High Mounted 3rd Brake Strobe Light, A few pics, video and contacts, $7.94 total! Options

[stugray]

Nice work!

I have always wanted to build one with an accelerometer in it.
If you apply the brakes nice & easy, it comes on same as the regular brake lights.
If you brake harder, it comes on strobing and brighter.
If you jam on the brakes it comes on brightest and blinking like crazy

[Spoke]

This one is 38949B at Summit Racing and is 12 inches long and 0.625 inch high. Mounted below the roll hoop it is not visible from the rear view mirror.

[anderssj]

Nice work!

I have always wanted to build one with an accelerometer in it.
If you apply the brakes nice & easy, it comes on same as the regular brake lights.
If you brake harder, it comes on strobing and brighter.
If you jam on the brakes it comes on brightest and blinking like crazy

Sounds a lot like the "Voevodsky Cyberlight." It was advertised in the back pages of Car and Driver in the late 1970s. I helped a friend put one on his 240Z just above the rear license plate back in the day. It was brilliant.

It was a rectangular black plastic box, about 12" long (same as a license plate), 2" tall, and about 2" deep. It had two 12-volt automotive bulbs behind an amber lense (red optional). The only connections were to ground and "+" signal off of the car's brake lamp circuit. Inside was a computer chip and a deceleration sensor (5 [?] mercury switches IIRC). The Cyberlight came on when the brakelamps came on, and it would flash at ~1x/second when vehicle was stationary. When moving, the Cyberlight's flashing rate depending upon the rate of deceleration, varying from the resting-rate up a "strobe-like" ~8x/second under heavy braking.

I followed his car up WA-167 from Kent towards Renton after the install--Cyberlight not only told me when he was braking, but the rising rate of the flashing told me how hard he was braking. Not sure why, but they went off the market before I could buy one.

Some interesting info about it here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forum...-questions.html

Interesting that BMW is introducing a "Dynamic Brake Light" on some of their European bikes:

http://www.sportrider.com/bmw-announces-ne...e-light?image=0

[mrholland2]

These need to be retina damagingly bright. Lasers? Phasers? Romulan disruptors?

[ClayPerrine]

These need to be retina damagingly bright. Lasers? Phasers? Romulan disruptors?

If you are going that route, I want Deflector Shields!

[GregAmy]

I find strobing/flashing brake lights to be extremely annoying/distracting and a clear sign of a douchebag.

Not to mention they're contrary to motor vehicle regulations.

I always pull up to the driver's side to see if they're wearing the Bluetooth ear phone thing and having a conversation with their wife, Karen.

Not that I have strong feelings on the matter or anything...

[oakdalecurtis]

I find strobing/flashing brake lights to be extremely annoying/distracting and a clear sign of a douchebag.

Not to mention they're contrary to motor vehicle regulations.

I always pull up to the driver's side to see if they're wearing the Bluetooth ear phone thing and having a conversation with their wife, Karen.

Not that I have strong feelings on the matter or anything...

If my strobe third brake light is annoying enough to keep you out of my tailpipes, you can call me “Douchy” all day/night long! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif)

[Cairo94507]

I think if you came to CA and drove around you may rethink your position. The people here, a lot of them, are so self-absorbed, me-first types, they think nothing of tailgating while talking on their phones which they still hold in their hand while talking. I have been rear-ended 6 times in the past 20 years and each time it was a young kid on his cell phone or playing with his stereo. So, yeah, I will have a 3rd LED brake light on my car and it will flash 3 times when I step on the brake. I hope and pray that will catch the attention of the douches behind me who are too busy doing other things to pay attention to the road while driving. Of course my car has stated value coverage so if the worse happens, I will get what I believe the car is worth. BTW, 2 of the rear-enders were by uninsured, unlicensed drivers of course. That should be a "go straight to jail and get you car seized and crushed" in the event of an accident. And if you are dumb enough to loan your car to someone w/o a valid license and they crash it, it should be impounded for a minimum of 30 days- enjoy that bill. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[StarBear]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, buy one of these. I have one on the 914 tucked up on the outside of targa bar which does not block visibility at all. No issues for 4 years. Also one on the SC inside the top of the rear window, with no impairment. I did not connect the running light wire since I didn't want the Cylon/Knight Rider thing. With the brake pressed, it provides a very bright 4 flashes before going solid red. Really like the small size, brightness and strobing. I attached with double sided 3M tape.

http://www.customdynamics.com/knight_rider_led_light_bar.htm

Props to the OP on his method and buget price since these cost $30 with free shipping. .

Just the ticket, I think, particularly in light of Clay's recent incident. BTW, I presume the one you've ID'd is the second row, middle light?

[bandjoey]

Lots of 3rd brake light threads. Here's mine. 24" across the targa bar. Autozone LED stick on lights. Still stuck down tight since 2009 on the car. Routed the wire through the chrome strip, down the sail trim, and into the trunk and wired into the brake light. Very bright night and day and I know it's saved me a few times.

[Gatornapper]

Steve -

so how did Terri reach the brake pedal from her seat? ;-)

GN

Im going to try some of the little, high strength magnets, superglued to the light.

That's how I attached mine . . . also a quick disconnect for the wiring. I can remove it all in a couple of minutes if I needed to. Going on 5 years with no problems.



The light is from a Volvo V70 (I think), with the same strobe module as oakdalecurtis.

BTW, I used a piece of thin mouse pad on the magnets so they won't mar the paint (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[bandjoey]

Someone asked about how the wires went through the targa trim. One simple hole with a rubber grommet.

[North Coast Jim]

Here's mine. I live is a Sumer tourist area and although I don't have first hand knowledge I'm sure there are a few impaired drivers on the road. Found these at Walmart of all places in a 2 pack. Gave the other light to OLAF who did the same mounting. Double sticky 3M holds it in place on the backside of the Targa trim. No need to remove it when I take the top off. Routed the wires under the trim and exited into the engine compartment. Butyl from the windshield install was used to hold the wiring in place. No glare and no rearward visibility issues.

Would love to locate a module to make it flash a couple of times before staying on. Any inputs folks

[anderssj]

Here's mine. I live is a Sumer tourist area and although I don't have first hand knowledge I'm sure there are a few impaired drivers on the road. Found these at Walmart of all places in a 2 pack. Gave the other light to OLAF who did the same mounting. Double sticky 3M holds it in place on the backside of the Targa trim. No need to remove it when I take the top off. Routed the wires under the trim and exited into the engine compartment. Butyl from the windshield install was used to hold the wiring in place. No glare and no rearward visibility issues.

Would love to locate a module to make it flash a couple of times before staying on. Any inputs folks

LSC-400A at www.superbrightleds.com--I've had good luck with it. I like that it stays steady after the initial pulses. Makes it a little easier on the person stopped behind you.

You can find it here: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/st..._waApQkEALw_wcB

There's a video of it about half way down the right side of the page.

Hope this helps!

Steve A-

[FlacaProductions]

one option for a flasher:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/st...module/195/845/

[Literati914]

This one is 38949B at Summit Racing and is 12 inches long and 0.625 inch high. Mounted below the roll hoop it is not visible from the rear view mirror.

@Spoke
Hey, Spoke.. that one does not strobe, right? I like the dimension but would prefer a strobing unit and don't see one (in that brand) that's described as such.



.

[Mblizzard]

No good for me....it blocks the rear view mirror view.

Rear view mirror? First rule of italian driving!

What's Behind Me, It's Not Important!

[FlacaProductions]

@Literati914 - i *believe* if you find an LED that you prefer you should be able to add the flasher unit that I linked (or similar) and it will function.

[Spoke]

This one is 38949B at Summit Racing and is 12 inches long and 0.625 inch high. Mounted below the roll hoop it is not visible from the rear view mirror.

@Spoke
Hey, Spoke.. that one does not strobe, right? I like the dimension but would prefer a strobing unit and don't see one (in that brand) that's described as such.



.

@Literati914

No this one is just an LED strip. No strobing. The strobing mostly is done in standalone modules and can be quite inexpensive. The strobes just go right in between the brake wire and the LED. Easy to add anywhere in the 3rd brake light wiring between the brake light wire and the 3rd brake. I haven't looked into the brake strobes to know which ones work best.

[FlacaProductions]

I've ordered this from ebay - unfortunately, not sure when I'll be able to get to the 914 but the plan is either inside or outside the rear window -probably at the bottom - but it all depends on how the adhesive is oriented. Worth a shot for $14. Single mode - simple mirroring of brake lights.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/40inch-Car-LED-Cen...872.m2749.l2649