Picked up a Thunderbolt from Indianapolis,

[kagome122885]

As far as I know all of the other sirens are being disposed of by Federal. They don't want to give them to just people because they don't know what we'll do with them. And they don't want to give them to communities in need. What happens is that say an old T-bolt from Indy makes it's way to a small community like Farmland. Now Farmland fixes it up but a piece in the blower breaks. So they contact Federal wanting a replacement and Federal no longer makes parts for T-bolts. So those communities get angry and give Federal a bad name. Atleast that's how it was explained to me. My T-bolt was already in the process of disposal by the EMA for the past 2 years and therefore still belonged to the county. The other T-bolt's, Model 5's, SD-10's, and T-beam's will become the property of Federal once they are replaced by a new 2001-130. And Federal will dispose of them.

Matt,

That is just terrible! Even if an entire siren is not any good, you can salvage the good parts.

[JasonC]

In reference to your last picture, all t-bolt horn support bracket bolts are welded to keep them from coming loose. I had to take a grinder to mine to cut them out (as well as drill two new holes in the horn to fir my solenoid bar). I need to get pix!

[Jim_Ferer]

Federal doesn't want to support Thunderbolts any more -- why would they be in the business of competing with themselves?

[Matt Hackler]

Well it?s good that they welded it. It seems like a logical move. Once I actually get the horn removed I?m taking it and the blower cover to get them sandblasted. The rest of the paint will be removed by me.

[CDV777-1]

In reference to your last picture, all t-bolt horn support bracket bolts are welded to keep them from coming loose. I had to take a grinder to mine to cut them out (as well as drill two new holes in the horn to fir my solenoid bar). I need to get pix!

I've worked on Thunderbolts from 1950s vintage to 1970s vintage and I have never seen a welded horn support. Are you saying that the support is welded to the horn to keep it from coming loose? Why would they ever put bolts in it then? Why not just weld the thing completely to the support.

Federal doesn't want to support Thunderbolts any more -- why would they be in the business of competing with themselves?

I'm still trying to figure this out. "Compete with themselves?" Huh? Federal sells parts and new sirens. How does selling parts compete with them selling new sirens? Federal is selling both things. How does one "compete" with the other? A company can only supply all the parts for a product for so long. Thunderbolts went out 20 years ago. To expect Federal to supply parts for them indefinitely is a bit ridiculous. Automotive companies don't sell parts indefinitely for all their models. They have to stock new parts for new models and phase out parts stock for old models. If Federal still stocked all the parts for Thunderbolts how many would they really sell anyway. They would have a bunch of parts stock sitting around for an occasional sale now and then. It's just doesn't make sense.

[JasonC]

In reference to your last picture, all t-bolt horn support bracket bolts are welded to keep them from coming loose. I had to take a grinder to mine to cut them out (as well as drill two new holes in the horn to fir my solenoid bar). I need to get pix!

I've worked on Thunderbolts from 1950s vintage to 1970s vintage and I have never seen a welded horn support. Are you saying that the support is welded to the horn to keep it from coming loose? Why would they ever put bolts in it then? Why not just weld the thing completely to the support.

No, I don't mean that actually welded the support brackets to the horn (that would make horn removal a MAJOR pain). I mean that the two bolts that stick up through the support bracket, the heads of them, are welded into the support bracket. A nut would then be needed to secure the horn to the bolt. Are the bolts on the brackets you've worked in welded?