Scanner lights

Modified and aftermarket systems, lights, wiring, etc.

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HenryJ
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Scanner lights

Post by HenryJ »

I should probably just keep my mouth shut, but I'm not too good at that :roll:

This all came from an offhand remark on another forum. I am one to take things lightly, and as likely to make fun of myself as others. This all started out as joke and somewhere insanity took over.

I have just enough skills to be dangerous at about anything I put my mind to. Here in lies the curse...

The remark was ..."Brule's truck reminds me of knight rider for some reason, just when you think he has shown all the goodies he has on there, BAM! another one shows up, that you had no clue about..."

For those of you who may not get it, David Hasselhoff played Michael Knight. Sort of a Robinhood character who drove a car with artificial intelligence named KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand). Google Knightrider the TV series for more information.

So now I am thinking that it might be funny to add one of those scanner lights :lol: Not seriously?
A little looking found a huge one on ebay for big $$. Another is available in the UK. The schematics are every where and building the needed electronics is not out of the question, but quite a bit of work for a joke. Time passes and I end up with one of those free $10 coupons for Motorweb Sportcompact after watching "Fast and Furious-Tokyo Drift". Hmmm...that is probably a place that would have flashy lights ;) Sure enough , PlasmaGlow LED light sticks.

:lol: There is about enough space at the hood and in the grille for 15". What the heck! Red would not be a good idea since it is not allowed on the front of a vehicle and the misconception that someone is impersonating an emergency vehicle is not something I want to deal with. Yellow seems like the best choice to avoid legal issues.

The light stick arrives. There really is not a good place to stash it in the grille, and the problem of bugs, water, blocking airflow, wiring, etc. is there.

Top of the windshield would solve a few issues, but this thing is a little bulky at the ends. Torn down it is not so bad. Add a cap to the end and stow the electronics in the headliner. Hmmm, doable? Muhaha :evil:

Now it needs to be wired into the truck and remote operation would be cool. The upper console offers just what is needed. Access to the RAP and more specifically the dome light circuit :mg:
A little cutting and adding of the on/off micro switch with green LED status indicator to the glow sticks controller and it is ready, then tap into the orange and white wires for the upper console connector to power it.

Comes on when unlocking the doors via the remote. Runs for about a minute. This should be really handy for locating the truck at night :D Open the door and it is on. Turn the key to on and it is off. Lock the doors and it is off. This worked out better than expected :evil:
The controller has three positions: scan, solid and music.

I haven't seen it at night yet since I just finished the install. It should be funny as heck :lol:

You can't see it since the windshield has the sunshade tint at the top. I can always shut it off with the micro switch that I installed. It was kind of fun making it all work. Should be good for a few laughs :lol:
Last edited by HenryJ on Sat Oct 14, 2006 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by BobbleSmitty »

That's sweet!! I'm a huge fan of Knight Rider, and I had actually looked into getting the amber version of the lightbar for my old car, but I wasn't keeping it much longer so I opted not to. But that's pretty sweet!! If you could, could you post a short video clip of it??
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Post by F9K9 »

OMG, you have gone completely off the deep end. :lol:

Take the family geocaching or something. Thank Gawd that it is yet another mod that I have zero interest in.

BTW, post some night time pics :wink:
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Post by Walt »

f9k9 wrote:OMG, you have gone completely off the deep end. :lol:

Take the family geocaching or something. Thank Gawd that it is yet another mod that I have zero interest in.

BTW, post some night time pics :wink:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now you need to do some custom lighting in other places.... Like on top of your nerf bars, and maybe on the inside of the flares. :) Make the whole truck slowly light up when you need to find it.
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Post by 04crewvt »

Cool- you regain your gadget title. Pics please I always thought that KITT was a cool car and the lightbar was great.
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Post by HenryJ »

f9k9 wrote:...that it is yet another mod that I have zero interest in.
Oh, but with the Hoff name and a yellow truck (Baywatch) it is a natural progression to add some of KITTs features.

It would be perfect on your truck :evil:
Last edited by HenryJ on Sat Oct 14, 2006 2:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Walt »

HenryJ wrote:
f9k9 wrote:...that it is yet another mod that I have zero interest in.
Oh, but with the Hoff name and a yellow truck (Baywatch) it is a natural progression to add some of KITTs features.

It would be perfect on your truck :evil:
Yea Reed. You could mount a c02 canister up front so you can drive up to a building that's on fire and put it out just like Kitt did in one of the episodes. :lol:
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Post by 04crewvt »

Hey, we sell fog fluid and foggers for theater productions- that would add a nice touch.
[size=75]Why does the universe decree that if you have all the time in the world to work on projects you have no money and vice versa?
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Post by F9K9 »

I am simply speechlessImage
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Post by HenryJ »

Walt wrote:...You could mount a c02 canister up front so you can drive up to a building that's on fire and put it out just like Kitt did in one of the episodes.
Hmm...I do have a couple old 40# CO2 extinguishers in the warehouse :evil:

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Post by 04crewvt »

I just found a 12v mini fogger from one of our suppliers.Image
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Post by HenryJ »

04crewvt wrote:I just found a 12v mini fogger from one of our suppliers.Image
Add a line to the washer nozzle so that it will imitate a NOS purge :idea:

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Post by 04crewvt »

Sometimes I think it's a good thing we are on different sides of the country. If we were in the same location who knows what sort of trouble the world would be in.
Image
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Post by HenryJ »

04crewvt wrote:Sometimes I think it's a good thing we are on different sides of the country.
You're probably right. My neighbor and I built this - The Turbid Necromancer

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Post by 04crewvt »

HenryJ wrote:
04crewvt wrote:Sometimes I think it's a good thing we are on different sides of the country.
You're probably right. My neighbor and I built this - The Turbid Necromancer
Too cool!! I could have used that last weekend in the mud bog.Image
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Post by HenryJ »

f9k9 wrote:...post some night time pics :wink:
Movies are not an option for a lousy dial-up connection.

Image Image

Pictures just don't do it justice :mg:
Last edited by HenryJ on Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Walt »

Brule, you can always mail me a cd of the video files and I can post them :lol:
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Post by BobbleSmitty »

Just leave the PC signed on overnight! That's we used to do here if we had a big file to download! lol
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Post by HenryJ »

:lol: In three or four attempts it might work.
I usually get no better than 19.2 k and it usually drops for a redial every hour or so.

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Post by 04crewvt »

show us the inside install pics. This could be a good addition if you could also make it run whenever you want . I am thinking winter driving(like having cab lights), or road hazard warning lights, without having to drill into the roof.
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Post by HenryJ »

04crewvt wrote:show us the inside install pics. This could be a good addition if you could also make it run whenever you want ....
You can. Just rotate the dash light dimmer knob to turn on the dome light.

My Dome light is selectable (auto, off, on) , so I can turn it off. I guess I could have the scanner going while parked or driving if I needed to. You may very well be right in that it could serve as an eye level warning light.

Install pictures are not really an option. There is no good way to see it. Suffice it to say that the tube is stuffed in the front of the headliner. The window tint makes it invisible from the outside and you can not see it under the headliner inside. The wires run into the console , under the headliner and the control box hangs out of the console under the visors.

My wife started giving me the old "Huggy" routine, but that really doesn't apply since I can turn it off and you can not see it at all.

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Post by killian96ss »

:shock: :o :shock:

:angel:

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Post by HenryJ »

APC has an affordable light-

NAPA APC Sweeper light , BK # 735-5452 , $19.99

APC # 36.0412B

"Speed doesn't kill, suddenly becoming stationary does." - Richard Hammond
"Speed is just a matter of Money - How fast do YOU want to go?"-Mechanic from Mad Max-
If at first you don't succeed - Don't take up Skydiving!
- ThunderII KE7CSK