Small but mighty - LED micro bar lights

Sentinel flashing LED micro bar lights are a very smart way to help keep worksites, and our roads, safer.

Do you have questions about these bar lights? We have made a video below to answer all the most common FAQ's and keep reading for even more info on this.



The very popular bar lights look good and do a brilliant job of increasing awareness and visibility of vehicles, risks, and hazards. Tough and long-lived, their low-profile means drag is minimised and they are less likely to get knocked by tree branches.

Temporary versus permanent mounting

The cleverly designed lights are available with several different mounting options, to suit all vehicles and applications.

In place in minutes

For temporary mounting, we recommend the magnetic base. It has four magnetic pads along with a long cable. It plugs into any vehicle cigarette lighter. The light can be deployed easily and has some key advantages from a user's point of view.

• The lights can be mounted in minutes to vehicles visiting a site that doesn't have permanent flashing lights.
• They can be used on vehicles where it's preferable not to have a permanent light mounted and they can be swapped around a fleet as and when required.
• They're also invaluable for lease or loan vehicles or where more permanent mounting could negatively impact a vehicle's re-sale value.

Once it's plugged in, operating the light is as easy as flicking a switch. (Lights have two switches so the flash patterns can be changed as required.)

There is a proviso. Some magnetic lights have a maximum speed rating marked on them. But, in general, TransQuip would not recommend using bar lights with magnetic mountings in a permanent way, or on the open road.

Always there when it's needed

The other kind of mounting is permanent mounting. Again, you have a choice. One bolt or four!

These lights are hardwired into the vehicle's electrics and activated by a switch mounted on the dashboard. The flash pattern can also be changed.

With this option, the vehicle is always ready to go whatever the need, or emergency and the light is always in the right spot.

The one bolt option is particularly good for situations like mounting the bar light to roof racks and other situations where the cab roof is not the highest or most visible part of the vehicle. It also to helps protect the vehicle's resale value.

The four-bolt system gives the most secure mount.

Interference-free for radio safety

We're often asked whether these lights will interfere with radio signals. The short answer is "no". New Zealand regulations require that flashing lights are radio interference-free for safety reasons.

All Sentinel lights are compliant with EMC or CISPR15 standards. This means the lights won't interfere with the vehicle's radio or RT causing "crackling" or even signal "dropouts" which would be unacceptable and, potentially, dangerous.

Available in these popular warning colours!

By far the most common colour flashing light colour used on New Zealand vehicles is amber. (Sometimes called yellow or orange). This colour is used across multiple industries and on everything from utes to dump trucks.

Even then, you have an option. Bar lights are available with either a clear lens or an amber lens. With the clear lens, the light still appears amber because the LED lights inside are amber themselves.

The clear lens is becoming the more popular. The lights look more modern and less obvious when not in use, while working equally well.



LED bar lights are also available in red, blue, green, and, for some of the bigger lights, magenta and white.

The official New Zealand road code sets out how coloured flashing lights must be used. For full details visit the NZTA website.
Quick guide But basically; emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines have red, or red and white flashing lights. Police vehicles use red and blue. Customs officers, fisheries officers, and marine reserve officers are permitted to use blue flashing lights. And, in an emergency, doctors, nurses and midwives can use a green flashing light - though this very seldom happens.

Oversize vehicles use amber, or amber and magenta, depending on the size of the load.

Click Here to find out more about the colours of flashing bar lights and to see them demonstrated.

Halogen versus LED?

While you'll still see halogen bulbs around, they've largely been superseded by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). LEDs have significant advantages and outlast the halogen bulbs many times over. With no filaments to blow, they're more reliable and have a long, maintenance free life. And they're suitable for cars, utes, trucks, heavy machinery, and equipment from forklifts to harvesters. An LED also draws far less current and won't get hot. You can safely leave the light going without having to idle it all the time, saving fuel, emissions, and the battery while providing a clearer, brighter light.
Judge for yourself, and see them in action, by checking out the video Here.

Are these lights "Transit approved"?

The TransQuip team is often asked whether a flashing bar light is "Transit approved". The NZTA rule is quite general. (You can check it out on the NZTA website Here.)

At TransQuip, we'd recommend that, if you are working on the road, you should be using a flashing light that meets SAE Class 1 or R65. These are bright enough to be seen from quite a distance whereas SAE Class 2 and 3 lights are a lot dimmer. Stick with the SAE Class 1 or R65 and you're covered.

There's nothing wrong with the economy Class 2 or Class 3 but they are better for off-road situations like inside a warehouse or on a farm. Also, some companies specify you must have the higher standard beacons to be on their work sites.

What does SAE Class mean?

SAE Class 1, SAE Class 2, SAE Class 3 and R65 are the standards that relate (amongst other things) to the light output, how bright the light is, and how light is dispersed.

You can find out more about the different terms and standards Here.

Does TransQuip install the bar lights?

While TransQuip doesn't install the lights, we can recommend someone in your area who can help you out.

Product Warranty

All TransQuip micro bar lights have a warranty for up to five years.

One-stop shop

TransQuip is a one-stop-shop for anything related to beacons and flashing lights for emergency services, civil construction, transportation, farms, ports, warehouses and other high traffic or high-risk workplaces. Call us today to discuss your needs or check out our extensive product range Here.


Please note: This is not legal advice and while we try to keep abreast of our industries' requirements, things can change.