The Siren Board

Valtonus wrote:In my opinion, you should do a single pole install. It would not only save time of having to put up 2 entire poles, it would also save money. As said, a dual pole mount wouldn't prevent vandals any more than a single pole mount would. The blower is suspended on a wooden platform, and the control box is on the pole.

Here is a random picture I found of a Thunderbolt in Hawaii.

Thunderbolt hawaii.jpg

I highly suggest that you use a single pole mount.

Ah yes. That was the Thunderbolt 1000AT located at Maunalua Bay. This Thunderbolt is famous because of its high pitch that was caused by the workers not wiring the RCM correctly. Sadly the siren was replaced back in 2011 with a ASC I-Force . Somehow that siren was very interesting. The controls had the older "FS Thunderbolt" logo while the rotator box had the newer version Thunderbolt logo. Here is a video of the siren.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQZS9sobMmk

It's not that bad, trust me:


Currently trying either to move this one down lower or have more guy wires installed on it.

stormsetter4 wrote:It's not that bad, trust me:


Currently trying either to move this one down lower or have more guy wires installed on it.

Why did the install the blower so far up there?

All materials could be reused, like the blower platform and such, all we would really need is one new pole. The utility company went out and inspected the sign and informed me that even though the pole is warped, it still can handle the load of the siren. I believe this Thunderbolt along with the others will be replaced this year so I'm sure they don't want to spend any money fixing it for a couple of month. Here's another install in town that's been there since the late 70's and it's still fine, no warping on leaning.

Unfortunate that they are being replaced, however, battery backup is always a plus! (Assuming you're getting it!)

When pole-mounting the siren, the blower is usually no more than a third of the way up the pole. This is how the majority of Thunderbolt setups I've seen were laid out however there's no strict level for blower height.
The manual actually does show a Thunderbolt with its blower near the top of the pole, so it appears this layout was factory approved. However, each contractor tended to do what they felt was right as opposed to regarding any strict instructions. This is how you get oddball setups like the two-pole layout. I always point to what's suggested in the manual since every method listed there would have been certified by Federal. No matter how it's set up, the Thunderbolt is a balancing act that takes much care and skill to really pull off.

If your town is really replacing the Thunderbolt siren, then I suppose it would be redundant to try and fix it. It's ultimately up to the town in regards to what will be done with the sirens.

SoundMaster 391 wrote:

stormsetter4 wrote:It's not that bad, trust me:


Currently trying either to move this one down lower or have more guy wires installed on it.

Why did the install the blower so far up there?

It was originally installed in another city on the roof of a building and it was a donor siren. Wasn't the best idea at the time, but it has held up considerably well in the 14 or so years it has been up in the air.

The Thunderbolt that still stands in the old neighborhood is a 2 pole set up that was installed in late 1966 early 1967...no issues what so ever....more stable than a lot of single pole T-bolts that I have seen over the years.....lot of offset weight to be putting on a single pole IMHO

I think the double pole mount is a better set up with area with high winds. I know it's a lot of wood and material for a Thunderbolt to double pole mount it but I like that style better.