recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Federal Signal Model ECLIPSE

* Federal Signal STL-10
* Federal Signal Model series

The **Model ECLIPSE** refers to 2 small DC-powered sirens manufactured by Federal Signal, the Model ECLIPSE8 and Model ECLIPSENH. They are Federal Signal's competing sirens with ASC's T-121.

The Model ECLIPSE8 and Model ECLIPSENH continue to be sold to this day and are quite popular, competing with similar sirens such as ASC's T-121 and Sentry Siren's 3V8-B and 7V8-B. However, they are greatly outperformed by the ASC T-121.

## History and Design

### Model ECLIPSE8

Introduced into Federal's lineup in 2006, the **Model ECLIPSE8** is powered by a small 7 hp DC motor, driving an 8-port rotor and stator. The Model ECLIPSE8 is a very simple siren, and is made of unpainted, corrosion-resistant stainless steel which greatly improves its durability and resistance to weathering. Because of this, the Model ECLIPSE8 is suited to nearly any environment.

Being a DC powered siren, the Model ECLIPSE8 is battery backup capable, and can also be run on solar panels. If DC power is unavailable, the siren can also run on an AC rectifier. The Model ECLIPSE8 is meant as a small siren for small towns or coverage gaps where battery backup is wanted and boasts a performance of 115 dB at 100 ft, equivalent to its predecessor, the larger STH-10. It has become popular with fire stations as a replacement for aging Federal Signal Model series sirens, none of which can run when the power is out. The Model ECLIPSE8 directly replaced Federal's STH-10 in Federal's lineup, as it is a superior siren for its purpose.

The Model ECLIPSE8 also has a rotational variant in the form of the Equinox, which is a 2001-130 with the Model ECLIPSE8's rotor and stator replacing the usual 12-port Model 5 rotor and stator. Unfortunately, the Model ECLIPSE8's chopper is not suited for this purpose, sticking out into the Equinox's housing, hampering air intake and resulting in severely reduced sound output. The Model ECLIPSE8's rotor and stator also are used in the 508-128 rotational siren, which was an improved design over the Equinox.

### Model ECLIPSENH

The Model ECLIPSE8 has a variant without the horns attached, which is known as the **Model ECLIPSENH**. It is considered an even cheaper option for towns on a budget and as a competitor to the T-112, but this severely harms the siren's sound output and range as it can only reach 107 dB at 100ft. The Model ECLIPSENH has the horn mounts visible on the stator ports, similar to the T-112. The Model ECLIPSENH is very rare, due to its severely lacking performance and disadvantages compared to the Model ECLIPSE8 and T-112, making it obsolete even in its own niche.
Stanton sirens

Horsepower | * 25 hp
* 40 hp
* 75 hp
* 275 hp

The **Stanton sirens** were a short-lived obscure series of sirens produced by a man named Edward Stanton from the early 1940's to sometime in the 1960's.

## History and Design

The idea was conceived during WWII, after Stanton's hometown of Greeley, Colorado, was told they couldn't get a siren by several prominent manufacturers of the time. Stanton, who was a natural tinkerer and a machine shop operator, decided to take matters into his own hands and built a siren from scrap steel and leftover automotive parts, which was able to be heard up to 15 miles away, according to Greeley residents.

This siren would consist of a 10 port 20" rotor and stator driven by a 25 hp electric motor. After the success of the siren, he took the unit to Denver to demonstrate it in front of city officials, which yielded favorable results, as well as the commissioning of Stanton to build 7 more sirens which would be installed throughout Denver, with 2 known locations being the water tower on E. Ninth Ave. and Clayton St. as well as the firehouse at W. Fifth Ave. and Knox Ct. These installations would vary from the demo unit, as they would have 2 20" rotors instead of 1.

Later on, Cheyenne, Wyoming would hire Stanton to install 4 of his sirens around the city. Casper would follow suit and place and order for 4 but would only pick up 3. The extra siren would be rented out to small cities for New Years Eve celebrations. Stanton would later go on to revise the designs of the sirens once again, replacing the 2 20" rotors with 1 24" rotor, with the siren itself rotating on a circular base.

The 25 hp electric motor used to power the previous design was inadequate for use on the new design, and it was thus replaced with a 40 hp motor. However, this also would not cut it, with a later test showing that a 75 hp motor wouldn't do the job either. Stanton would later opt to use a 275 hp V8 out of a Lincoln to get the 24" rotor up to the designed speed of 7000 rpm. Little to no other information can be found on Ed Stanton or the sirens themselves, and it can be assumed they stopped production in the 60's.
Kingvox Sirens

Directional Electronic

**Kingvox** is an Argentinian manufacturer of acoustic and visual signaling devices, including indoor and outdoor warning sirens. Kingvox has been around since 1956 and has produced several sirens over its 67-year run, that are especially popular with volunteer fire departments in Argentina and the surrounding countries. Kingvox has made several sirens and series of sirens, including:

## 1TV Series

The 1TV series is by far the most popular series of sirens Kingvox produces. The series' sirens have a very simple design, consisting of a cast aluminum rotor and 12 port stator, powered by a motor of variable horsepower attached to a mounting bracket. The sirens in the 1TV series can be ordered with the BOC1TV, aluminum amplifier horns that cover the ports and propagate the sound produced by the siren. Kingvox also produces a controller for the 1TV30, 40, and 50 named the ARR1TV, which consists of a IP65 NEMA enclosure with 2 buttons on the top left, one to activate the siren, and one to shut it off, as was a green light to indicate weather the siren is active.

The series consists of 5 sirens, which names and HP are listed below.

1TV Series
 1TV30
 1TV40
 1TV50
 1TV60

### CE Series

The CE series is intended for vehicular use and are suitable for industrial environments with their small size. There are 2 sirens in the CE series:

### CE50

The CE50 is a vehicular siren intended for use on fire trucks, factories, or wherever else it would be deemed necessary. The CE50 has a 8 port rotor driven by a 1 or 2HP motor. The rotor is covered by a flower like finger guard with the Kingvox logo in the center. The CE50's motor is covered by a large motor cover to protect it from the elements. The motor cover is attached to a small black mounting stand which allows the siren to be mounted on a fire truck or other surfaces.

### CE200

The CE200 is a vehicular siren intended for use on fire trucks, factories, or wherever else it would be deemed necessary. The CE200 is a simple siren, consisting of a 12 port rotor and stator, covered by a red grid plate. The rotor is driven by a 2HP motor attached to a mount which allows for it to be mounted to a fire truck or other surfaces. The siren measures 137dB at 1 meter.

## YV Series

The YV series of sirens are intended for interior or exterior use and can be considered as a cheaper alternative to the 1TV series of sirens. The YV series is also popular with volunteer fire departments in Argentina and the surrounding countries. The sirens are similar to the 1TV series, consisting of a cast aluminum rotor and 12 port stator, powered by a 1HP motor. The series consists of 5 sirens, which names and HP are listed below.

YV Series

Additionally, not part of the main lineup, there are 3 other sirens in the YV series, including the YV5, essentially the YV50 with a rain shield to protect it from the elements, the YV50EXP, essentially the YV50 with a smaller rotor and stator, a metal motor casing and an aluminum(?) shield at the top of the siren, and the YV5SS, a smaller version of the YV50 intended for industrial use.
Rickmers Reederei

**Rickmers Reederei GmbH & Cie. KG** was a Hamburg, HH-based international provider of maritime freight transportation, a supplier of maritime equipment, and the main focus of this article, large pneumatic sirens.

## History

Rickmers Reederei was founded in 1834 by Rickmer Clasen Rickmers in Bremerhaven, starting out as Rickmers Werft. The company mainly focused on shipbuilding and would see moderate success. In 1918, the shipyard and the shipping company were financially separated. The company was shut down in 1924 as part of the German shipping crisis and did not reopen until 1937. They would take repair orders from the United States Navy in the years following World War II.

As an attempt to capitalize on the West German government's need for air raid sirens to warn the public of potential air raids from the Eastern Bloc, they would introduce the "Rohrturmanlage" siren in 1965, which was heavily reminiscent of Pintsch Bamag's Anlage 1 and Anlage 2. As the company seemed to be falling on hard times, the siren venture was a way to rake in income to keep itself afloat.

The Rohrturmanlage wouldn't see the success that Rickmers wanted it to, with only 5 units being installed. The siren would likely be discontinued in 1967, and Rickmers would disappear from the siren business as soon as it entered. The company would continue to suffer economically in the following years, being acquired by the Zeaborn Group in 2017 after filing for bankruptcy. In 2018, the Rickmers Group and E.R. Schiffarht, another Zeaborn-owned company, would merge and form Zeaborn Ship Management.

## Products

### Rohrturmanlage

The Rohrturmanlage was the only siren produced by Rickmers. Introduced in 1965 to compete with HÖRMANN's HLS F71, the Rohrturmanlage's top is conical in shape, while the rest of the siren is cylindrical. It has 4 holes on each side, with these essentially being horns for sound to pass through. The siren also has what looks to be a platform with railings on top of it. The siren's engine and compressor are all housed at ground level in a small room located at the base of the siren's mast. The siren's air tank is located below the engine room and can hold 7100 liters.

The Rohrturmanlage uses a JLO DL660 engine and an FMA-Pokorny Robot VZ 5 compressor. The engine room and air tank are welded together and form a single unit. The compressed air tank could be reached through a hatch on the engine room's floor. All of the existing unit's components were replaced with HLS F71 parts during installation.

The Rohrturmanlage didn't sell well at all, with only 5 units being installed, with 2 being located in Rüsselsheim and 3 in Darmstadt. The final nail in the coffin was the Federal Office for Civil Protection choosing HÖRMANN to supply them with a nationwide warning system, leading to Rickmers discontinuing the Rohrturmanlage. In the 1990s, the 3 units located in Darmstadt were supplemented with HLS 373 and HLS 381 parts and have HLS 373 heads on top of them.
Sentry VR

**Type of siren** | Omnidirectional Electronic

The **VR** is an electronic siren that was produced for a short time by Sentry Siren, Inc. Being Sentry's very first attempt to enter the electronic siren market, the siren was only produced for a short time as Sentry failed to establish a foothold in the market. It was later succeeded by the SV-8.

The VR was announced and introduced in 2018 on Sentry's website. The siren was advertised as a Giant Voice siren, being intended to function as a public address and notification system prioritizing voice clarity over raw sound output. The siren is essentially a HyperSpike MA-series set of speakers with a custom-built controller made by Sentry themselves, with three different sizes of speaker being available. These were advertised by Sentry as reaching up to 120 dB at 100ft while having an incredible speech transmission index (STI) rating of 0.91 out of 1.00. This meant that it would be able to be clearly heard and understood over a great distance, which was the siren's main selling point. The controller was limited to either 4 siren tones, voice messages, or a combination of the two. In addition, the alert tone peaked at 800hz, which was not as effective as a lower tone. This made the siren perform rather poorly as a siren, but excels at voice communication as a PA system.

The siren itself is a HyperSpike MA-series mass notification speaker. Each speaker is made up of 5-30 speakers, and was available in three different sizes. Each speaker array contained 1-6 speakers per direction, in 5 different directions. The siren uses no horns to project the sound, instead using cone speakers attached to the drivers in order to provide a clear broadcast at the cost of overall range. To compensate for this, the siren runs at a higher voltage, with the smallest model, the 5-speaker VR-1, using up 600W of power. Each speaker is contained inside a frame, with the VR-1 coming in a cube-shaped frame while the VR-5 and VR-10 come in a rectangular frame, with the speakers stacked vertically. The VR-1 has 5 speakers and runs on 600W, the VR-5 has 15 speakers and runs on 1375W, and the VR-10 has 30 speakers and runs on 3200W. Each speaker is protected by a mesh screen to keep moisture out.

The VR was a complete failure for Sentry. Due to being a niche product that was poorly marketed, less than a dozen overall units are known to have been sold. In addition, Sentry's overall preference for mechanical sirens caused their attention to be focused away from the VR. This, combined with the siren's overall performance lacking compared to competing sirens such as the Modulator or WPS-2900, led to the siren's quiet discontinuation in 2020. This wouldn't be Sentry's last attempt to enter the electronic siren market, however, as Sentry later announced the SV-8, which succeeded it in 2023. Today, only a handful of units exist, with a few units installed in Jersey Village, TX, while others were installed at a school campus.
ASC E-Class

**Type of siren** | Directional Electronic

The **E-Class** is a series of directional electronic sirens that is produced by the American Signal Corporation. Very similar in appearance to the ATI HPSS series (and often confused with such), the E-Class is ASC's budget electronic siren offering, alongside the more expensive omnidirectional i-FORCE and the smaller Clarity campus siren. These are intended for public notification purposes, as well as primarily a siren.

## History and Design

The E-Class series was introduced sometime around 2007, as a cheaper electronic alternative to the i-FORCE. These sirens make use of 1-8 speakers per array, with a maximum of 8 speakers being supported. These speakers are manufactured by Kingstar Technologies out of Taiwan, and are the same speakers used in many other electronic sirens, including the ATI HPSS series. By doing so, ASC reduced the cost of the siren by avoiding having to create their own molds and designs. Each speaker contains 4 100W speaker compression drivers, manufactured by Atlas, with a maximum of 3200W being supported. The drivers are housed in the circular section behind each horn. Each speaker is attached to the mount by two legs that can swivel up to 45 degrees in any direction, depending on how they are mounted. The model number for each siren refers to how many speakers the array has, ranging from the single horned EC-1 to the 8 horned EC-8. The most common configurations are the EC-4 and EC-8. Each speaker has ASC's logo printed on the cones.

Each array is attached to a rectangular metal frame that supports the speakers, and each speaker can be attached to nearly anywhere on the frame in any direction. The frame varies in height depending on the speaker configuration. Units with only one row of speakers come with a shorter frame, while units that use two rows of speakers use a taller frame, even if the array only has four or less speakers. The frame is usually open, however they can be ordered completely sealed to protect the wiring if desired. While the frame does come with the siren as standard, it is not necessary to mount the speakers to this frame. This frame has thicker legs and supports more configurations than the ATI HPSS frame does, which makes it the most effective way of telling the two apart, among smaller differences. The frame attaches to the side of a pole the same way ASC's other sirens do.

Each unit comes with a standard ASC controller, which includes battery backup and voice capabilities alongside ASC's standard siren tones. These sirens are not very common as ASC has failed to establish themselves into the electronic siren market as effectively as its competitors such as Whelen's WPS-2900 and Federal Signal's Modulator and DSA, but where they are found, they are quite effective. Due to their better controller and drivers, these sirens often outperform and are more reliable than their closest competitor, the ATI HPSS series.
WeatherCall IntelliSiren

**Company** | TechTrol (produced)
 **Type of siren** | Omnidirectional Electronic

The **WeatherCall IntelliSiren** is a series of small electronic sirens produced by TechTrol Inc and distributed by WestherCall Services, intended for smaller communities to be as inexpensive as possible, in a similar vain to Custer Electric's sirens.

The IntelliSiren was introduced in 2020 by TechTrol, company based in Pawnee, OK, who entered a partnership with WeatherCall, who would provide the "activation of the sirens and keep an eye on the location and the warnings issued by the National Weather Service.", according to their website. IntelliSirens are as simple as an electronic siren can get, essentially consisting of either 6 or 12 100W speakers in-between 2 circular metal plates shielding the speakers from the elements. 6 or 12 dividers attached to the metal plates are present in between the speakers. The IntelliSiren has mounting legs located on both the top and bottom of the assembly.

The sirens can operate via AC or solar power, the most common option. The IntelliSiren activates automatically when the unit is within a tornado polygon, requiring no human interaction, per WeatherCall's website. The siren is programmed to notify a cell phone when a unit is activated or if it fails to activate.

As of 2023, the IntelliSiren is only known to have been installed in a few places, due to being a relatively new siren, with most being installed to replace older inactive sirens. This has caused some controversy with several members of the siren community, arguing that they are poor stand-ins for the sirens they have replaced. Nevertheless, they are claimed to be relatively decent in terms of sound output, though exact ratings are unknown. It remains to be seen how successful the IntelliSiren will be.
Federal Signal General Alarm

Federal Signal SGA

A PGA Timer. Image courtesy of civildefensemuseum.com.

The **Predetermined**/**Standard General Alarm** timer is a series of signal timers that was produced by Federal Signal Corporation, intended for fire stations to use to sound their fire siren for calls. They are capable of (depending on the model) 2 3-minute signals, these being the "alarm" (attack) signal and "test" signal.

## History and Design

wip

The PGA is primarily used for general alarm sirens, allowing them to sound an up and down scale wailing signal for a predetermined time. The standard PGA timer produces a timing of 8-seconds ON, 4-seconds OFF; repeated 10 times in a two minute cycle. There are a few known models, including the PGA and SGA timers. These are much less common than the AX and FC timers Federal produced.
H.O.R. Sirex

## H.O.R. Sirex (Si-Rex)

A 10-port Sirex, located in Arbyrd, MO. It is one of the few remaining active Sirex units, and is one of the last surviving 10-port units.

### Type of siren

Omnidirectional Electromechanical

The **Sirex** (sometimes referred to as the **Si-Rex**) is a vertical, omnidirectional siren that was produced by Harry O. Ricci Siren & Signal, Inc. during the 1950s and 1960s, and was a middle ground between the rotational Super Sirex and the smaller vertical Siro-Drones.

## History and Design

The Sirex was introduced sometime around 1951, alongside the Super Sirex, and all units were hand-built by Harry O. Ricci and his company. The Sirex is essentially a Super Sirex in vertical, omnidirectional form, using the exact same rotors and stators as the Super Sirex. All Sirex units use three-phase, 10HP AC motors, which are located directly under the rotor and stator. The motor has no protection at all from the elements, and there are four mounting holes on the bottom of the motor where the siren can be directly bolted to a mount. This also serves as a stand. Each Sirex unit uses three louvres that are crudely attached to the rotor and stator, two of which are used to help project the sound from the rotors, while the top louvre serves as a rainshield to protect the rotor from the elements. Four steel reinforcing rods help keep the bottom two louvres in place, while the top louvre is held up by four supports attached to the top of the stator. Mesh screens protect both the rotor and stator, as well as the intakes, from debris.

The Sirex was available in three port configurations, all using the same rotor/stators as the Super Sirex. Single tone models were available in either 9 or 10-port single tone, using a single rotor and stator. The Sirex was also available in 7/10 port dual tone, using two different rotors and stators, both driven by the single motor on a common shaft. The 7-port rotor and stator are located above the 10-port rotor and stator, held up by 4 support struts. The 7-port rotor and stator are shorter in height than the 10-port.

The vast majority of units were sold in Arizona and New York, where they were a common choice for civil defense use alongside H.O.R.'s other options. These sirens would later be decommissioned and either sold off to other towns, scrapped, or obtained by private owners. The Sirex saw little success elsewhere, as it was more expensive than the Siro-Drone while not performing as well as the Super Sirex. It would be discontinued in the 1960s alongside all of H.O.R.'s other sirens. Today, few units are still around, with only a single 10-port unit left in service in Arbyrd, MO. Two 7/10 port units with custom housings are in service in Massapequa, NY, with a third 7/10 unit being converted from a former Super Sirex. The rest are in private possession, all of which are 7/10-port dual tone. The majority of these came from Phoenix, AZ's former siren system.
UOO Jyri

**Type of siren** | Omnidirectional Supercharged Pneumatic Electromechanical

The **Jyri** is a supercharged pneumatic electromechanical siren that was produced by the University of Oulu in Finland and was licensed to several Finnish companies during the early 1990's to presumably the early 2000's. Little to no documentation on these sirens is available and not many are known to exist, making these sirens quite elusive.

## History

The Jyri was conceived by the University of Oulu sometime in the early 1990s. The exact year is unknown, though 1991 would be probable, as judging by a post on luftschutzsirene.de from 2011, the siren was around 20 years old by then. During the siren's development, efforts were made to ensure that the siren would be effective in a variety of conditions, according to the siren's product sheet. The Jyri was licensed to other Finnish companies during its lifespan, though exactly which companies are unknown. No other information can be found on the history of the Jyri, and it can be assumed that it was discontinued sometime in the early 2000s, with only a handful of units being sold throughout Finland.

## Design

The Jyri is an interesting siren in terms of design. The siren uses compressed air which is obtained by means of an internal combustion engine housed within a thermally insulated container alongside with some of the siren's other components, with the container is held up by four legs. Air is forced up through the intake and into the siren's 6 port chopper, creating the siren's sound, which is amplified through its exponential horns which appear to be made of fiberglass, though this is unconfirmed. There are several supports above and below the horns, which hold their weight.

The siren also comes with a 24VDC motor located at the top of the siren, which allows the siren to run without the combustion engine, though it is much quieter when doing so. The motor is housed in a cylindrical enclosure on top of the siren. Both of these seem to run when the siren is activated, but when it is turned off, the motor also shuts off, leaving the siren to be powered by the combustion engine, which's operating speed gets slower every 2 seconds or so, leading to an interesting sounding winddown. The Jyri is programmed to perform a silent test daily. About 90% of the siren is composed of Finnish parts, with the other 10% being imported. The head of the siren is about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall, 2.2 m (7.2 ft) wide, and 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long, with the entire assembly weighing about 1200 kg (2645 lbs). The Jyri is rated at 68 dB at an unknown range, but it is presumably greater than 100 ft.

## References

1. ↑ While "Jyri" is often written in all caps, the product sheet refers to it as how it is written in this article.
2. ↑ New foreign HLS type? - Luftschutzsirene.de
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jyri product sheet
ZME Motoruch

* Industrial equipment
* Vehicular electric sirens
* Hand-powered sirens

**ZME** **Motoruch** was a Polish electrical company based in Niepołomice, MA. Throughout the company's run it produced electric motors, industrial equipment, and the focus of this article, vehicular and hand-powered sirens. Due to the lack of information on ZME, little is known about their sirens or how many models were produced. The names of 3 models are currently known, these being the:

## Products

### Vehicular Electric Sirens

#### MSS-1

The **MSS-1** is a small vehicular siren produced by ZME Motoruch during the company's operation. The siren consists of a small motor driving a wide 6 port rotor inside of a 6 port stator. The siren's tag is bolted on to the top of the motor. There is a vertical grill in front of the rotor to prevent injury, as the siren is small enough to be handheld. The siren is held on top of a small swivel mount connected to a rounded base. It is unknown when the MSS-1 was discontinued, but it was likely sometime in 1989.

#### MSS-2

The **MSS-2**, also known as the **N13**, is essentially a larger MSS-1, featuring a larger motor and larger ports, likely increasing sound output. Like the MSS-1, the siren consists of a small motor driving a wide 6 port rotor inside of a 6 port stator. The siren's tag is bolted on to the top of the motor. There is a vertical grill in front of the rotor to prevent injury, as the siren is small enough to be handheld. The siren is held on top of a small swivel mount connected to a rounded base. It is unknown when the MSS-1 was discontinued, but it was likely sometime in 1989.

### Hand Powered Sirens

#### PS-13

The **PS-13** is arguably ZME's most well-known siren. The PS-13 is simple in terms of design, consisting of a small hand crank with a wooden handle driving 2 large gears encased inside of the siren's round housing. The smallest of these 2 gears has a retainer on top of it, which is connected to a small spring. The gears are also covered by a small thin sheet of metal. On top of all of this is the 12 port stator inside of the rotor. The stator is covered by a thin grill wrapping around it as well as another grill on the front of the rotor to prevent injury, as the siren is small enough to be handheld. 4 large bolts hold the stator and back housing in place. The siren is held up by a small stand, similar to that of a Q-Siren's.

The PS-13 came in 3 colors, these being red, green, and silver, with red being far more common. Some units have tags, while others do not. Only a handful of PS-13 units are known to remain, with most being in private possession or in museums. These were produced until 1979 at the latest.

## Gallery

A green PS-13.A gold MSS-2. This unit was mistakenly labeled as an MSS-1.An MSS-2.The internals of a PS-13.
## References

1. ↑ Zakłady Metalowo Elektrotechniczne
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 RESTORATION OF THE HAND-CRANK AIR-RAID SIREN - YouTube
3. ↑ Środki Łączności i Alarmowania - Ogrodzienieckie Muzeum Pożarnictwa (omp-muzeum.com.pl)
Federal Signal STL-10

Federal Signal RSH-10

The **STL-10** (Single Tone Low, 10 Horsepower) is an omnidirectional vertical siren that was produced by Federal Signal during the mid to late 20th century. It was produced between 1953 to 1995 as an alternative to Federal's popular STH-10, SD-10, and XT22 sirens and found popularity as both a fire siren and a civil defense siren.

## History and Design

The STL-10 sports a 24-inch 7-port rotor and stator, a 10 hp AC induction motor on top, and 7 rounded metal horns attached to each stator port to project the sound directly from the chopper. Its low tone is very distinctive and can be heard for miles due to its pitch, and the siren boasts a decibel rating of 114 dB at 100 ft. The STL-10 was available with either a single or three-phase electric motor, with the siren being designated as the STL-10B or STL-10A, respectively. The rotor and stator of the STL-10 were also used in the prototypical phase of the RSH-10, as the RSL-10. However, Federal ultimately chose to use the STH-10's rotor and stator instead.

The STL-10 is a very basic siren in design, using a motor-over-rotor configuration. The bare motor is atop the siren with an eyebolt attached for mounting and has no shielding from the elements. there are 7 large round horns attached to each stator port, which assist in projecting the sound from the rotor, and a cylindrical intake is located below the siren in between the siren's three included mounting legs. Mesh screens are included to protect the rotor from debris. Early STL-10s used square horns, but these were quickly switched to round horns as they proved easier to manufacture and were more durable. A few remain today, but they are very hard to find.

The low pitch made it more effective in areas where range was more important than pitch, or where a higher-pitch sound may be lost in other background noise. The siren was especially suitable in urban areas, where higher pitched sirens may lose range from traffic noise and the many obstructions such as buildings. The STL-10, along with its smaller brother the STH-10, were mainly sold as fire sirens. While they were also used for civil defense purposes, their main purpose was to alert volunteer firefighters to report to the fire station to go fight a fire. The STL-10 was nowhere as popular as the STH-10, and as a result, they are harder to find than STH-10s. The STL-10 saw most of its success in urban areas such as New York, where its piercing low sound was distinctly heard over the noise of traffic at great distances.

Due to waning sales as the use of fire sirens diminished, and likely to save costs, the STL-10 was discontinued in 1995, while the STH-10 continued to be sold until 2005. Both were effectively replaced by the ECLIPSE-8 in Federal Signal's lineup, as it had battery backup capabilities and improved performance while operating at a similar pitch.
Sentry 5V

**Type of siren** | Omnidirectional Electromechanical

The **5V** is a small omnidirectional siren that was produced by Sentry Siren, Inc. It was one of Sentry's original sirens, and was produced for a period of 20 years before its discontinuation.

## History and Design

The 5V was introduced in 1980 alongside Sentry's other 1980 lineup following the success of the earlier 10V2T, which included the 3V8, 10V, and 20V2T. The 5V uses an 8-port single tone rotor and stator which is borrowed from the Sterling Model M, which is driven by a 5HP AC motor. While the siren came in 8-port by default, 16-port single tone was available by special order. The siren's design is very basic, with the rotor and stator being attached to a 6 legged mount which has a cone to project the sound from the intake outwards. The motor itself is placed inside a weatherproof housing, and the siren comes with a large skirt above the rotor and stator to direct sound outwards. This makes it similar in appearance to the 3V8, though the 5V has a significantly larger skirt. The rotor, stator, and intake are also protected using mesh screens. This simple design allows the siren to be both cheap and easy to maintain.

The 5V was available in either single or three phase AC, with single phase units using a centrifugal regenerative brake which slows the rotor down rapidly when the rotor reaches a low enough RPM in order to recharge the motor's capacitor. The motor housing is identical in height for both single and three phase units, unlike the 3V8. The siren is able to reach 112 dB at 100ft according to Sentry. While the siren was made out of regular steel, corrosion resistant stainless steel was also an option.

The 5V was eventually discontinued in the year 2000, when Sentry's lineup began to change. The 5V and the newly introduced 7V8 had very similar production costs and performance, which led to Sentry choosing to discontinue the 5V. Having been discontinued over 20 years ago, the 5V is an uncommon sight compared to Sentry's other, newer sirens. The majority are 8-port, while 5 16-port units are also known to exist.
LANDERT Group AG

**Names** | Landert Motoren (1924-2018)

 **Products** | Electric motors

Automatic doors
Outdoor warning sirens

The **LANDERT Group AG**, formerly **Landert Motoren AG**, is a Zürich, ZH-based manufacturer of electric motors, automatic doors, and the main focus of this article, outdoor warning sirens. Founded in 1924, the company has since gone on to become a major player in Switzerland's, as well as the rest of Europe's electric drive and door system markets.

## History

The LANDERT Group, originally Landert Motoren, was founded in 1924 by Heinrich Landert, a young Swiss entrepreneur who was fascinated by the opportunities that electric motors offered to a variety of industrial uses. The company quickly expanded in the following decade, producing various electrical drives, among other products to moderate success.

In 1938, in the midst of WWII, after being contracted by the Swiss government, Landert Motoren would begin to produce an outdoor warning siren, named the MSL-3 to alert the Swiss population of potential invasion from Nazi Germany, after the government had ended its partnership with Albiswerk Zürich AG, which was owned by Siemens, a German company.

The MSL-3 would also see installations in Austria, with it being a relatively popular siren there. In 1951, Landert would install the first electro-hydraulic swing door in Europe; this venture would later spawn into what is now LANDERT's TORMAX division, while their motors would be grouped under the SERVAX division. In the 1970s, the MSL-6 would be introduced, a step up from its predecessor. Both sirens would be sold simultaneously, with the MSL-3 selling slightly better than the MSL-6. The company would continue to prosper in later years, discontinuing their sirens sometime after the Cold War had ended, possibly in or after 1994. In 2018, the company would be renamed to the LANDERT Group.

## Products

### Stationary Electric Sirens

#### MSL-3

The MSL-3 was the first siren that was offered by Landert Motoren, being introduced in 1938. Relatively simple in terms of design, it consists of an 8-port rotor and stator, driven by a 230/400 V motor manufactured by Landert. 2 large louvers bolted onto the stator act as a rainshield and a sound deflector. The siren has a small cylindrical mount below its motor, allowing for the siren to be attached to a pole. The motor spins at 2850 rpm, appears to be 3 ph, and is IP55 certified. Some units have "MSL-3/81" stamped onto them, though the difference is unclear. Today, very few MSL-3 units exist, with most either standing inactive or on display in museums.
Kockum Sonics ET-751

The Kockum Sonics ET-751 is a directional electronic siren sold in Europe, particularly Switzerland & Sweden. The series contains 2 different models with one including a 4 horn model, and a 3 horn model. The controller for the siren uses a dissonant dual tone sound not as bad compared to the TK. The decibel rating is currently unknown

## Design

The ET751 uses 3-4 tyfon horns inside an either white or maroon box, with a cylindrical mount to go on the bottom.
Gamewell Codewell

**Company** | Gamewell

 **Type of siren** | Omnidirectional Electromechanical

The **Gamewell Codewell**, previously known as the **Cosgrave Code Siren**, is a siren that was originally designed by Austin Cosgrave who later gave the job to make the siren to Gamewell. It was likely produced in the early 20th century, although the exact dates of production are currently unknown. An advertisement exists for this siren dated to 1929, so it was produced around that time.

## History and Design

    The Cosgrave Code Siren, later known as the Codewell, was produced by the Gamewell corporation, after being purchased from Austin Cosgrave who originally designed the siren in the mid-late 1920s. With the fire siren market booming in the 1920s, with many manufacturers creating their own electric sirens including Federal Electric, Sterling Siren, Erick Electric Sirens, and others. The Cosgrave siren was designed with built-in coding capabilities as standard, which gave it an edge over other manufacturers that modified existing designs to incorporate coding, which was more expensive.

This siren is unique, as it winds up like a normal siren but goes silent almost immediately after shutting off, allowing it to create coded signals. This is achieved by using a special gearbox above the motor to lift the three rotors in line with the stators when the motor is powered, allowing it to create sound by chopping the air. When the motor shuts off, the rotors lower and are no longer in line with the stators, instantly silencing the siren. This mechanism is placed above the motor, in between the motor and rotors. By repeatedly turning the siren on and off, this creates a coded signal as the rotors lift and lower from alignment with the stators.

This siren has 3 choppers attached to a single rotor shaft and motor with 3 stators held up by a tall vertical frame, with all 3 rotors and stators being 12-port single tone. The motor is made by Robbins & Myers, and is a 5 horsepower, 220V 3 phase motor that runs at 3500RPM. The siren itself is inside of a tall triangular shroud, which is largely made of mesh, with a steel rainshield on top. The motor is protected by a cover, which also serves as the mount. The shroud resembles a tall Erick siren. A service door is included on the cover, which allows easy access to the motor. Decorative fins also adorn the motor cover.

The very first unit was installed in Oconomowoc, WI, and was eventually removed after years of service. At least 104 units were built, and only two Cosgrave sirens are known to still exist, both in currently non-functional condition. One is in private possession with restoration planned, and the other is located in Jerome, AZ, nearby to a working Denver Quadruplex siren on top of the Jerome Ghost Pepper Co. While this unit is presumably operable, the controls were destroyed by lightning. A third unit is believed to exist in the Dominican Republic, though this is unconfirmed.
Sentry SV-8

**Type of siren** | Directional Electronic

The **SV-8** is an electronic siren produced by Sentry Siren, Inc. and is Sentry's second attempt to enter the electronic siren market. It is intended to replace the short-lived Sentry VR, which was Sentry's first electronic siren. The SV-8, like its predecessor, is designed for campus and public notification use, and competes with the ASC Clarity and similar small electronic sirens.

## History and Design

The Sentry SV-8 was leaked by C and K Early Warning Systems in April 2022, with little information being released about it until the siren was released in February 2023, as Sentry's second attempt to produce an electronic siren. The SV-8 is a small electronic siren that is designed as a "Giant Voice" system, prioritizing voice clarity over raw sound output. The siren is rated by Sentry with an 0.85 - 0.95 Sound Transmission Index (STI) rating. This is slightly less than the aforementioned Sentry VR, but still higher than the siren's competition such as the Modulator II, HPSS-32 or WPS-2900. The SV-8 uses 8 500W Neodymium hi-fi speaker drivers running on a 4000 watt amplifier, and like the Sentry VR, it uses cone speakers instead of horns to project the sound. While this allows for better voice clarity, it requires a higher voltage to get the same raw sound output as an electronic siren with horns. The SV-8 runs standard on 120V AC, with the option for AC/DC operation on solar panels or battery backup also being available.

Each SV-8 unit has 2 B&C Pro Sound speakers on each side, which are staggered in height. The siren comes standard with 4 Class I high intensity LED strobe lights, one on each side. On two sides, the strobe is above the speakers, while on the other two sides the strobe is located below. The SV-8 is rated between 110-116 dB at 100ft, which is rather low for the wattage the siren uses. It is likely that this siren is intended for campus use rather than as a standard public warning siren, due to its prioritization of voice clarity over sound output and overall lack of raw performance.

As of February 2023, no Sentry SV-8 units are known to have been installed, although the siren finally appeared on Sentry's website the same month, nearly a year after its original leak. A few units are known to exist as demonstrators, operated by Sentry themselves.
Civil Defense Warning Siren controller

## C.D.W.S. Controller

The dial of the C.D.W.S. Controller, as seen in "Day of the Killer Tornadoes" (1978)

### Produced

1950's - 1980's?

The **Civil Defense Warning Siren (C.D.W.S.)** controller is a controller that was manufactured by Western Electric Co. for Bell or AT&T Telephone Co. The controller consists of a central console similar to a dial to a desktop rotary phone, as well as a light up board that states what signal the sirens are currently sounding.

This controller, when used, sends a signal via. phone relay to receivers mounted to sirens. When a signal is received, sirens are activated. To activate sirens, a certain section has to be dialed twice within 5 seconds. The dial has 5 sections, 4 for siren signals "test" (1), "attack" (3), two instances of "alert" (2 and 4), and one for "cancel".

In Bell literature, the controller was initially thought of during WWII, however the first know iteration of it is from 1950. The earliest known instance of this controller appearing anywhere was in a 1960 civil defense film that was shot in the Washington, DC metro. The controller did also have some screentime in 1978's Day of the Killer Tornadoes.

It is currently not known when this controller was taken out of production, however a logical guess would be the late 1970s or early 1980s.
Brubeki Sistema de segurança

**Products** | Outdoor warning and vehicular sirens, lights, and other warning equipment

**Brubeki Sistema de segurança and in English Brubeki Security system** is a Brazilian dealer of outdoor warning sirens and other auditory and visual warning equipment. The company was founded in 1992, in the Vila Clementino, São Paulo, Brazil as a dealer of rebranded audiovisual warning products such as sirens and light bars. The company entered a partnership with Ademco, Bosch and various other foreign and nationals companies, rebranding their products to be sold in Brazil and other areas of South America.

Their products are as follows:
Sentry 10V

**Type of siren** | Omnidirectional Electromechanical

The **10V** is an omnidirectional siren that is produced by Sentry Siren, Inc. It is the second largest of Sentry's single rotor sirens, as well as the most versatile. It is a mainstay of Sentry's lineup.

## History and Design

The 10V was introduced in 1980 following the success of the earlier 10V2T, alongside the rest of Sentry's 1980 lineup which included the 3V8, 5V, and 20V2T. The 10V is the second largest single rotor siren produced by Sentry after the introduction of the 14V, and at the time of its release was the largest. The 10V is designed for both close and long range coverage through the use of 4 long horns and 4 short horns. Originally, the 10V came stock with all long horns, and this was changed early in production. The 10V comes with these horns as standard, though it can ordered with a skirt instead of horns if desired. The horns on the 10V were originally flat at the end, but these were later replaced with pointed horns to keep snow and debris out. The 10V comes standard with an 8-port single tone rotor and stator borrowed from the Sterling Model M. It is driven by a 10HP AC motor, with each stator port having a horn attached. While 8-port is the default option, the 10V can be ordered in 16-port single tone if desired. The siren can also be special ordered as the **10V-B**, which uses a DC electric motor to allow for battery backup. Unlike the other battery backup models Sentry offers, the 10V-B is not listed as an official model, and is only a special order option.

Like all of Sentry's single rotor sirens, the siren's design is very basic, with the rotor and stator being attached to a 6 legged mount which has a cone to project the sound from the intake outwards. The motor itself is placed inside a weatherproof housing above the siren. This simple design allows the siren to be both cheap and easy to maintain. The horns and intake use mesh screens to keep debris out. The 10V is available in either single or three phase AC, with single phase units using a centrifugal regenerative brake which slows the rotor down rapidly when the rotor reaches a low enough RPM in order to recharge the motor's capacitor. The siren is able to reach 115 dB at 100ft, according to Sentry. A corrosion-resistant stainless steel variant of the siren was also offered for areas such as coastal cities, where the salty air would otherwise destroy the siren rapidly.

The 10V has changed little over its production run, and is still produced today. While it is outperformed by its dual rotor cousins such as the 15V2T or 16V1T-B, it still remains one of Sentry's more popular options.
Motorola sirens

**Type of siren** | Directional Electronic

The **Motorola sirens** are basic directional electronic speaker array sirens that were produced by Motorola, Inc. (now Motorola Solutions) in the mid 1970's to sometime around or during 1980. They were Motorola's first (and only) outdoor warning siren created for the outdoor warning siren market and were one of the first ever attempt at voice broadcast and battery backup. They were known for generally being unreliable (in the case of Hereford, TX's sirens), extremely quiet, and were discontinued very early onto their production.

Motorola sirens are extremely basic electronic sirens, consisting of nothing more than Motorola TDN6252 speakers powered by 300 W high power speaker drivers on a small circular mount. The sirens were available to purchase with either 2, 4, and 8 speakers. The sirens used an early analog controller with battery backup capabilities, and voice functionality, likely one of the first to. This controller was likely based off of Motorola's early vehicular siren controllers. Many existing Motorola siren units do not have their original controllers. Considering they all have gray unlabeled white enclosures, it makes it hard to identify which have their original controllers.

The only known city known to have had a system of Motorola sirens was Hereford, TX, which after the tremendous underperformance of Motorola's sirens, sued the company. The lawsuit was settled out of court and Hereford was paid an undisclosed amount of money which they used to purchase ACA Cyclones and Federal Signal SD-10s. After the sirens were removed, they were sent to several smaller towns around the Hereford area, where they remain today. After this happened, Motorola presumably decided to cease manufacturing the sirens.

Motorola sirens, while a revolutionary concept for their time, were executed poorly and did not sell very well, with the sirens being rather buggy and quiet. Motorola sirens appear to have been only sold in Texas and Oklahoma, and it's unlikely they made it far outside of these states. Very few are known to exist today.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Motorola Siren? - The Siren Board (airraidsirens.net)