Federal Signal 500AT

[CL137626]

@murrfarms how long has the 500AT been around for?

[AKSoapy29]

@murrfarms, In the description, you said something about lanlines and telephone relays.

[murrfarms]

@AKSoapy29 Ohh, it's not anymore but it used to be back before the county upgraded the radio system and installed a radio on this siren. It now has a Whelen decoder radio installed on it, and has a new Yagi antenna mounted next to the siren on its platform. It hasn't worked in almost a year now though, and we can't figure out why.

[AKSoapy29]

@murrfarms Is there a schmatic of the device? Pictures? I want to get this thing going!

[AKSoapy29]

What are the phone numbers for this thing?!

[murrfarms]

@AKSoapy29 Do what?

[parrthd1]

Thunderbolt and 3T22 crossed

[jackviolet21]

Sounds like a 10/12 port Allertor.

[whoisthisguy724]

Sounds like a 3T22

[gajda1984]

@whoisthisguy724 Has more overtones than a 2T22 or 3T22, so it sounds a little in between a 3T22 and a 1000T to my ears.

[form109]

is there an Advantage to using 3 Phase as Opposed to 1 Phase?

[murrfarms]

@form109 Main thing is less amp draw from the motor startup and at full RPM, but the important part is that you can only go up to a certain horsepower in single phase (I want to say it's around 20), so after that point motors are only available in three phase current.

[form109]

What Allows the Siren to Rotate Freely?...some sort of Berring?

[murrfarms]

@form109 Yeah, it rides on a shaft that passes through two carrier bearings, which has a collector ring between on the shaft that allows continuous 360º rotation without disrupting the power transfer. I've seen this one apart before, and it's pretty neat and relatively simple how it all works.

[form109]

@murrfarms do The Collector Rings and Brushes Eventually need Replacing?

[murrfarms]

@form109 Not unless they encounter abnormally-high voltage, such as a lightning strike or a bad surge, then they'll need repair/replacing. The brushes are made of brass (like the rings are), unlike on repulsion-induction single phase motors, which have carbon brushes that wear down vs brass brushes that don't.

[form109]

@murrfarms is it possible to have Brushed 3 Phase Motor....or are those Induction?

[murrfarms]

@form109 No, because the three phases wouldn't be in sync with each other if they had a single commutator and brushes. All three phase motors are purely induction-driven, meaning power is applied directly to the motor's windings to create a swirling magnetic field between the windings and the armature on the motor's shaft. With a single phase repulsion-induction motor, they rely on the brushes/commutator to give it the initial startup torque, then the windings take over spinning the motor.

[Blue10AEMia]

@murrfarms Actually the textile industry did use three phase motors with commutators in applications that required precise speed control (looms). Strange but true. They have been replaced by freq drives now.

[Droideka133]

oh. thanks.

[Droideka133]

Why does it sound so much like a 3t22?

[murrfarms]

@Droideka133 Same port ratio (10/12) as a 2/3T22, except it's combined into one chopper instead of two independent choppers like those have, causing the 500 to have a rougher, "growlier" sound to it. This is also the same general ratio that most dual tone Thunderbolts have, which is why this 500 sounds like a cross between a 2T22 and 1000T; its sound is cleaner than that of a 1000T, but rougher than a 2T22.

[clowj69]

it has a thunderbolty sound

[hawkplaya94]

thunderbolty? lol its wierd but youre right

[clowj69]

@hawkplaya94 i know im confused if a 500at has 10/12 port and a thunderbolt has 4/5 or 5/6 or just 5 ports why is it thunderbolty

[cauberallies]

Because 5/6 is the same thing as 10/12. The Thunderbolt's chopper motor spins roughly twice as fast as conventional sirens. 5 x 2 = 10 ... 6 x 2 = 12... it's that simple.

[hawkplaya94]

lol well i agree on the sound..its sorta like a mix of a thunderbolt and an allertor

[Tabby266]

Has it been replaced?

[murrfarms]

Nope, it's there to stay for many more years. They've been installing Vortex R4s to fill in the coverage gaps between it, the 2001-DC(s) and STH-10A. But as for any standing, operational siren (i.e this 500AT, the 2001s and the STH), they're to remain in service until they quit.

[Tabby266]

Thank god somebody has the common sense to keep a relic!

[clowj69]

@Tabby266 ya it sounds like a thullertor

[Rageman1112]

How many HP is the motor on the siren?

[murrfarms]

These use a 10HP high-slip GE motor, like the early Model 5s, STH/L-10s, and SD-10s used. It almost sounds underpowered, but that's due to the high-slip motor taking longer to get up to full speed.

[cheetawolf]

im not exactly sure what a high-slip motor is. does it have a clutch or something?

[murrfarms]

Oops, accidentally clicked delete instead of reply on a comment!

promopal wrote:

"shouldnt that siren be a little higher up? it's only just clearing the roof of that building on the left."

Yeah I would think it ought to be, but then again it's about the same height as one would be on a pole (about 55' up), so it should be all good. Only problem is that there's an elementary school on a slight hill across the street, so they get blasted out of the yard at recess every Wednesday at noon. LOL

[Rageman1112]

That'd be fun to get blasted at resess.

[murrfarms]

That's what I was thinking too lol. I'd actually enjoy it every time it went off, standing about 500' from it. I'm sure they're probably used to it now but I'd be willing to bet that it still catches some people off-guard.

[Tabby266]

I get to be blasted by a damned thunderbolt! Its ploped right next to the school!

[JustInn014]

Awesome video of the 500AT.

I remember seeing this on the livemaps site about a year ago, with it's worn yellow paint. Looks much better now.

[Panzerjaeger1993]

That's tits.

[EvanToTheFutureDude]

Excellent video of that 500AT, Ian! Sounds great! :)

[Blue10AEMia]

FINALLY, you get it uploaded lol

[murrfarms]

lol yeah I know right? Took forever to get some time on the other computer to edit the vids!

[youngestpilotinGa]

cool video up in atlanta they olny test the sirens 1nce a month :(

[Siren1000T1]

Excellent job Ian! I like this better then your first one. Thanks for getting the full wind down too.

[murrfarms]

Thanks Dan! I like it way better since there's nobody talking and it's closer.

[Siren1000T1]

I would say this is the best 500AT video on YT so far AS FOR Alert Signal.

[murrfarms]

I agree, and yours is automatically the best out there of one in attack since it's the ONLY one out there, and not to mention that it rotates at 9.5rpm! lol

[csx2295]

it sound like our old 3t22 but our 3t22 don't rotate.

[murrfarms]

Yeah it sounds a LOT like a 2/3T22, but much raspier sounding due to it having a combined 10/12 port rotor instead of the two separate 10 and 12 port rotors. Almost sounds like a cross between a 2/3T22 and a Thunderbolt 1000T in person.

[csx2295]

Do you want to know how old our 3t22 is?

[murrfarms]

How old?

[csx2295]

our 3t22 is over 30 years old older than me.

[murrfarms]

Nice, that's about how old the one we refurbished and installed in Rhine, GA is. It was built in the mid '70s

[csx2295]

The 3t22 has never been rebuilt it has been repainted one time in its original Federal Signal Color which is yellow it still works today the only signals we use on the 3t22 are the alert signal and hi-lo steady fire signal the attack signal is hardly ever use.

[rhett443]

Xt22's dont rotate there omnidirectional

[ryanofwar87]

did you ever find the other 500AT in Byron?....if they have two of them

[murrfarms]

Yes, but sadly it's sitting way back on USDA property and is all fenced off, so no video of that one up close.

[CoolBalla15]

Awesome video of the 500AT, Ian! Very healthy sounding, too! :)

[carexpertandy]

Great video Ian! She still sounds great!

[murrfarms]

Thanks Andy! Yes she does, and man does it hurt the ears even at 200' away!