Beacon Lights

Since their debut over half a century ago, beacon lights have remained an icon of emergency and warning lights. For many decades they have been the easiest way of achieving 360 degrees of lighting for emergency and rescue vehicles. None of other types of emergency lights can provide the same level of all-round visibility, which makes beacon lights one of the most efficient emergency and warning lights on the market. Thanks to their simple yet ergonomic design, beacon lights can be installed on just about any type of a vehicle, including cars, trucks, vans and more.

Beacon lights are often used as basic equipment on a variety of emergency vehicles, including police cars, fire engines, and ambulances, as well as tow trucks and snow-removal vehicles. In most cases, they are motorized rotating beacons in red, blue or amber colors, each of which is used depending on an application. Thus, red and blue colors are warning lights of police, fire and medical-emergency vehicles, while amber lights are used for tow trucks, construction vehicles, and other special-service vehicles. Different volunteer firefighters also used green, as well as red and blue lights.

During the 70-year history of beacon lights their design has evolved with the evolution of lighting technology. However, the basics of a beacon light have remained the same for seven decades. It is a modular system, which consists of a motorized rotating reflector and a bulb inside the lamp. Usually, it is an interchangeable halogen lamp which is easy to replace in less than no time. Intended for exterior use, usually on a roof, the assembly is properly sealed to ensure dust and moisture resistance. In most cases the underneath of beacon lights has a magnetic base which allows for quick and effortless installation on a roof or any part of the car body, as well as for transferring lights from one vehicle to another, regardless of their type and construction.

While halogen beacons remain a popular type of warning lights, more and more emergency services today give a preference to LED beacon/strobe lights. These lights offer all the versatility of traditional halogen beacon lights with the extended service life and power-efficiency of LEDs. Using significantly less power than any traditional halogen or incandescent bulbs, they provide a high level of light output for improved visibility. Unlike most halogen lights that require the engine to continue running in order to prevent full battery discharge, LED beacon lights can be in use for long periods of time without running the risk of depleting the battery. In addition, they almost do not emit heat, which makes them not only efficient, but also safe and reliable.