Federal Signal 500AT - Byron, GA

[sirenfan97]

Federal Signal version of the P-10.

[murrfarms]

@sirenfan97 Except oh so much better and louder lol.

[BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy]

Not Darien sorry it's Lombard

[murrfarms]

@BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy Ohh, where in Lombard? These things are pretty rare so it's always cool to find another.

[BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy]

@murrfarms lombard has 3 Thunderbolt 1000's and a 500at... the 500at is next to I355 on top of the old civil defence office

[aco52672]

Charlotte ,NC has/had one of those on top of the BB&T building. It hasn't been used since the tornado warning in 1988. :( I don't know if it even works anymore.

[Branden2732]

is it me or does this sound like vanamonde2s mini thunderbolt

[BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy]

@murrfarms in other words it's similar to the ACA penetrator 10

[murrfarms]

@BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy Yup, they work pretty much the same way except this one has a divorced rotator gearbox driven by a belt off the back of the motor, whereas the Penetrator's gearbox is directly bolted to the back of the motor, and couples to the fan shaft on the rear. The 500 is physically a much larger siren, and the 10:12 ratio version (like this one) can blow a P-10 out of the water in sound output.

[BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy]

@murrfarms I went to go film one of these in Darien Illinois but forgot my camera... yes they are way louder than any P10 or P15...

[murrfarms]

@BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy Wait, Darien has one? Where at? All I knew they had was a couple of 2001s and the last remaining Hurricane on top of the Tri-County FPD.

[razvianus]

How do these sirens work?

[murrfarms]

@razvianus This one works by a big centrifugal fan-type rotor spinning inside a stationary stator, with equal numbers of ports (openings). The motor that drives the big rotor also drives a small gearbox via a V-belt on the opposite side, which the gearbox drives another belt attached to a stationary shaft that the siren pivots on. This is why it slowly declines in rotation speed as the siren itself slows to a stop.

[rhett443]

You need to upload teh byron system recording!

[murrfarms]

@rhett443 I knoes... lol

[form109]

Nice siren...it kind of looks like a Mailbox with a cone on it :-))

[123Twisterman]

Long live the air cutter sirens!!!!!!

[Tabby266]

@123Twisterman AKA mechanical sirens.

[Tabby266]

@bulldozer950 WTF is up with your keyboard? lol

[murrfarms]

@Tabby266 I know right?

[bulldozer950]

@Tabby266 it maybe malfunctioned:/

[Tabby266]

@bulldozer950 I know, but when y

uo

typ

e

lik

e this it looks really weird. XD

[HardDriveGuru]

I do love the older sirens that Federal Signal made. They're much better than the current crap, in my opinion.

[murrfarms]

@HardDriveGuru Oh yeah, pre-1990's FedSig was on top of the market with the quality of their outdoor sirens, especially from the mid 50s to the early 80s. Ever since the 2001 first reared its ugly face in '87, their quality control has gone downhill and off a cliff.

[HardDriveGuru]

@murrfarms Definitely! The quality of the sirens FS produces has gone downhill, off a cliff, and down to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean! The 2001 is a freaking doorbell compared to the good old sirens like the Thunderbolt. If only FS would consider bringing them back...

[form109]

@HardDriveGuru the 2001's are no good,they cost an Arm and a Leg and Preform like Crap

[HardDriveGuru]

@form109 Sadly, that is indeed the case. There was a siren test earlier this month, and all 5 of the Thunderbolts went off without a hitch. The 2001 failed to sound. Older Federal Signal products really kick butt!

[form109]

@murrfarms How come it seems like Single Tone has Overtaken Dual Tone in Popularity?......it seems nobody but Sentry still makes Dual Tone Sirens.

[kestrel452]

@murrfarms The 2001 series siren is a great unit. Just because its not a Civil Defense series siren doesn't mean it sucks.

[murrfarms]

@kestrel452 Oh I'm not saying that, there are many post-CD era mechanical sirens that are very well made (namely the Tempest lineup from ASC). I agree on the early 2001s being well-built, but the later SRNBs and 130s are of piss-poor quality. I have yet to hear either of those in person that don't have some sort of problem, be it a rotator or collector ring issue. It's a shame they're so poorly built when a municipality is paying top dollar for them, and essentially getting ripped off.

[DasMidnightDrifter]

@murrfarms Even their electronic vehicle sirens are down the shitter. Whelen is the new FedSig... for outdoor mechanical jobs, ASC is the new FedSig... from what I've seen.

[form109]

How Much Horsepower does the Motor have in the 500AT?

[murrfarms]

@form109 It has what they call a "high-slip" 10hp three-phase GE motor, and the high-slip just means it doesn't have nearly as much initial startup torque to (in theory) reduce startup amperage. This is why it has such a slow and steady windup.

[form109]

@murrfarms High Slip?..doesnt that mean the Rotor Slips out of Sync with Line-Frequency or something Like that?......is that an Induction or Universal Motor?....cause i notice that the Brushed Motors seem to have Higher Starting torque than Induction Motors.

[murrfarms]

@form109 The high slip motors are just wound a different way than your standard three-phase induction motor (called a "low slip" motor), where they start off slower and with less current draw to cut down on both operating costs and strain on the equipment. You don't see these types of motors nowadays, since just about every three-phase motor is a low slip version. It gets confusing, trust me! lol

[DHC411]

its iin pretty good condition for 1967. they prolly replaced it number of times. am i right?

[murrfarms]

@DHC411 If by replacing the siren, no it's actually still original and the only siren in the area. They did, however, move it from its original spot on the other water tower across the highway, as this newer water tower was in a better spot for coverage.

[WhelenVTXR2]

I bed the wasps will go *try* and sting the siren. Maybe go sting someone.

[whelen4004]

This is the first 500T i have ever seen that looks brand new (even though it probably isn't) all the other ones I have seen ether have paint chips or rust. Can you tell me how long this 500T's been here? Oh, and in case you where wondering, Imwhelen4004 an I sunscibed to you wats up? :-)

[murrfarms]

@whelen4004 This one was first installed (along with another, since been removed) in 1967 on the old water tower across the highway, and then later moved to the water tower it's on now in the early 90s due to construction on the previous water tower. It was taken down again in 2005 for a total overhaul due to a failed rotator gearbox, and they had the gearbox rebuilt and re-greased everything, and finally stripped it down and repainted it the same color as the water tower it's on.

[murrfarms]

@whelen4004 It also had control-related problems last year, which they replaced the motor starter last winter, and it was also upgraded with a Whelen DTMF activation radio (along with the STH-10 and 2001s in Fort Valley) since the county installed a new system of Whelen Vortex R4s to fill in the gaps and wasn't compatible with the old Federal activation system. So now she's back up and running again, and very well at that too!

[nsmline335]

@murrfarms i know where the 2001 is. but where is the sth-10

[murrfarms]

@nsmline335 The STH-10 is now gone, it used to sit atop the old jail in downtown Byron, near the railroad tracks. That 2001 may also be gone now too, as I didn't notice it anymore when I rode by the other day. Either that or the trees have finally taken it over lol

[Hanabol2]

nice. glad to see its still running. this one is in Byron right? sweet.

[Ouranos94]

This siren has a great sound. It sounds sort of like an XT22, and it looks to be in great shape.

[murrfarms]

@Ouranos94 Sounds like a hybrid of a 2T22 and Thunderbolt 1000T, but looks sort of like an ACA Penetrator, only much bigger. It was just restored about 5 years ago to almost brand-new shape, so she's good to go for another 30 years unless the damn motor starter coil burns out again...

[rhett443]

@murrfarms What is the port ratio for one of these babies?

[murrfarms]

@rhett443 10/12, 12 on the outside row of the rotor, 10 on the inside row.

[TspesVladD]

Nice 500AT siren. It sounds great. It's nice to see repeats with siren recordings. This is a great siren.

[murrfarms]

Thanks! I too like repeats with recordings, especially when they progressively get better over time (as is the case with mine). It's definitely by far my favorite siren, even over the Thunderbolt.

[CJ19Productions]

God.. again! Much better quality though.

[murrfarms]

Yeah lol...it was WAY too nice of a test day to pass up, so I went back and got what I'm sure is the most epic video I've ever gotten of the 500. This is the first time I've been able to capture its true sound, because my old camera didn't pick up any bass for some reason, and this siren is a serious bass monster!

[Siren1000T1]

I love hearing a 1965 Civil Defense siren. Thanks for the upload Ian.

[gajda1984]

wish we had an old beast like that in Columbus ohio. We only have a few thunderbolt 1000Ts and non of them are in distance where I can hear them any more.

[TroySundt]

is that a bees nest getting sucked into the horn at :10 ?

[murrfarms]

Nah, those hornets were just trying to build a nest right inside the back cover, and when the motor kicked on they hauled ass LOL

[3lilpebbles]

our dogs don like it hehehe

[simplexalarms]

Beautiful

[EvanToTheFutureDude]

Another healthy test! Still sounding good, Ian. :D

[rhett443]

Great sounding 500!! Sounds awesome!

[lildil39485]

Awsome! hey i think i can hear the whelen vortex like not even half a second before this one goes off. Great video quality as well :)

[ironike11]

Awesome!

[JustInn014]

Great video, Ian!