Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does the FlareAlert compare to other LED flares?

A: The FlareAlert is the most affordable and effective LED flare available. The combination of crush resistance, 360 degrees of light, magnetic base, and multiple modes and colors to choose from make the FlareAlert truly unique.

Q: Do I need the Weighted Base?

A: If you’re plan is to use the FlareAlert for traffic safety, then probably not. The Weighted Base is primarily used for anchoring the FlareAlert for helicopter landings.

Q: Do all FlareAlerts come with the magnetic base?

A: Yes, all versions of the FlareAlert are magnetic....the magnets are built into the unit.

Q: Can the FlareAlert be used during the day?

A: Yes, but the ambient light will diminish the FlareAlert’s effectiveness. Similar to a flashlight, the FlareAlert is much brighter at night.

Q: How many FlareAlerts should I keep in my car?

A: Most of our civilian users like to keep 2-3 FlareAlerts in each car, truck, boat, RV, etc. In contrast, many of professional users light to keep 6-8 FlareAlerts per vehicle (plus accessories).

Q: What is a LED and why are they becoming so popular?

A: LEDs or “Light Emitting Diodes” are solid state (no moving parts) electronic devices that emit light when electric current is past through them. Many LEDs have a life span of over 11 years (100,000 hours). That’s approximately 100 to 10,000 times longer than incandescent bulbs. LEDs are more environmentally friendly than incandescent bulbs because they more electric power efficient, save on batteries costs, and don’t burn out or break as easily as flourescent and incandescent bulbs.

Have A FlareAlert Success Story?  Share it with us and we will put it on the website.

Testimonials

Testimonial #1 - A user from New Jersey
Dear FlareAlert,

Let me tell you why I love your FlareAlert Beacons.  A few days ago I was driving on the New Jersey Garden State Parkway on a rainy late afternoon.  I had a tire blowout and limped to the side of the parkway.  I barely had enough room to park off the roadway.  A few feet ahead of me was the high speed exit ramp for N.J route 35.  I was trapped!  Here I was, stranded in the rain, darkness falling quickly, with cars zooming right by me.  Remembering I had your emergency beacons, I reached under my seat and took out the compact carrying case.  Turning the FlareAlert Beacons on, I opened my car window and placed one on my roof and one on my car door.  The magnets stuck firmly to my cars rain slick sheet metal.

I never had to get out of my automobile!  A few minutes later, A State Trooper pulled up to help me.  He said he saw my beacons flashing in the rainy night and stopped to help.  The trooper called a tow truck operator who changed my flat to my spare tire.  Soon I was away from this dangerous situation.  I am convinced your FlareAlert Beacons helped to keep me safe until help arrived!  Please find enclosed an order for two more Beacon sets.  One extra for myself and one I am going to put in my girlfriends car.  Thank you for making such a great product.  It is peace of mind in a carrying case under my front seat.

     -A Big Fan
     Bob Pritchett

Testimonial #2 - A law enforcement officer from Idaho

I have several things to say about the Beacon,

Our city has 80,000 people.  We have a five mile stretch of freeway and 3 major highways that run through our town.  We spend several thousand dollars on road flares every year.  They are costly and messy and can be a hazard.  I tested the Beacon to see if it was right for our department.

I took the Beacon and put .99 cents worth of batteries in it.  I turned it on "steady" mode and left it.  After three days I began to notice that it began to dim just a little.  That's 72 hours.  If you did that with flares it would have taken 144 flares at a cost of over $350.00.  I left the lifth on just so it would burn out.  On day six it was still visible from a distance; I couldn't take it anymore and shut if off.  I put another .99 cents worth of batteries in it and began my self-proclaimed rigorous testing.

1.  I put on the side of my truck to test the magnets.  I drove back and forth to work for two days and it never fell off.
2.  At night I placed it at about 500 yards away and could still see it.
3.  I put it into a 2'' deep mud puddle, "on" and left it for several hours.  It was dry on the inside.
4.  I dipped it in water and left it overnight in 15 degree (F) weather.  It was still on.
5.  I backed completely over it the next morning with my tire on a 3/4 ton truck.  Yet it did not break.  It's all about design.
6.  I ran over it at 20 miles an hour with same said truck.  No problems, it even stayed in its place.
7.  I took it to my boss and showed him the beacon.  I told him it was "unbreakable".  I was talking about driving over it with a truck.  My boss grabs it out of my hand and throws it sideways onto the concrete and it breaks apart into 9 pieces.  I walked away saying, "doesn't look so tough to me".  Funny thing is I put it all back together and it works fine.  I went back to testing it, "it's all about design".  
8.  So I bought a bunch of them, 130 to be exact.  I put some in my traffic motorcycle unit.  He got rear-ended by a car driving 45 mph.  The bike is totaled, the Officer escaped with minor injuries.  The responding officers were able to collect the scattered Beacons and use them to block traffic.
9.  Every time we use them we save money by not using flares.  I just saved $40.00 this morning on a crash.  The crash scene was on the news and I started getting calls from people asking, where we got those.

Sgt. Matt Parsons

Testimonial #3 -  A good samaritian

I would like to compliment you on a very fine device.  I was a college student in Rochester, NY, during the last 4 years and I used my beacons more times than I can count. Winters in Rochester, which could last around 5 months, could be particularly harsh since it's near one of the Great Lakes.  There were always people off the road, getting flat tires or with dead batteries or spun out because of the snow.  If I could safely help them, I always pulled over and immediately slapped these on both my bumper and theirs.  The beacons always got other drivers to slow down, recognize something was wrong, and proceed cautiously around us until official help could arrive.  Turning them on with thick gloves on was also not a problem, nor was handling them to place them on the vehicles or roadway.  Interstates 390, 490 and 590 were no place to get stuck on the cold, dark nights, and it was reassuring to know that I could help other drivers, and help them effectively, even if it meant just giving them a warm car to hang out in.  By the way, the beacons even still have their original batteries, even with being so bright!

Thank you for your time in reading this message, and thank you for making a wonderfully useful product.

Sincerely,

G. Doherty

Testimonial #4: Carol from Orange County, CA