J1690_199608 FLASHERS

In the SAE manual there are four documents with requirements for flashers. These documents all follow the same form, the test procedures are the same and the performance requirements are very similar. This document will combine the procedures and performance requirements for the four into one document and, thus, supercede the following:

The purpose in generating this document has been threefold, (a), to consolidate the four documents into one, (b), to harmonize the SAE documents with other international standards, (c), to include requirements for extended durability flashers in the SAE documents.

The document accomplishes the intention completely.

It should be noted that other international standards utilize one document which includes the requirements for all type of flashers. In addition, they include requirements for Class A and B durability or normal and extended durability.

SAE J1690 compares favorably with the international documents except for one aspect. The international standards require a bulb outage indication should one occur. Although FMVSS-108 requires bulb outage for fixed load flashers, it does not for variable load flashers. Although with a small number of bulbs, it is possible to achieve bulb outage with a flasher, a system with a large number of bulbs requires additional capabilities to achieve bulb outage indication. As a result, a bulb outage indication requirement has never been included in SAE flasher documents. It may be possible in the future to include test procedures and requirements for bulb outage in revisions of this document.

Although several of the existing flasher documents are SAE Standards, this document is being released as a Recommended Practice because of the inclusion of data (extended durability requirements) that have not as yet gained broad acceptance.

Note—The task force developed this document which consolidated the existing documents into one which harmonizes with other international standards and which includes requirements for extended duty flashers, it recognizes there remains more to be accomplished. The present environment is considerably more hostile and at the same time more delicate than when the flasher documents were initially developed. The task force has been attempting to include requirement to insure environmentally friendly flashers. However, considering the need for a document with extended duty requirements, the task force decided it was more important to release the document in its present form and continue to work on the additional test procedures and requirements to satisfy the present and future environmental conditions.