2001's being replaced by....2001's?

[Stevan Z]

There is a 130 about 1.5 miles from me. Yes, it is high pitch, but I can hear it and understand what it is. So I don't think coverage is a problem.

I don't think this is a waste of money. Yes, replacing fairly new sirens for something shiny is a waste. These are not new by any account.

They don't need to add to the system. The city has been landlocked for decades. way before even the current system was installed.

They claim to be making costly repairs, totaling over 10k in 5 years. Maintenance, especially unexpected, is something everyone would like to avoid. They can get grants to replace equipment, but not to maintain it.

The system is more than 25 years old. Even if they replaced poles, retrofitted controls, added AC/DC option, the sirens will still need to be replaced in the fairly recent future. This would be the more costly option. Think about it. Take sirens down, replace all controls and whatnot. Put old siren and new equipment on new pole. Pay for new equipment, plus install fees. Now, 10 years later. Siren heads need replacing. Purchase new siren heads, pay contractor to use crane to remove old siren head from pole and replace with new heads. This can add up to several thousand dollars per siren, as well as the siren heads costing more money in 10 years. So lets say 2k in labor per siren and 10k per siren head in 10 years. Or replace it all now, start fresh. Get another 25 years out of the new system. They have the money to do it. Plus this climate is not kind to anything outside. They have endured high winds, extreme heat, hail, extreme cold, ice. They have endured 25 Chicago winters.

All true! I still highly believe 2001's are one of the best sirens made. I wonder what Chicago will go for when the 2001's begin to go out.

[holler]

So apparently 25 years is the lifespan of sirens now?

[Mark N]

It's so odd..some places have been using the same siren for decades on end, but others will replace them after a few years...

[holler]

Seems to be a trend lately.

[justie1220]

Seems to be a trend lately.

Seems rather foolish to replace something that works.
What happened to "if it ain't broke don't fix it?" or replace it? In this case

[Stevan Z]

Simply they want AC/DC sirens instead of the DC only that they have now. Plus, like I said, the -130 is a whooping 3 decibels louder.

[Brendan Ahern]

And from the proposal....sounds like they are broke, or at least breaking.

[Stevan Z]

And from the proposal....sounds like they are broke, or at least breaking.

They are. They spent all there money updating uptown and know they're broke.

[Brendan Ahern]

No the town isn't broke, I was talking about the sirens. Park Ridge is a very wealthy suburb.

[DJ2226]

I'd like to know what exactly is broken on the sirens. The darn heads are practically the same as the 130s aside from the removal of the bracket that used to go across the rotor in the intake box, the extension of said box, the switch from belt drive to direct drive, and the switch of the cone to the fatter one introduced with the later model SRN. The only way I could see these SRNs failing is from the UC or FC going out unless the motors have burned up or the belts slipped, broke, or the pulley got messed up some kind of way. Put an older 2001, or really most mechanical sirens of any age with a good motor, on a new FC from Federal and it will be as reliable as the new ones that come off the assembly line. Throw in a rectifier if you need AC/DC.