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12vdc alternating Flasher circuit

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cvfc1216

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So here is the rundown. im on the local fire dept and i have my lights in my truck. but i just came across 2 12vdc LED 3rd Break-light assemblies. they came from my chief's old truck and i want to put them in mine and i want them to have a alternating flash to them. iv been trying to build the circuit myself but i just cant get it to work.

sooo in essence i need an alternating flasher that can take an input of 12vdc and put out 12vdc at about 1amp. anyone have any ideas or schematics that i can use to build this circuit. and dont worry bout legal things with driving laws its legal i checked it.
 
Why the irrelevant fluff about being a firefighter? Do you think it will give credence to the response you receive? By the nature of your writing I am surprised you passed the academy entrance exam. And no, I do not think a flashing brake light is legal.
 
who are you to say whats legal. your California rules may restrict that but my state does not, i know this because iv checked with my DMV supervisor. if you have nothing to say to help me don't bother posting. by the way, what makes you such an expert on grammar?
 
Common sense will prevail here, I doubt any state is governed stupidly enough to allow flashing brake lights as this would pose a hazard. Secondly, by your writing style I can tell your maturity level, and I have serious doubts that what you say is true. I am dubious of you, so I am not so receptive. What you propose is silly and really quite dangerous on the road.
 
If you think it is so silly then make yourself not any part of it and leave me to my plans and for your information they are legal if the flash rate is no faster than one flash per min and they are mounted in the top corners by the c post of the vehicle. If you have nothing constructive to add go bother someone else who gives a damn for your opinion.
Goodbye
 
cvfc1216 they're federal laws not state apparently you don't know what you're talking about. Buy a commercial unit. I'm assuming your fire department has a budget that includes some amount of money for signal lights for safety vehicle? If this isn't for a work vehicle that is properly registered as a saftey vehicle it's illegal, if it is do it the proper way by buying a unit from someone that knows what they're doing.
 
Thats simple to build!
Just go to your local auto parts store and get one of the sollid state blinker flashers that have dual outputs. They will give you an alternating output and only set you back about $10 or so. The ones I have used are not amp draw sensitive so they will flash at a constant rate reguardless of what load they have on them. The old mechanical ones are load sensitive so they probibly wont work right ona a 1 amp load.:)

Flashing lights on emergency vehicals are not under the same rules as those of the general public. Just ask a law enforcement officer. If you are using them on your own vehical durring an actual emergency and get pulled over just show them your Fire and rescue credentials! You will be more likely to get a police escourt than a ticket!
Rescue and emergency help people do have ligitament reasons and allowances for flashing lights on private vehicals durring emergency situations. Even if you get a ticket it will most likely be thrown out due to special sircumstance allowances.
If you were a cop and hauled in a emergency response person durring an actual emergency response call and then someone died at that emergency you would be held responsible to some degree for that persons death!



I respect the fire and rescue guys highly so heres a freebie poke just in your honor!
:)

Common sense will prevail here, I doubt any state is governed stupidly enough

Your from California right? UM....Okay Whatever. :D

PS. Dont worry about the grammer nazis. Being YOU risk your life to help others I think your allowed far more leeway than anyone else.
 
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You just want to use 3rd brake light assemblys as red flashers, correct?

I can't imagine making the actual brake lights flash would be legal, but I don't think thats what your after.

What your after is very easy to do. Many ways to do it also.

If you don't mind a relay clicking, get one with a set of Normally Open (NO) contacts and Normally Closed (NC) contacts. Then do a little reading on the 555 timer IC in astable mode. There is alot of information on the web about it.
The 555 ic will set the duty cycle (on time vs. off time) and frequency (flash speed) have the output of the 555 drive a transistor that will open and close the relay. One light is on the NO contacts and the other is on the NC contacts. When one lights, the other will go out.

Alot of volly firemen have to buy their own lights. I don't find it that odd. I don't see what the drama is about.

If its not legal and you don't have proper permits and such, you will get in trouble, but thats your own problem, not ours.
 
they are legal if the flash rate is no faster than one flash per min and they are mounted in the top corners by the c post of the vehicle.

Do you regularly drive in reverse when responding to emergencies?
 
Think more warning for after you get to the site of an accident or fire then a traffic clearing device.

I don't think many citys allow sirens and equipment to change traffic lights on personal vehicals, so traffic clearing would me the least of my concerns.
 
ok so first, andy and tcmtech thank you for seeing what im trying to accomplish here. for the rest of you (mike, mike, and Sceadwian) you have no clue what is trying to be done here. andy and tcm have it right, as a firefighter we are not issued lights we have to either buy our own **** or make it. we dont drive backwards to the scene the lights are mounted in the rear for warning while im parked on the side of the highway at wrecks or other calls. tcm i just bought the solid state flasher from the local napa, works great, a little slow but speed is not needed just the flashing. oooooohhhh and by the way California mike, u really shouldn't talk bout stupid governments you have a roid-raging dumb assed actor as a governor, at least my state elects normal stupid people to office. oh and by the way guys the federal government does not regulate highways and vehicles the state does. that's why you dont see the federal pigs patrolling the highway.

oh and there is one last thing i like to say before im done here, no cop touches a firefighter in my area especially since they were or are firefighters themselves.
learn to respect your emergency workers they may just save your life or tell you to f**k off when you most need them. all depends how much you respect us.

goodbye
 
Maybe you could use this:
 

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Hey '1216' I used to have a firefighter living next door to me. He had anger management issues also. I would take every opportunity to make him go off. They finally moved :)
I would advise you to seek professional help with your issues and not take them out on the public you are supposed to be helping.
 
Well, I bet my governor can beat up your governor. :p

I think you made my point. Firefighter indeed... :rolleyes:
 
I think '1216' dinged me in the reputation for the flashing light I posted.

This is what was left "smart @$$ed comments dont help"
 
anger management? funny... almost original... not really. see i know a guy that was like you are now, always talked **** about firefighters and thought nothing about respecting them any, until his house burnt down and we saved his ass.
your probably asking why the hell am i saying this. its because we are here to save your ass, not to kiss it. we owe you nothing else. and as for me my father had a saying i always liked. "Dont get mad, get even" you cant anger me because i know you are full of crap and i find it funny your talking so much crap because one day you will need a firefighter for some reason and that day you may or may not realize how much of an idiot you really are and im fine with that. :D
 
mikebits i would pay to see your governator beat up mine, quite frankly the guy needs a couple smacks upside the head to figure out that he is screwing up just a tad more than the last one did and by tad i mean crashing cop cars and bankrupting the state is way more than just coming out of the closet
 
And here you are asking for help from people so you can get back to your 'holier that thou attitude' with new flashing lights. I really don't care if you are a firefighter or a rocket scientist. Around here we all on the same playing field. So stop opening your mouth and inserting the keyboard! I don't owe you anything especially respect!
 
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sooo idk bout the rest of you but im having too much fun now, im talking to a guy from California that talks about common sense and a guy from Ohio that thinks he has me figured out from 500 miles away. this is just too fun.
 
your right you don't owe me ****, but you sure are paying me alot of entertainment with your cute little comments and how angry and frustrated your sound. oh and whats the matter your original comment was not good enough u had ro edit a minute later so i wouldn't see.

your too fun
 
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