Any idea on what this is?

[MysteryMachine]

I guess technically this could go in the mystery siren thread. I got a phone call the other morning from a guy asking if I could give him a hand identifying the siren on his firehouse. He sent me a few photos and we've talked on the phone a few times. He mentioned that he has talked to Jeb as well. I told him I would post the photos and try and narrow it down a little more. I believe it's some type of Darley with a modified 5/7 housing. He said Jeb told him it was a Darley STH, I've never seen a Darley STH without the housing so not sure what they look like. I assumed they were flat on the bottom like a Federal. It sorta looks like a larger version of the Darley I'm working on.

Any thoughts?

[Jim Z]

sure looks like an STH-10 chopper peeking out from the bottom of the housing. Either the housing is falling apart or they had some "interesting" ideas on how to install it.

[Daniel]

Look at the cast iron base. This is a Darley helmet siren with the helmet missing and sheet metal louvers attached over the rusted remains of the housing. A piece of sheet metal has been wrapped around the housing surrounding the stator to reduce the sound output. These are a little larger than a Model 2, have the motor above the rotor, and have six ports.

[MysteryMachine]

I don't believe that's a 6 port. The one I'm working on is a 6 port and it looks nothing like that. Plus the one in question looks much larger. I tend to agree on the Darley "helmet" idea though just a larger say 5/7 size.

Here is the 6 port

[holler]

Those aren't the same pictures he sent me. It almost looks like a Sterling rotor with the number of vanes and the way they slope inwards.

[murrfarms]

As previously stated, it's most definitely a vertical W.S. Darley "Champion" siren (aka, the "helmet" siren). It's the larger 12 port version with I believe a 5hp motor, but the motor on this one has been replaced with a modern single phase Baldor motor. That makeshift housing isn't doing the siren any good since the rotor and stator are on the bottom, where the solid piece sheet metal is wrapped around. There is one like this in a city about 40 miles south of here that's no longer in use (and missing its housing), seen below.

[CDV777-1]

Oh man. He got to you guys too?
The first time he sent me those pics I told him I had no idea and to go up on the roof and look at the id plate.
He sent me the pics 3 or 4 times again and I finally just stopped replying to the emails.
I ran out of ways to say that I had no idea what it was.

[MysteryMachine]

Lol yeah he's called me a few times but no big deal. Good PR is how I look at it. When he said he spoke to Jeb I told him he probably knew more than me. Gonna try and see about looking at their Eclipse 8 sometime.

[tbolthunter1994]

As previously stated, it's most definitely a vertical W.S. Darley "Champion" siren (aka, the "helmet" siren). It's the larger 12 port version with I believe a 5hp motor, but the motor on this one has been replaced with a modern single phase Baldor motor. That makeshift housing isn't doing the siren any good since the rotor and stator are on the bottom, where the solid piece sheet metal is wrapped around. There is one like this in a city about 40 miles south of here that's no longer in use (and missing its housing), seen below.

That's one low mounted siren

[holler]

He never mentioned nothing about an Eclipse. I got tired of him blowing up my phone to just ask the same question.