Choose Your Mini Lightbars With Care

By Author: Sunil Punjabi
Total Articles: 2565
Comment this article

Emergencies can- and do- come in many forms. A shoot-out, fire, a serious road accident are all examples of situations that require suitable response by trained professionals. So also emergencies created by heavy snow or rain or earthquakes, tornadoes, mudslides etc. For emergency response professional teams to be able to do their job well, they need powerful lighting at the site. But not all emergencies occur during bright sunlight or where there is adequate artificial light. That's why portable artificial light sources such as mini lightbars are becoming an indispensable part of an emergency response team’s kit.

With LED technology becoming more affordable, it is not surprising that mini lightbars too use LEDs. Of course, you can also choose strobe or halogen based lightbars. Typically, LED based units consist of an array of around 50 LEDs, each consuming 1 Watt of power. But the combined light emitted by such an array of LEDs is very bright. Far brighter than what halogen lamps or even CFLs can produce.

While intensity of light produced is a major requirement of mini lightbars, there ...
... are other features too that a good unit must possess. These features are relevant given the kind of conditions in which the unit will be used. They must be relatively small and light-weight, so that they can be easily handled by the emergency response team. They must be waterproof, not just to protect the electronics and circuitry, but also because the unit may be used in rainy weather. Not all sites may have easy access to electricity. Indeed, some emergency situations may even knock out power lines, resulting in loss of electricity in the affected area. To be useful in such conditions, the unit must have the ability to work even when plugged into cigarette lighter plugs of cars at the scene. Of course, they must also have the option of being plugged into a switch box.

Some emergency situations may last for hours. In such cases, how long the mini lightbars can continue working is important. Therefore, the longevity of the LEDs is important. This is where LED-based units score over halogen units. There is also the larger question of energy efficiency. Decision-makers will prefer a unit that is more energy efficient to one that is less so. How easily the unit can be mounted on a vehicle such as a car or excavator is also a factor to be considered. A car needs to travel quickly to the site.

If the lightbar unit adds to drag, response times can go up. A few minutes can well mean the difference between life and death. So the unit must be aerodynamic in design- which means a low profile. It must also have the option of magnetic mounts so that it can be quickly fixed on top of a car. If the unit is mounted on a vehicle such as an excavator, chances are it will experience lots of vibration. The ability to absorb vibrations is also an important feature. Lastly, factor in the warranty provided. Most manufacturers provide a five year warranty for mini lightbars.

Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for
Mini Lightbars and many other items like Flashlights, Deck Lights, police lights, etc. Please visit the site for more details of various items available - http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/