the pan.

Personally, I'd prefer to keep it looking like chrome to match the other lights on there, but then I'm not trying to make some kind of sneaky, stealthy military vehicle out of it either.

Here is what the 18/0 information is based on...

 

[bobrenz]

It sounds like the next step is to buy a restaurant-grade pan and see what it looks like.

 

[patoz]

It sounds like the next step is to buy a restaurant-grade pan and see what it looks like.

I have a place right down the road that sells stuff like that, but I need to go ahead and remove all of my lights and inspect the openings to make sure there is adequate clearance in each one of them, before I buy anything.

 

[rlrenz]

One option would be to buy a Whelen PBA-203 housing-- $ 160 for a surface mount, semi-recessed housing.



Here's another option for a light-- www.qualityemergencylights.com has a flood light/spot light for $90, but it's 48 watt 60 degree flood light / 30 degree spot light with a 3500 lumen output. It pulls 3.9 amps at 12 volts.




--------------------------------------------------------------
Quote: Are you looking for the be-all and end-all of flood lights? Our 3500 Lumen LED Flood Light comes decked out with all the trappings you would expect on a deluxe flood light.

Our 48 Watt LED Flood Light has a 60º flood beam, 30º spot beam and a PMMA lens.However, what truly makes this light so special is how powerful it is. It is designed with48 watt high intensity epistor LEDs (composed of 16 individual pieces of 3 watts each). It operates on 10-30 volt DC on an operation temperature of -40ºC -60ºCand a color temperature of 6000K. This spot light also has an approximate output of a whopping 3500 lumen. Its current draw is 3.92A @ 12V 1.95A @ 12V.

The 48 Watt LED Flood Light measures 110mm x 72mm x 110mm. This light has a lifespan of approximately 30,000 hours. It is black, is made with a stainless steel mounting bracket, diecast aluminum housing and a waterproof rate of IP67.

 

[mk216v]

Good info here. Curious to see what you guys end up with.

 

[cjken]

I'm very interested in finding an economical way to convert at least some of my floods to led.