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Oldiesmann
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History of ASC/ACA?

Fri May 21, 2010 5:47 pm

Can anyone here provide me with some history of ASC/ACA? It seems like we all know quite a bit about the general history of Federal Signal, since they're a larger company, but I haven't seen or heard much about American Signal's history. I'd particularly like info on the less-common sirens (such as the PN-20 mentioned in the LA thread).
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WOOPS.

Fri May 21, 2010 6:40 pm

ACA was really a subdivision of Biersach and Niedermeyer Company. ACA was started in 1968 by Jim Biersach to revive siren sales that had dropped off under BNCO (their Mobil directo's popularity was very low at this time). ACA produced a full line of high precision sirens intended to suit each and every city and town. They started the Penetrator line in 1980. The Performance Penetrator (first ever battery back up siren by ACA) was made in 1989. The PN20 was released in 1992. ACA went bankrupt in 1993, and was bought by Dale Moeller (who ran Exelon Alerting Systems) not long afterwards. He turned it into ASC in 1995, and it was really no longer associated with BNCO at this time.

Now to set a few facts straight:

There never was a Hormann link, other than Hormann USA being an ASC dealer in the past.

There never was a lawsuit about the Hurricane 130. The Hurricane's horn shape was changed in the pursuit of efficiency.

None of the ACA sirens were built prior to 1968.

10-12 port sirens were dropped due to 8-12 and 9-12 having better coverage at long distances.

ACA didn't just change their name to ASC. The entire siren division (ACA) was changed, as mentioned in the first section.

The Banshee 115 was produced along with the standard Banshee until 1994. It was not stopped due to Soundmaster.

There were never any lawsuits about the P-10.

The RM/OM names were never used by ACA/ASC.

ACA never used Federal's 10-12 rotors. The only Federal rotors BNCO used were the single tone 8 port ones for the first few Mobil Directos. There onwards, it was all BNCO castings.

Prior to ACA, the only siren made by BNCO was the Mobil Directo, and nothing else.

And to whoever smited me for this post, please learn to cite your own info in the future, kthxbye.
Last edited by 500 AT fan on Sat May 22, 2010 10:05 pm, edited 3 times in total.
STATUS: Taking a break from ARS until late July.

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Oldiesmann
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Sat May 22, 2010 12:11 am

Thanks for all the info. I knew about ACA being a division of Biersach and Niedermeyer, but didn't realize the original ACA went bankrupt and got bought out by someone - I just assumed they changed their name for some reason like Federal has.

Interesting to know that there wasn't a lawsuit about the Hurricane's horn, but it doesn't really surprise me, having seen both a Hurricane (round horn) and Thunderbolt up close - the Hurricane is a much larger siren overall.
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Gil
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Sat May 22, 2010 12:24 am

Thanks for the info! I didn't know the Banshee 115 lasted so long.

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ACA

Sat May 22, 2010 12:56 am

500 AT Fan: Some of your facts are incorrect:

Horman bought the assets of ACA and changed the name to ASC in about 1995. Robert Zoeller was the head of ASC

There was a lawsuit that involved the RM-127 (P-10)

The RM names were used by ASC (Horman)

Dale Moeller bought the company about 1998 as he and Jim designed the tempest 128 and the company name was Excel Alerting Communicators.

Werden Electric installed the first Excel Tempest 128 in Harrison Township near Cincinnati

500 AT fan
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Sat May 22, 2010 1:08 am

What was the lawsuit over the P-10?

Yes, I checked my emails from Jim about Excel/on, and you are correct about it being called "Excel" for the first part of the name, but it still ended with Systems.
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Sat May 22, 2010 1:57 am

ACA produced a full line of high precision sirens intended to suit each and every city and town.
Just curious. What exactly is a "high precision siren?"
Proud owner of a garage full of junk.

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Sat May 22, 2010 2:06 am

Basically, a siren that's fine tuned/well designed to achieve the dB output it really produces. Modifying the design even slightly (drill a hole in an Allertor horn, spin a Screamer rotor backwards, etc.) will mess it up entirely.

An example of non-precision (badly designed) siren is the Federal 500-ST 108, weighing in at a whopping 108dB at 100 feet.
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Sat May 22, 2010 4:35 am

Rumor had it the ACA Went bankrupt Because they sold a ton of Cyclone sirens to Saudi Arabia and than Saudi Arabia did not pay for the sirens. Because when The gulf war stated they were saying that SA had these new sirens from ACA and they even had some video of them going off.

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Sat May 22, 2010 4:40 am

Yes, ACA did make a huge order for Saudi Arabia in 1992. Then (as I mentioned in my first post) they went bankrupt shortly afterwards.

They ordered 200 sirens.

Think I found the real Hormann link, too. http://www.anthonydavisdesigns.com/BaseAlert/about.htm
STATUS: Taking a break from ARS until late July.

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