extended strobe light wires... now problems

Ok, got some strobes off eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=36476&item=2442013803

cheap ones, just seeing if I liked having strobes.

The wiring from the power box to the light was 24 - 28 guage, I couldn't read it. I extended the wires with about 8 feet of 22 guage wire. Now, the light that I extended wires works fine but the other bulb which I didn't extend doesn't flash all the time. I am wondering if having the wires extended draws too much power, keeping the other bulb from flashing all the time.

I would try it again w/out the extension, but I'd rather not cut the wires and reconnect them all over again.

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[EasyE]

Try extending the otherside now????????

 

[y3kbuddy]

I dont think its the extended wires having the problem, my strobes are the same way. one lights when the other doesnt and vice versa and sometimes it works fine. It seems like a random pattern. I think the problem is with the cheap module we both have. by the way, where did you install it, in the headlights or the blinker above the headlight? How does it look? Im thinking of getting a second pair.

 

[hydroxy]

I havn't installed them yet... I was going to try and figure out what was wrong with them first. I got 2 sets of the cheap bulbs, and I'm putting 2 lights in each reverse light. One light from each power box, so that it looks like the light is blinking faster... I got some lights from XplorerKid that I'm going to put in the headlights when they arrive.

Do you think I have to worry about the strobes touching the reverse light bulb? Will the heat hurt them?

 

[y3kbuddy]

QUOTE]Do you think I have to worry about the strobes touching the reverse light bulb? Will the heat hurt them?[/QUOTE]

dont know about the reverse lights. but about getting two lights in each housing: cant you just turn the module up so that it blinks faster? or are you doing it b/c of the inconsistancy with the blinks?

 

[hydroxy]

I can turn it on fast, but it isn't fast enough =P

 

[FDNYEMT]

garbage

your problem is probably because they are cheap garbage. the have very small capacitors that take long to charge. you dont have to worry about heat and the reverse bulb because they really dont get that hot. they dont put out that much light to begin with thus not produceing too much heat.

 

[jimbo74]

look towards www.galls.com or a similar place for real strobelights... you probably ended up getting some cheap pepboys brand lights.... the real lights are sold with optional 15 foot extension wire sets, so adding wire isnt the problem, it is somewhere else.....

 

[hydroxy]

I did get the real cheap kind... it was a way to see if I really wanted strobes or not. I understand that they are cheap and not that great, but it still baffles me as to why they would all of a sudden mess up because of the wires being extended....

 

[Alec]

Adding wire adds resistance to the system. With more expensive units this isn't a problem, but the cheap components of the module probably have a hard time handling or modulating with the extra load.

It's the same reason your blinkers blink fast when a bulb is out; or why you may have problems if you use LED taillamps.

 

[loboga]

I made my career for a years selling strobes to police, fire and ambulance services. Those that said your problem was due to cheap strobes was right on. Even the low end of the better strobes don't fire consistantly. If you watch lots of the ones on cop cars etc., they don't fire everytime and the manufacturers sell that as a "random" pattern. Most likely when you extended the wires you didn't make a good connection somewhere or swapped a wire. The extra resistance of that much length isn't enough to make a difference, but a poor connection is, really they shouldn't be extended at all, but if you must a good soldering job and taped is much better than crimped connectors. Cheap strobe power supplies start going downhill the day that their power capacitor is assembled and they go bad faster the more that they get used. I still have a few power supplies, hide a way strobe lamps and extension cables, both with waterproof connectors and without. I also have a whole lot of extra connectors, pins and such. Its not cheap stuff, but if someone is interested let me know.

 

[hydroxy]

I didn't solder, I used an end connector.. (dont know my lingo)

 

[XplorerKid]

hey it says the strobes were delivered today at 12:31

so you should have them =) feel free to ask any questions about them and hope you enjoy

PEACE

 

[loboga]

A crimp on butt splice right? Probably one of the worst inventions ever, after wire nuts! If its a cheap cable, its also possible that they have a bad crimp somewhere that changes resistance when you move it or temperature changes or they corrode.

 

[XplorerKid]

Originally posted by loboga
A crimp on butt splice right? Probably one of the worst inventions ever, after wire nuts! If its a cheap cable, its also possible that they have a bad crimp somewhere that changes resistance when you move it or temperature changes or they corrode.

butt connectors bad ?? you got to be kidding

thats all i ever use

PEACE

 

[loboga]

I'm not kidding. I worked as an industrial electrician, enginner and sales engineer for electrical products for a long time. The butt splices are OK, but not great for 12 volt applications, but strobes are firing at hundreds and sometimes thousands of volts. Also I don't know if it has changed, but those butt splices are not DOT approved on commercial vehicles, they require soldered and taped.

 

[y3kbuddy]

personally im not willing to pay hundreds of dollars to get police strobes. I'd rather spend like 50-70 on the cheap kinds and put them where ever i want. Might not be as bright or efficient as the real thing but it gets the job done. Just my opinion tho.

 

[XplorerKid]

Originally posted by y3kbuddy
personally im not willing to pay hundreds of dollars to get police strobes. I'd rather spend like 50-70 on the cheap kinds and put them where ever i want. Might not be as bright or efficient as the real thing but it gets the job done. Just my opinion tho.

yea i agree

i had(sold them to hydroxy) some OPTX... they are brighter than those cheap ones. and they cost about 30$ for the strobes
and another 30$ for the controller( controller not required)

PEACE

 

[410Fortune]

I had a similar problem with neon's in the boat.

I installed some interior neon's in my boat.

they were the cheapo kind that come with the power box and cigarette lighter ends. Well I wired up the power to the box and extended the feed to the passenger side neon lamp.

When I hit the switch only the drivers side lit up.
Apparently the distance form the power inverter box to the lamp cannot be extended or sufficient power will not get to the lamp.

So I ended up buying another set and running a power box on the pass side and one on the driver side.

Just FYI

 

[udmsvt]

ya know.....i got those same ones at autozone for 9.99