Another Model 5

[idk6000]

This is a video of a federal model 5A. This is at the Gilead Fire & Rescue in Huntersville NC. There are two clips in this video. The second video was made from around 900 feet away and has some good echos. The siren is running on a odd electrical system. I think it is called a High Leg Delta. Its prety much a single phase 240 building with an odd third leg that acts like three phase. I think the siren was bought in 1965 and it might be getting a new coat of paint soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPjxmmrJzPI

[djscrizzle]

This is a video of a federal model 5A. This is at the Gilead Fire & Rescue in Huntersville NC. There are two clips in this video. The second video was made from around 900 feet away and has some good echos. The siren is running on a odd electrical system. I think it is called a High Leg Delta. Its prety much a single phase 240 building with an odd third leg that acts like three phase. I think the siren was bought in 1965 and it might be getting a new coat of paint soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPjxmmrJzPI

High Leg Delta was pretty common back in the day. It is a form of 3Phase power that actually grounds a corner of the transformer bank to create the neutral for the system. Very odd wiring scheme. It allowed for regular residential single-phase appliances to run between the A and C phases (120-240 b/w both), and the B phase was the high/wild/stinger leg (208 volts)

Modern systems are wired in a Y configuration, which has 3x 120 volt phases, or 3x 277 volt legs, with 480 between any 2. When calculating Wye voltages, the number is 1.8 times 115 volts (or whatever the phase-ground voltage measures) is the product. Example: 115 times 1.8 gives 208 volts.

[JasonC]

Actually, high leg delta is center tapped, not corner grounded (which is the ultra rare "corner grounded delta" connection). High leg delta connections are still common on two transformer type setups (the Scott-T connection....aka 3-phase power form only two primary wires), and is usually used when a small 3-phase load is required in addition to a single phase load.

As far as the model 5, I'm glad you got a recording of it. I drove by last year and wondered if it still sounded. Many of the Charlotte area departments have gotten rid of their sirens in the past decade so it's sad to see them gone.

[djscrizzle]

Actually, high leg delta is center tapped, not corner grounded (which is the ultra rare "corner grounded delta" connection). High leg delta connections are still common on two transformer type setups (the Scott-T connection....aka 3-phase power form only two primary wires), and is usually used when a small 3-phase load is required in addition to a single phase load.

As far as the model 5, I'm glad you got a recording of it. I drove by last year and wondered if it still sounded. Many of the Charlotte area departments have gotten rid of their sirens in the past decade so it's sad to see them gone.

Thanks Jason, I have seen both in my experience... A friend of mine has high-leg Delta at his shop. We often joke about how he should have a siren on a pole out back...

[sirenduke]

Thanks for sharing this video. I like Federal signal model 5s.

[Archon]

Merramack WI's 3 phase Model 5 is connected to what is called phantom phase

so when it statrs it starts slower than a normal 5

[idk6000]

Found out today that this siren is actually a WS Darley Model 7