@2010seamus OHH! I know what you mean now lol. That was the old siren that was there prior to the 2008 Mother's Day tornado in Macon, which was a Loudoun ES-2000 (aka, "Master Blaster"). It's just a big shop-made electronic siren that has 4 big speakers in 4 directions, and they're manufactured up in McDonough, GA. I actually own the old siren you're talking about, but it was crushed badly when they dropped the pole during replacement. This is what it looks/sounds like: watch?v=tXfYXhfmQNc
@2010seamus What? There's no ATIs anywhere in Central GA. The only ones around here is the one at the agricultural college in Tifton, and Cumming, GA's system of rotating ATIs.
@Ciccothe Yeah, Cobb's been installing a lot of Vortexes like this lately to both replace old and add new sirens in the system. You'll probably start to hear more and more of these with this same tone as the year goes on, since they seem to be replacing a lot of the old sirens (like the Thunderbolts and SD-10s) with those. It's gonna be sad to see them go, since that's where the healthiest 1000T I've ever heard in person is located, up in Marietta.
@bulldozer950 Yes, specifically the Master Blaster I ended up with. It was knocked down during the Mother's Day tornado outbreak in Bibb County back in '08.
I am working on a homemade siren called Warren 2010 b1 or u could call it a Warren b1 i'll have the audio on in a few days it has two different wail tones a voice and a whoop tone
They're the same length, but they changed the position of the bracket that's cast into the fiberglass on the lower horn (which mounts the speaker assembly to the rotator). This is because they don't need it set as far forward on the rotator to center the extra weight over the pole, since they got rid of the fin on the back after switching to a gear driven rotator from the old belt-drive rotator.
Exactly, it doesn't have collector rings to allow for full rotation like some other rotating electronic and mechanical sirens have, it just has a wiring harness that passes through the rotator shaft. It would be pretty neat if they could go 360º without stopping, but that would mean more money to produce and more to go wrong eventually.
@murrfarms How does it Reverse Directions?....does the Controller Tell it to Stop Rotating and reverse or Does it do that on its on?
Also i think Hard Wired is Good here.....Collector Rings worked well for the Mechanical sirens that did use them (i assume Most if not All Directional,Rotating Sirens.) since the Signal is going directly from the amps to the Speakers uneveness in the collector rings might make a Scratchy Tone.
@form109 Not sure if this setup applies to these newer gear-driven rotators, but this is how they are on the old "fin-back" Vortexes with belt-driven ones: there are two little "micro switches" at one end of the rotator box, and a small tab that's attached to the main shaft going to the siren head, which is positioned under the mouth of the horn. (continued...)
(continuing...) The tab makes contact with one of the little switches when it reaches the "north" position (oscillation point), which causes the relay that's closed and feeding either polarity of DC power to the rotator motor to open up on the oscillation board in the panel, and at the same time, a delay relay delays it about a second or two before closing the opposite relay and switching polarity to reverse the motor, and thus the siren's direction. Hope this helps some and doesn't confuse ya!
@form109 Ah, the odd newbie question. The controller controls everything, the amps, the cards, the drivers, and the rotator. Whelens have a cord to connect the drivers, therefore it runs both directions. Collector rings would blow out the drivers if they were dirty.
Yes, that was the main idea behind raising the pitch on these new Whelens, that and to cover more area using the same decibel output. It really works well too, because during the test of the brand new Whelen WPS-2900s in my county, I could hear several of them that were over 4 miles away, clear as a bell!
If you look on street view, you can actually see the original siren that was installed there, which I now own. I guess the Google car hasn't been by since this one was installed lol. Go to the intersection of Mercer University Dr & West Macon Park Dr, Macon, GA, and go down Macon Park Dr just a little ways and you can see it; it's a big 4-speaker array on a good-sized pole.
Yes, you're exactly right on the first part. Federal has actually switched over to an all-digital tone generator ever since coming out with the UltraVoice controller series. They were using the analog tone gens in the old SiraTone controllers on the EOWS series sirens, and the analog/digital hybrid tone gens in the early "MCP" controllers used on the later EOWS-612s and early Modulators/DSAs.
In October of last year, around the middle of the month. For the longest time, there was no siren here after the original one was knocked over by the tornado in May of '08, but finally they installed this Vortex about a year later.
It does have kind of a wind down, but they can't go too low in frequency, otherwise it would risk blowing the 4 compression drivers in the back of the head that make the sound.
Thanks Tyler! Yeah I really like this pitch a lot better vs. the old lower pitch they used to use. I can definitely hear these newer Vortexes farther away than the older ones in Macon.
It's just the way they have the little timer chips set up in the tone generator, it causes that almost "stepped" wind down. Seems like only the ones with this newer 560Hz tone have that issue, but it's nothing to worry about.
Nope, this one replaced the Loudoun Communications ("Master Blaster") ES2000 that I own now, which was knocked over and f***ed up during the '08 Mother's Day tornadoes that hit Macon.
Awesome recording of the Whelen Vortex R4 at the harley store Ian I saw this siren on January 2 i'm gonna record this siren this summer I wish i was there to record it with you today 5 stars man great job Ian!!!
That tone is used on ALL Whelen mass notification sirens, regardless of model or capabilities. Everything from the Hornet to the WPS-2900s have this tone. The attack, wail, hi-lo, and airhorn haven't changed though, but the alert and whoop have.
now you get me..........
2010seamus 1 month ago
well.... on google maps... i guess it was a 4-way lamp byt check google maps there's something on the other side of the building.
2010seamus 1 month ago
@2010seamus OHH! I know what you mean now lol. That was the old siren that was there prior to the 2008 Mother's Day tornado in Macon, which was a Loudoun ES-2000 (aka, "Master Blaster"). It's just a big shop-made electronic siren that has 4 big speakers in 4 directions, and they're manufactured up in McDonough, GA. I actually own the old siren you're talking about, but it was crushed badly when they dropped the pole during replacement. This is what it looks/sounds like: watch?v=tXfYXhfmQNc
murrfarms 1 month ago
the're's an ati near, or it got replaced by it.
2010seamus 1 month ago
@2010seamus What? There's no ATIs anywhere in Central GA. The only ones around here is the one at the agricultural college in Tifton, and Cumming, GA's system of rotating ATIs.
murrfarms 1 month ago
Love the Vortex
MrKoreyC 9 months ago
I think Gwinnett County has one of these up in Duluth, GA before you get to Peachtree Industrial Blvd. off Pleasant Hill Rd.
Billy145891 10 months ago
Cobb county sirens sounded for tornado warning last night and it sounded like that. i heard a thunderbolt 1000T
too
Ciccothe 10 months ago
@Ciccothe Yeah, Cobb's been installing a lot of Vortexes like this lately to both replace old and add new sirens in the system. You'll probably start to hear more and more of these with this same tone as the year goes on, since they seem to be replacing a lot of the old sirens (like the Thunderbolts and SD-10s) with those. It's gonna be sad to see them go, since that's where the healthiest 1000T I've ever heard in person is located, up in Marietta.
murrfarms 10 months ago
@murrfarms they may keep some thunderbolts one on shawlloford rd/ sandy plains is still in use but the rotater is slow
Ciccothe 10 months ago
Night Of The Twisters. If you dont know what i'm talkinjg about you can hear a tornado siren in the movie that sound's REALLY the same.
PNSB101 1 year ago
Love that 560Hz tone :D
SgtSavage166 1 year ago
This Replaced a Master Blaster
bulldozer950 1 year ago
@bulldozer950 Yes, specifically the Master Blaster I ended up with. It was knocked down during the Mother's Day tornado outbreak in Bibb County back in '08.
murrfarms 1 year ago
i had tthe volume on my comp. and this full blast and its total EAR RAPE!!!!!!!
ilikstikz7804 1 year ago
I am working on a homemade siren called Warren 2010 b1 or u could call it a Warren b1 i'll have the audio on in a few days it has two different wail tones a voice and a whoop tone
BOBBYW150 1 year ago
I want one of these :l
poppinoncrackvideos 1 year ago
Im not sure if this is true but one thing iv noticed is that the horns/projector on this whelen is longer than most other older vortex's.
rhett443 1 year ago
They're the same length, but they changed the position of the bracket that's cast into the fiberglass on the lower horn (which mounts the speaker assembly to the rotator). This is because they don't need it set as far forward on the rotator to center the extra weight over the pole, since they got rid of the fin on the back after switching to a gear driven rotator from the old belt-drive rotator.
murrfarms 1 year ago
@murrfarms ohhhh, Thanks ian!
rhett443 1 year ago
I like how the new pitch echoes on the end of the wind-up. it seems like the new tone will cover more and penetrate better.
TBOLT1000 2 years ago
why can't the siren rotate 360 degrees?
Mortltd 2 years ago
@Mortltd it can't rotate 360 degrees because it is hard wired. If it did rotate 360 the wires will snap and the siren won't work.
dinxton2 2 years ago
Exactly, it doesn't have collector rings to allow for full rotation like some other rotating electronic and mechanical sirens have, it just has a wiring harness that passes through the rotator shaft. It would be pretty neat if they could go 360º without stopping, but that would mean more money to produce and more to go wrong eventually.
murrfarms 2 years ago
@murrfarms How does it Reverse Directions?....does the Controller Tell it to Stop Rotating and reverse or Does it do that on its on?
Also i think Hard Wired is Good here.....Collector Rings worked well for the Mechanical sirens that did use them (i assume Most if not All Directional,Rotating Sirens.) since the Signal is going directly from the amps to the Speakers uneveness in the collector rings might make a Scratchy Tone.
form109 1 year ago
@form109 Not sure if this setup applies to these newer gear-driven rotators, but this is how they are on the old "fin-back" Vortexes with belt-driven ones: there are two little "micro switches" at one end of the rotator box, and a small tab that's attached to the main shaft going to the siren head, which is positioned under the mouth of the horn. (continued...)
murrfarms 1 year ago
(continuing...) The tab makes contact with one of the little switches when it reaches the "north" position (oscillation point), which causes the relay that's closed and feeding either polarity of DC power to the rotator motor to open up on the oscillation board in the panel, and at the same time, a delay relay delays it about a second or two before closing the opposite relay and switching polarity to reverse the motor, and thus the siren's direction. Hope this helps some and doesn't confuse ya!
murrfarms 1 year ago
@form109 Ah, the odd newbie question. The controller controls everything, the amps, the cards, the drivers, and the rotator. Whelens have a cord to connect the drivers, therefore it runs both directions. Collector rings would blow out the drivers if they were dirty.
poppinoncrackvideos 1 year ago
@poppinoncrackvideos Odd Newbie Question?...Meh
form109 1 year ago
@form109 EOWS* rotating sirens used collector rings.
CJ19Productions 1 year ago
I have 4 siren ambiance videos going at once
Sounds so much like the St. Louis County tests...
VMFA115Starloric 2 years ago
Isn't the 560 supposed to penetrate buildings and obstructions better?
I was in the basement of my school and I could still hear the Whelen with a 560 card that's a little over 3/4 mile away!
VMFA115Starloric 2 years ago
Yes, that was the main idea behind raising the pitch on these new Whelens, that and to cover more area using the same decibel output. It really works well too, because during the test of the brand new Whelen WPS-2900s in my county, I could hear several of them that were over 4 miles away, clear as a bell!
murrfarms 2 years ago
is it possible to see the siren on google street view ?
iddamatic 2 years ago
If you look on street view, you can actually see the original siren that was installed there, which I now own. I guess the Google car hasn't been by since this one was installed lol. Go to the intersection of Mercer University Dr & West Macon Park Dr, Macon, GA, and go down Macon Park Dr just a little ways and you can see it; it's a big 4-speaker array on a good-sized pole.
murrfarms 2 years ago
It's a digital tone generator; it's quite different from the analog tone generators which Federal uses.
douro20 2 years ago
Yes, you're exactly right on the first part. Federal has actually switched over to an all-digital tone generator ever since coming out with the UltraVoice controller series. They were using the analog tone gens in the old SiraTone controllers on the EOWS series sirens, and the analog/digital hybrid tone gens in the early "MCP" controllers used on the later EOWS-612s and early Modulators/DSAs.
murrfarms 2 years ago
when was this siren installed
whelenvortexr4 2 years ago
In October of last year, around the middle of the month. For the longest time, there was no siren here after the original one was knocked over by the tornado in May of '08, but finally they installed this Vortex about a year later.
murrfarms 2 years ago
oh cool
whelenvortexr4 2 years ago
I love how it just cuts off...no "wind down"...not nothing. :D
ArmoredPersonel48698 2 years ago
It does have kind of a wind down, but they can't go too low in frequency, otherwise it would risk blowing the 4 compression drivers in the back of the head that make the sound.
murrfarms 2 years ago
Great video! The new pitch is fantastic.
antiwhoknows 2 years ago
Thanks Tyler! Yeah I really like this pitch a lot better vs. the old lower pitch they used to use. I can definitely hear these newer Vortexes farther away than the older ones in Macon.
murrfarms 2 years ago
This is i think the tone that Mustangs vortex's use... why does is struggle to windown??
rhett443 2 years ago
It's just the way they have the little timer chips set up in the tone generator, it causes that almost "stepped" wind down. Seems like only the ones with this newer 560Hz tone have that issue, but it's nothing to worry about.
murrfarms 2 years ago
Nice job Ian!
carexpertandy 2 years ago
i have to agree with you ian, that new pitch is AWSOME
lildil39485 2 years ago
I like the higher alert tone....and I'm just guessing...but isn't this the vortex that replaced the howler?
ryanofwar87 2 years ago
no this isn't the vortex that replaced the howler this vortex replaced his master blaster
jradms 2 years ago
Nope, this one replaced the Loudoun Communications ("Master Blaster") ES2000 that I own now, which was knocked over and f***ed up during the '08 Mother's Day tornadoes that hit Macon.
murrfarms 2 years ago
Awesome recording of the Whelen Vortex R4 at the harley store Ian I saw this siren on January 2 i'm gonna record this siren this summer I wish i was there to record it with you today 5 stars man great job Ian!!!
jradms 2 years ago
Great sounding Whelen, Ian! :D
Did Whelen just recently put in the new tone for new sirens, and does it go for Omni-Directionals?
EvanToTheFutureDude 2 years ago
That tone is used on ALL Whelen mass notification sirens, regardless of model or capabilities. Everything from the Hornet to the WPS-2900s have this tone. The attack, wail, hi-lo, and airhorn haven't changed though, but the alert and whoop have.
murrfarms 2 years ago
Very nice Ian! That is probably the BEST pitch on a Whelen.
Siren1000T1 2 years ago
Wow! That's a high pitched whelen! :-0 Nice recording!
iinlovejameslafferty 2 years ago