T128 history

[holler]

That siren in the video is not an early prototype. It's just been repainted, and has a mercury contactor.

[p50needsablower]

Thanks for the info and also does anyone have a pic of an exelon t128?

[carexpertandy]

Here's a street view of the one near Cincinnati. BTW, it's Excel, not Exelon, which is a nuclear power plant in Illinois that has a system of ASC sirens.

https://goo.gl/maps/Tj958YFnHe42

[p50needsablower]

OK thanks I was told they were called excelons. :THUNDERBOLT: :P50:

[4J25]

And also note the controls on that 128. They almost look... ACA? Perhaps these were pre ASC, but I doubt it. Either way, those came first, then it was the 128 with the long blue logo ( II generation 128 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoc6_ToqNP4 ) then the one with the ASC swirl logo ( III generation 128 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR-K8A6b3wU ).

[SIRENMAN]

Back in the early 90's Horman purchased or obtained ACA from Biersach and Neidemeyer and renamed it American Signal. Dale Moeller was a salesman with American Signal (Horman) till 1995 0r 1996 when he quit because at the time Dale was upset with the direction ASC was going. They did not have a competitive DC siren, they were greedy, and morals lacked in the company. Dale started Excel Alerting Communicators and had Jim Biersach design the 128. Jim Biersach is the genius, designer, engineer, and brains of the 128 as he is probably the best acoustical engineer in the country. In the mean time about 1996 Werden Electric sold 125 Compulert activation devices to Hamilton County and they were substandard and not meeting specifications in which case I pointed this out to ASC (Horman) they told me to keep quite and reap the benefits in a year or so when we could sell them the upgrade for $50,000.00. Without hesitation I blew the whistle on ASC (Horman) and they proceeded to terminate me as a dealer and I lost the sales and installation of 100 or so Compulet devices. Werden Electric sued and won the suit and it was at that time Dale Moeller purchased American Signal from Horman and I was told and waited several months that the first T-128 made by Excel/American went to Harrison Township on Baughman Rd and that would have been late 1997.

[DJ2226]

When you say Horman, do you mean Hörmann the German siren manufacturer? I'm confused as to why they would want to buy ACA from B&M, since they push the message of electronic sirens being better due to their solid state characteristic and just being louder than what was being made mechanical wise. ASC seemed to be more involved with mechanical sirens vs electronic sirens with the OM-120, RM-130, etc. I know that Hörmann used ASC controllers on their products for a while and eventually switched to what seems to be ATI controls going off of the pictures in their brochures then UltraVoices.

[carexpertandy]

I should say, that siren was on a list of sirens in the Enquirer that did not sound when the Blue Ash tornado touched down in 1999, and said it was because of a "burned out motor." Is that actually true?

[SIRENMAN]

Yes Hormann owned them for 5 to 7 years and ran American Signal into the ground. Also I am not sure about the motor on that siren, as EMA was clueless in those days, and I was not the contractor of choice as I was too critical of EMA's laziness. However all have been replaced and the new EMA people are great, smart, and are watching out for your tax dollars. It is a refreshing change from idiots that ran it before.

[4J25]

the first T-128 made by Excel/American went to Harrison Township on Baughman Rd

So are you saying that's the first T-128, or just the first in Hamilton county? Either way, pretty neat!