Piercer (par 46 sealed beam)

[JohnMarcson]

I have posted about the piercer one before... a larger strobe powered by 2 outlets on a power supply at once


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/strobe-help-26879/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f18/piercer-piercer-ii-pierce-alert-halogen-piercer-ii-27543/


I finally threw one together. These came with a Max beam, a PAR56 or PAR46.... This one is a par 46 clear strobe in a whelen cast housing. It's triggered by 2 double flash outlets at once.

 

[lotsofbars]

Did the double outlets mean double the output?

 

[JohnMarcson]

Did the double outlets mean double the output?

Yeah, Basically back when supplies were 60 fpm or so, hooking the trigger of the alternating head to the first will double the flash rate. That is exactly how the original piercer was made. Modern supplies often don't like this hack and malfunction. But technology has moved beyoned needing this hack anyway.

 

[lotsofbars]

Yeah, Basically back when supplies were 60 fpm or so, hooking the trigger of the alternating head to the first will double the flash rate. That is exactly how the original piercer was made. Modern supplies often don't like this hack and malfunction. But technology has moved beyoned needing this hack anyway.

Ah, that makes perfect sense. Nowadays, as you said, you can just change the flash pattern and be on your way. Interesting how slow the flashes were compared to now.

 

[philyumpshus]

I love the old-school strobe stuff, back when it was cutting edge technology. I've watched old COPS episodes and seen old apparatus that had just a simple pair of strobe grille lights- that must have seemed like such a huge improvement over the halogen/incandescent lighting. You can see the same progression with LEDs- I remember when the NYSP decided to retrofit their Vistas with Cuda modules to boost lighting output and when it was a "big deal" to see a car with a Liberty. Now they're commonplace for pretty much all new emergency vehicles.

 

[patrol530]

I miss the capacitor whine of the old supplies.

 

[TheLightFromMars]

I miss the capacitor whine of the old supplies.

Shades of Lone Wolf McQuade's siren!

 

[kitn1mcc]

i like it

 

[JennyCop]

Interesting how slow the flashes were compared to now.

I personally like the older slow flash pattern, the modern ones are just way too fast and disorienting. Very Nice piece John

 

[JohnMarcson]

To make this more confusing; here is a 2 head remote supply marked "piercer". Not only is it two heads but it is a style not offered until 5 years after the piercer came out. I'm not sure if this was for an early lightbar mount one, a remote unit using a dual strobe head, or if the remote units actually did just function by combining the triggers of a two head unit. It looks to flash each head at normal double flash rate so I am guessing they were combining triggers from two heads into one...

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7117803052752538926