T-128 vs. T-135

[holler]

I miss the dual-toned ROAR of the original P-50/T-135, but I understand how ASC has to stay in step with Federal in offering a new battery backup T-135 AC/DC

ASC is not "in step" with Federal, they are leaps and bounds ahead of them. The T-128 will easily outperform every rotating siren made today, and the 132 is in a class by itself.

So they really don't have to keep up with anybody, since no other mechanical siren today can match their performance. Whelen still makes the most powerful electronic siren though.

[ACAP10]

They replaced a P10 in my town with a T135 and when you're up close and personal with it, you can easily tell it's NOT a T128! Here are a few pics







Also, I'll be getting a video of one of Lemont, IL's P50's tomorrow so look out for that. I'm gonna try and hightail it to Tinley Park to get a Thunderbolt 1000T for their 10:30 test. No guarantees I'll make it though

[bellyjae]

[quote="Midnight Drifter"While we're on the subject of the T-135... the old dual-tone model, I've noticed, without fail, in every single video, you get this 'whir' wind roar-like noise under the growl of the siren itself. What causes that sound?[/quote]


Thats the air being forced out of the chopper.

[Midnight Drifter]

Alright, I hate to commit thread necromancy, but what's the horsepower rating on the T-128 A/C and T-135 A/C?

I can't find it anywhere on ASC's website on in the pdf's.

And the T-112 and T-121, if anybody knows.

[Daniel]

Remember that the sound output of a siren is not related to the horsepower of the motor, but of the size and air-moving capacity of the rotor assembly. A more powerful motor means that the siren reaches full speed quicker, but a larger rotor assembly chops larger amounts of air, making a louder sound. Exponential horns and other housing features can somewhat enhance the output, but it is the size of the rotor that counts most.

[Ninja Squirrel]

So the only reason sirens like the P-50 have a 50 HP motor is due to the huge chopper it uses? Would it have been possible to create a chopper with light-weight material so that it doesn't need as much power to turn it? I am not sure if horsepower has anything to do with the amount of power required to run it.

[holler]

Chopping air creates a lot of resistance, hence the big amount of horsepower that most sirens have.

Heavy rotors make them wind up slower (like my old cast iron Model 7), but the majority of the horsepower is used to chop the air.

[Midnight Drifter]

Remember that the sound output of a siren is not related to the horsepower of the motor, but of the size and air-moving capacity of the rotor assembly. A more powerful motor means that the siren reaches full speed quicker, but a larger rotor assembly chops larger amounts of air, making a louder sound. Exponential horns and other housing features can somewhat enhance the output, but it is the size of the rotor that counts most.

I understand this well, I just want the specifications for the record. :3 That's not a problem, right? ^^;

edit: And dual-tones have twice the air that needs to be chopped, as well... But yet somehow the 2001 gets away with, what, an 8HP DC motor I think?

[SIRENMAN]

American Signal is the leading manufacturer of sirens and engineering. Federal copied ACA for the 500. They also copied ASC's rotation device for the 2001. ASC is the only company that tests their siren according to ANSI standards. FEMA has come out with a directive stating the 2001 can be replaced with the T-121 as a direct replacement due to the frequency of the siren. The T-112, T-121, T-128 all use a 6.5 hp motor.

[Midnight Drifter]

I'm going to take a wild guess here and say that the modern focus of the new sirens today is more about projecting the sound then just producing massive amounts of sound?

If that makes sense.

And I guess the T-135, by that specification is... 8 HP?