|
July 22, 2006
Home
|
The Bubble This is the major point of controversy and conversation for the MSP car. The "bubble", or overhead light, is a single red rotating light that sits on top of the patrol car's roof. The controversy is based on the number of flashes and visibillity to motorists. A full light bar, a Federal Signal Brand StreetHawk or the Vision, for example, is multi-colored and can emit up to hundreds of FPM's (Flashes per minute). The beleif is that multi coloration and many FPM's will alert motorists better than the bubble. Intersections are a particular point of referance. When an emergency vehicle passes through an intersection "CODE" (lights and siren) there is a 45 degree angle that needs to be swept so that oncomming motorists will see the vehicle. The argument is that the bubble is inefficient in this.
The light appears to be pink at night and the flashes are intense and sweeping. That's because they are made to be that way! The reason for this is because of the "Spitfire" lens. It is specifically made for the MSP, by Unity. There are 2 white (clear) 1/2 inch "slices" in the red lens. The mix of red and white creates a briliant pink light. The lights themselves are made of aircraft landing light quality and intensity. The candlepower rating of each bulb is 200,000 CP and flashes at 90 FPM's. The result is a long sweeping pink light capable of being seen for miles. They also stand out on the highway, when people see the pink flash they know to respect it because it is the Michigan State Police. The typical halogen lightbars may beat the bubble in FPM's, but each bulb is only rated at 80,000 CP. The MSP is built on tradition and they vow never to change the bubble. It will always be part of the vehicle.
|
