The Siren Board

Zarlog wrote:

TboltTX1 wrote:Here's another 4008 for y'all. This one is labeled siren #9 on the north end of town and is supposed to be going away soon. I figured I'd get a video of it before it morphs into a 2910. Enjoy!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4GUh58kdrk

Is it almost as loud as a p-50? They are rated at 132db which is pretty close.

135 if I remember correctly is 2 times as loud as 132db. If I remember correctly every 3 decibels the it is twice as loud.

They were rated at 130 dB in the old specs, but when Whelen changed the pitch to 560 Hz the sirens would gain 3 dB on average. They would be rated at 133 dB in today's cutsheets and get roughly 1.75 miles of range similar to the T-135 AC/DC. They are 4 dB louder than the Vortex R4, 4004, and 2910. Friendsville, TN's 4008 can be heard easy from 2-3 miles away according to the residents of the town, and that's quite a testament considering the terrain of some of the areas that reported it. As a bonus theirs was manufactured in the early 90's and still has its original analog 864 board. This is a video on the FD's Facebook taken from about 1/4 of a mile away.
https://www.facebook.com/FVFDTN/videos/ ... 138906532/

Zarlog wrote: Is it almost as loud as a p-50? They are rated at 132db which is pretty close.

The 4008s aren't even remotely close to a P-50 in terms of output. The ones in Plano seem to be quiter than the ones in McKinney for some reason. I don't know if it's the tone that McKinney uses, but I suspect McKinney has been upgrading the drivers on their 4008s which is why they sound so much louder and crisper in person. Plano I know for sure re-uses the drivers from their older 4008s on other sirens as long as they work, which may be why I hear a noticeable crackling sound on most of their older sirens.

The 4008 in my last McKinney recording is hands down the loudest Whelen siren I have ever heard in person. It still wasn't P-50 loud though.

Bumpitty Bump Bump Bump!

I have some news concerning these sirens, along with the other remaining 4008s.

I haven't been able to contact the new radio shop manager (Curlie Matthews) but it appears they have decided not to, or at least postponed the siren replacement. This siren was supposed to be replaced about a year ago. Ronald Goldsmith, who wrote that document saying that they will be replacing 3 a year is no longer with the city of Plano. It is up to the 9-1-1 communications and Matthews to decide what will happen.

If anything happens I'll be sure to post on it.

-Whammy