Calhan, Colorado Siren (Federal Signal 550AT)

[Rheems1]

I am completely in awe.... total, slack jawed awe......... that is an AWESOME sounding siren.... who the heck saw 8/12 coming as the port ratio!! I can't believe how well you can hear the different port ratio as the siren spins... that is totally amazing!!! I am pretty sure that is a Federal Signal siren... they didn't make another rotating 8/12 that I know of... but it makes sense as they were making Model 5 High Tone (12 port) and Model 5 Low Tone (8 Port Rotor) sirens at this time. Good video... really good video... I am totally in awe and will be for most of this day!!

Thank you so much for sharing!!

Dave Fritz

[red04stanggt]

Too cool!

[ver tum]

It does sound a whole lot like a T-135, but it has a faster wind-up. When the high tone part is pointing at the camera, it sounds kind of like a 2001. I've heard of this siren, but I've never heard any recordings of it until now. It's like having two rotating sirens in one. Great video!

[Pete]

GREAT videography and sound recording, DJ! I sure wish I could have joined you last night, but maybe next year you, me, and Robert Gift can have a little siren party on test night!! Bring a little grill, cook some brats....hee hee hee!!

Do you think any of the folks at the city hall would give you any info as to the make/model of this sucker? If it is a Federal, and there were so many of them in El Paso county, it's a little weird that we can't find it listed in any of the old Federal brochures that are floating around. If the city has a manual for the siren, that could solve everything...if we can persuade them to let you see it.

Let me know if I can help!

Pete

[gaterboy]

Cool video, now I have a new goal to chase!

[SirenMadness]

Great tone, and the rotation certainly seems to add to the eerie quality of the siren! I thought that the siren would have a ten-to-twelve ratio of ports!

[Mr.Thunderbolt]

Thank you so much for catching this rare siren in action! I thought it would sound like an 500AT, but I'm surprised it sounded like a P-50! Great catch!

[500AT]

I am pretty sure that is a Federal Signal siren... they didn't make another rotating 8/12 that I know of... but it makes sense as they were making Model 5 High Tone (12 port) and Model 5 Low Tone (8 Port Rotor) sirens at this time.
Dave Fritz

The Model 500A and 500B both came in a high and low-pitch version. The high-pitch model had 12 ports, and used the same rotor/stator as the Model 5/7. Likewise, the low-pitch Model 500 used a standard 8 port rotor/stator. In addition, there was also a Model 500AC, 500ATC, 500BC, which used a solenoid with a damper on the air intake tube to make a pulsed/coded signal. However, this was a short lived feature, as was the non-rotating version, for fire departments that wanted a completely directional siren, that beamed it's signal only in one direction.

[500AT]

Delete this post.

[500 AT fan]

I am pretty sure that is a Federal Signal siren... they didn't make another rotating 8/12 that I know of... but it makes sense as they were making Model 5 High Tone (12 port) and Model 5 Low Tone (8 Port Rotor) sirens at this time.
Dave Fritz

The Model 500A and 500B both came in a high and low-pitch version. The low-pitch model had 12 ports, and used the same rotor/stator as the Model 5/7. Likewise, the low-pitch Model 500 used a standard 8 port rotor/stator. In addition, there was also a Model 500AC, 500ATC, 500BC, which used a solenoid with a damper on the air intake tube to make a pulsed/coded signal. However, this was a short lived feature, as was the non-rotating version, for fire departments that wanted a completely directional siren, that beamed it's signal only in one direction.

Hehe, I think you meant high toned. Anyone know why the 500AC, ATC,and ,BC sirens weren't popular??? Anyone know if they were ever mentiioned in any Federal catalogues from the 1950's?