How can we help?

We offer product support to all of our customers, whether it’s configuration issues or even installation, we can help you.

Lightbar Support

Are there any special considerations I should make when positioning the lightbar on my vehicle?

If at all possible, the lightbar should be visible all around the vehicle from a reasonable distance, if this is not possible the ‘blind’ areas may need to be supplemented by other Special Warning Lamps (for example, a lightbar fitted on the cab of a truck will not be seen from a car following the truck).

It’s very important to make sure that the lightbar is level, i.e. the base needs to be parallel with the road surface. The lightbar optical system is designed to concentrate the emitted light signal in a beam with it’s maximum signal in the horizontal plane, if the lightbar is pointing up or down the signal will not be effective from a distance.

If you cannot find a suitable flat surface on the vehicle, you could choose the A006 Lightbar Adjustable Feet kit to allow level mounting on the vehicle.

If I’m replacing an existing rotating Halogen Lightbar with an LED Lightbar, do I need to make any modifications to the cables and/or switches?

Because LED devices are much more efficient than Halogen light sources they require much less electrical power and therefore use much less current. Assuming that the functionality of the replacement lightbar is the same and that the switches and cables were selected correctly, they will be capable of switching and carrying the current required by the new LED lightbar.

You should look at the fitting instructions of the new lightbar to ascertain the correct value of fuse for the circuit, and replace the existing fuse on the vehicle if required (the fuse already fitted to the vehicle will probably be too high a value).

Any joins to the existing cables should be made in ‘dry’ areas of the vehicle (e.g. in the vehicle interior headlining) or should be made waterproof if external to the vehicle.

Why are your lightbars available with either coloured lenses or clear (uncoloured) lenses? Are the signals any different and does it affect the legality?

The colour of the lenses is not important from a performance or legislative point of view, it’s the colour of the emitted signal that’s critical. The signal colours are achieved by either LED devices emitting a coloured light through a clear (uncoloured) lens or LED devices emitting coloured or white light through a coloured lens.

When a range of lightbars are submitted to the Approval Authorities for ECE R65 approval, the Test House measures the colour of the emitted light from all product derivatives to ensure that they comply with the exacting standards specified in the regulation.

If the lightbar is a single colour, it’s a matter of personal preference whether a coloured or clear (uncoloured) lens is requested. If a lightbar is used to emit several colours of light, it’s normally fitted with clear (uncoloured) lenses.

Beacon Support

Do you have any beacons suitable for use on airports?

If the vehicle is to be used on the movement areas of aerodromes, any beacon(s) fitted must comply with the technical requirements as specified in:

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – Licensing of Aerodromes CAP 168 – Yellow Flashing Vehicle Obstacle Light – Para 4.109 & Appendix 6D line 13

or

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION (ICAO) – Aerodrome Design and Operations – Low-intensity, Type C (mobile obstacle) Light – Table 6-1 & Table 6-2

The specifications specify things like the min and max directional intensity and flash rate requirements.

The Cell2 B14 and B16 series amber beacons when set at flash pattern 4 (Single SAE) comply with the requirements, they are therefore suitable for use in the movement area on aerodromes.

How many beacons do I need on my vehicle?

You need to fit as many beacons as necessary to provide a visible signal through a full 360 degrees around the vehicle from a reasonable distance. On a relatively small and low vehicle such as a car derived van, one beacon fitted on the roof close to the centre of the vehicle will be adequate (unless the vehicle needs to comply with the requirements of Chapter 8, see next question). With a larger, taller vehicle such as a high roofed long wheelbase van, you may need to fit two or more beacons on the roof to give the required 360 degree coverage, e.g. one or more at the front, and 1 or more at the rear.

Which amber beacons can be used on vehicles which have to comply with the UK Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8?

Chapter 8 Says:

O5.3.1 Without prejudice to the specific requirements of the following sections, any vehicle stopping on the highway for works purposes or inspections shall be equipped with either a roof-mounted flashing amber warning light bar (comprising at least two independent light sources) or two independent roof-mounted flashing amber warning beacons, visible through 360°.

O5.3.2 Roof-mounted flashing amber warning beacons must comply with the requirements of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations and should also comply with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 65 on Special Warning Lamps.

O5.3.3 If the main roof-mounted beacon is likely to be obscured from the rear by parts of the vehicle or any equipment carried on the vehicle, additional beacons should be fitted toward the rear of the vehicle where they will remain visible.

So, any Cell2 amber beacon that complies with ECE Regulation 65 will be suitable if the flash pattern is set to an ECE R65 approved flash pattern.

Module Support

Can LED warning modules be fitted in a vertical orientation?

Most LED modules are designed to be fitted horizontally, the optical system is designed to spread the light more from side to side than up and down to optimise the signal performance and comply with ECE Regulation 65. If a module isn’t fitted in the position it was approved to, it no longer complies with the regulation and will not be as effective in providing a good signal.

Unlike most of our competitors, Cell2 offer some modules specifically designed and approved to be mounted vertically, for example the ST6 Vertical Mount, the MS6 Vertical Mount and ideal for use in vertical vehicle grille sections, the Edge Saber Vertical Mount.

Which colour ‘Halo-Ring’ should I specify when I fit the HB6 Halo Blitz products to my vehicle?

It depends where you plan to fit the products on your vehicle, the ‘Halo-Rings’ on the HB6 series comply with and are approved to the following European Regulations:

• White – ECE Regulation 7.02 Category A, i.e. Front position lamp.

This means it should be fitted on the front of a vehicle in accordance with the relevant legislation for your territory for Front position lamps or Front end-outline marker lamps, and wired into the vehicle Position (side) lamp circuit. The ‘Halo Ring’ will then display a steady-state white marker signal.

• Red – ECE Regulation 7.02 Category R1, i.e. Rear position lamp.

This means it should be fitted on the rear of a vehicle in accordance with the relevant legislation for your territory for Rear position lamps or Rear end-outline marker lamps, and wired into the vehicle Position (side) lamp circuit. The ‘Halo Ring’ will then display a steady-state red marker signal.

• Amber – ECE Regulation 91 Category SM1, i.e. Side Marker Lamp.

This means it should be fitted on the side of a vehicle in accordance with the relevant legislation for your territory for Side marker lamps, and wired into the vehicle Position (side) lamp circuit. The ‘Halo Ring’ will then display a steady-state amber marker signal.

Note: It’s not commonly done yet, but side marker lamps are now permitted to flash in phase and at the same frequency with the direction-indicator lamps at the same side of the vehicle. This would be achieved by interrupting the power supply to the Halo Ring, there’s no need to modify or programme the HB6 lamp.

What is the difference between ‘Split colour’ modules and ‘Dual colour’ modules?

Both types of modules are capable of emitting two different colours.

• ‘Split colour’ modules use separate sections of the light emitting surface (lens) to emit the different colours, for example, one half of the lens might emit red light, and the opposite half might emit blue light.
• ‘Dual colour’ modules can emit two different colours from the whole light emitting surface (lens).

Traffic Director support

What is the difference between a traffic director and a warning stick?

Only the length, the products are exactly the same except for the number of elements in the product. If a product has 4 or less independently controlled elements we don’t call it a ‘Traffic Director’ because there aren’t enough lightheads to give a clear scrolling directional signal. The products with 4 or less elements give an excellent hazard warning signal and we call them ‘Warning Sticks’.

Integrated Systems support

What is meant by ‘Integrated Systems’?

Some vehicles such as Ambulances and Fire Trucks have warning lighting systems which are ‘styled into’ the shape and form of their bodies, usually at the front top corners and sometimes at the rear and down the sides too. They normally have synchronised flash patterns.

So, what can you offer?

By their very nature, Integrated Systems are unique to a particular vehicle/body builder/customer and normally require a collaborative approach. i.e., we would work closely with the vehicle manufacturer’s engineers to develop the optimum arrangement using either standard products from our range and/or specialised optical modules behind customer specified lenses to comply with the required legislation and specifications. If you have a project you’d like to discuss with us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Illumination support

I’d like to illuminate the working area around my vehicle so that I can keep working effectively in the area in the dark, what product would you advise?

The newly released SL157 and SL209 are ideal for this purpose and have been designed to exceed the high performance standards set by the existing market leaders. They have modern, sleek styling, the optical and electronic systems provide an efficient and impressive flood of light at ground level when fitted around the periphery of the vehicle. They are designed to give many years of trouble free service.

What should I consider when installing illumination type products such as Work Lamps and Scene Lamps?

As with all other electrical equipment, you should ensure that cables, switches and fuses suitable for the amount of current consumed by the products are selected.

Is it OK to drive my vehicle with scene lamps or work lamps energised?

No, they are not suitable to be used on a moving vehicle, indeed it’s illegal to drive a vehicle on a public highway with either Scene Lamps or Work Lamps energised (unless they are approved to ECE Regulation 23 and fitted on the rear of a vehicle in accordance with the requirements of a Reversing Lamp and the vehicle has it’s reverse gear engaged).
So, it’s best to give a clear signal to the driver of the vehicle that scene lamps or works lamps are energised, or integrate some method of making it impossible to drive the vehicle with them energised.

Electronic & Audible support

What should I consider when deciding where to position a speaker?

It can be difficult finding a suitable space to fit a siren in a modern vehicle. However, for maximum sound output the speaker should be pointing directly forwards on the vehicle with the minimum amount of obstructions that would baffle the sound as possible. This might be behind the front grille of a vehicle, but if the grille is relatively ‘dense’ in it’s construction, it would be beneficial to cut some material away from directly in front of the speaker to maximise sound output. The speaker should not be tilted upwards otherwise water ingress might be a problem.

Control System support

I just want a simple way of switching the functions of my lightbar, what would you suggest?

The simplest and most cost-effective products we offer are the SCP switch panels, available with either 1 master switch and 3 individual function switches, or 1 master switch with 5 individual function switches. They offer a robust and very intuitive method of lightbar switching. You could also use the unit to switch other equipment on the vehicle such as Directional Warning Lamps using ‘spare’ switches on the panel.

I need something capable of switching more equipment on the vehicle, and I’d like to programme scenarios and groups of functions using single buttons, what do you suggest?

The SW830 is a very flexible product capable of being programmed to satisfy virtually all switching requirements. It comprises of a compact and stylish switch panel easily located within easy reach of the operator, and a remotely mounted solid state power module located in a place convenient for wiring into the vehicle electrical system.

Road Safety support

What do you mean by ‘Road Safety’? Don’t all your products contribute to road safety?

Yes, that’s right, they do. However, our title ‘Road Safety’ refers to a range of products designed specifically for use in traffic management and hazard warning signs. They are normally used as part of a system fitted to fixed roadside or overhead signs or stationary and slow moving trailers or vehicles. They are designed to warn of hazards or lane closures on the highway and help to direct traffic.

Are they approved to the relevant standards?

Yes, they comply with EN12352, class L8H and also the ECE Directive ECE Regulation 10.

Warranty Terms

Cell2 Limited warrants to its distributors and professional customers that its product units are free of defects in materials, workmanship, and design for a period of two years from the date of manufacture.

This warranty does not extend to product units which have been subjected to misuse, extraordinary conditions of service, inadequate maintenance, or improper installation, or to products whose use, maintenance, or installation of which differs from that established in the Product Manual. This commercial warranty likewise excludes product units which have been modified or altered at any facility other than authorized Cell2 Limited workshops.