Fenix produces high-quality flashlights, but they don’t currently offer a dedicated emergency vehicle lighting system directly comparable to the Whelen ION. The ION series utilizes advanced technologies for light output, pattern control, and synchronization within a network of lights. While Fenix lights excel in brightness and durability for individual use, they lack the specific features and integration capabilities required for emergency vehicle applications.
Whelen’s synchronization method is complex. It’s digital, requiring each lighthead in a network to determine a “master” and “slave” configuration using the same signal wire. This likely involves a timing mechanism where one lighthead establishes dominance, and the others synchronize accordingly.
Speculation suggests a simpler two-stage timing system. “Master” lights could blink on the first stage, and “slave” lights on the second. This could involve masters flashing on a pulse while slaves remain off or masters flashing on the initial pulse and slaves on the subsequent one. These approaches would be straightforward to implement electrically.
However, variations in voltage, pulse types (analog vs. digital), polarity (positive vs. negative), pulse length, and even potential DC bias in synchronization circuits complicate compatibility. Some manufacturers might employ complex bias systems, but the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle suggests simpler, more fault-tolerant systems are more common.
Creating a universal synchronization circuit for all lights is likely challenging due to these variations. While syncing a majority of syncable lights with a standardized circuit might be feasible, accommodating highly specialized systems could prove difficult. The tolerance levels of these systems remain a question. Successfully syncing lights likely depends on matching pulse type, polarity, and timing precisely.
