Thunderbolt 1000, turned 1000T (Mahtomedi, MN)

[bytor55110]

Shot this siren during Minnesota's severe weather week last Wednesday. This siren, according to comments, has undergone a chopper change, turning it from a 1000 to a 1000T.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcuoifXsoeU

[Allertor113]

I might be wrong but, Don't all thunderbolt's say 1000 on the ID plates?

[bytor55110]

The Thunderbolt series comes in 3 models:

• 1000 (single-tone model)
  1000T (dual-tone model, without hi-lo solenoids)
  1003 (dual-tone model, with hi-lo capability)

So yes, each plate will say that it's a 100x. It's just what parts they have on the siren head indicate specifically what model it is as noted.

[murrfarms]

I might be wrong but, Don't all thunderbolt's say 1000 on the ID plates?

Most of your older ones (1970 and earlier) will say "1000" for the siren type on the ID plates, regardless if it's a 1000 or a 1000T. However, later ones (after 1970) started showing a more specific model on the ID plates, such as "1000AT" for a 3-phase 1000T. Here are some examples:

Older 1000T plate:

Newer 1000T plate:

[t-bolt82]

Didnt know they could turn a 1000 into a 1000T - learned somethin new! So I guess thats good for any siren enthusiast whom can only get their hands on a 1000, but want a 1000T - they could turn it into one with the right parts.

[holler]

Didnt know they could turn a 1000 into a 1000T - learned somethin new! So I guess thats good for any siren enthusiast whom can only get their hands on a 1000, but want a 1000T - they could turn it into one with the right parts.

That's generally how it goes. My former thunderbolt was a 1000 before I swapped a 5/6 port chopper into it.

[ver tum]

If they did it anything like they do it down here, they probably just swapped out the entire head.

Anyone else notice the hesitation on startup?

[murrfarms]

Anyone else notice the hesitation on startup?

I noticed that too. Almost sounded like this video that guitarguy19852 made a little while back, with a synthesized Thunderbolt that would change chopper voltage in real time every 20 seconds. Sounded like as if someone changed this Thunderbolt fluidly from terminal 4 to 5 without a hiccup. I've heard others do this before, and I still wonder what exactly makes them do that, because overall they're usually not sickly in any other way aside from that odd "hiccup" of sorts.

[ver tum]

It's probably just slightly worn chopper brushes. There's a 1003 in Scottsbluff, NE that does just the opposite of this. It peaks, then drops a semitone, then sounds healthy throughout the rest of the Alert cycle. Unfortunately, the YouTuber who made the video has made it private.