The Siren Board

Stormsetter4 wrote:

Synther wrote:How about this? It sounds like it has a damper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID_9a-VBVgE

Yes, that siren has a damper.

Either that, or something is blocking the intake...

I would like to see some good close-ups of that siren's intake assembly. The rotor coasts down much slower than usual, a typical sign that the air intake is clogged. The same effect happens if a solenoid damper is partially shut which will also block airflow. Without a good photo showing what the intake looks like, it's impossible to really tell if this Penetrator really has a damper valve or if it's just another one that needs an intake enema.
The siren also appears to be running backward, which will not only kill off the sound output but it will sound flatter than usual.

Don't get me wrong - until today I had no idea the older Penetrators could be ordered with a damper valve, especially given the mass of disputed and mistaken claimed sightings. Until we see what this siren's intake looks like, I'd rather not jump to any conclusion. On the other hand if it does have a damper then it'd be one of the least common siren variations out there in the wild.

Stormsetter4 wrote:

Synther wrote:How about this? It sounds like it has a damper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID_9a-VBVgE

Yes, that siren has a damper.

I found 2 other videos of it, one with the "damper" closed and then "open".

Closed/clogged weekly test: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBv0UqoDuMI

Damper/obstruction open/cleared: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-OAcE-z0NQ

It's as if a dark sinister shadow had to stain itself in every video that features the elusive creature: the penumbral Penetrator.
Oh, but will we ever know if its clogged call is that of a damaged damper or a blended bird's nest? Or perhaps... a mangled McDouble from the leftovers of March? Such woe for the community lest we might know nonce of this strange sound's setup.

"Updated!"

Actually here's a Streetview photo of the siren. There's something in or going across the intake but I can't see it clearly to confirm.
Its original location at a fire station would have made it an ideal candidate for using the auxiliary pulsed signal for fire calls.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0208488 ... 312!8i6656

https://www.thesirenboard.com/forums/vi ... =2&t=17613
I also found this old thread which had photos of Memphis' sirens including some Penetrator 15s. One of the other P-15s has, indeed, invariably, shockingly, what looks like a solenoid damper flap inside the intake. No mesh screen stitch, no stabilizers, an actual rounded damper plate. Credit goes to Loukycheckinin for the photo.
http://www.trocks797.com/extra/sirens/memphis/s702s.jpg

It never occurred to me that the Penetrators were offered with damper valves because previous examples purported as such had been misidentified, I had seen no such thing myself, and didn't have the literature on hand which told otherwise. Just when you think you've seen them all, an odd one turns up when you least expect it. I'll admit I like getting to see examples of these sirens as opposed to just being told about them so I'm glad someone had a decent photo on hand.

Also because it was brought up earlier, here is Mason City's Banshee 110 with the 10-12 rotor. Credit to Troy Sundt for the photo.

Jake_7367 wrote:

Stormsetter4 wrote:

Synther wrote:How about this? It sounds like it has a damper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID_9a-VBVgE

Yes, that siren has a damper.

I found 2 other videos of it, one with the "damper" closed and then "open".

Closed/clogged weekly test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBv0UqoDuMI

Damper/obstruction open/cleared: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-OAcE-z0NQ

If you pause it on the open video at 1:19 you can clearly see something to the left that looks like a solenoid box.

The other key to look for is an extra wire coming out of the platform base and going into the main conduit box. This would be the solenoid's wire.

SuperBanshee wrote:The other key to look for is an extra wire coming out of the platform base and going into the main conduit box. This would be the solenoid's wire.

Is that what can be seen in the video with the damper open?

A few more questions:
What is the HP rating of the motor in the 2001-130, 508, ASC T-128 and T-135 DC?
Also, what is the HP rating of the chopper motor in the Thunderbolt 1000t and ACA Hurricane?

So I punched in some numbers and came up with some HP ratings. Before we start, just to elaborate a little bit. 1 HP is equal to 746W. Watts (P) are equal to the voltage times the current or amps (P=V x I). You then take the total power or watts and divide it by 746 to get the horsepower. All of the following were punched in and it gives the general HP for each motor.
T-128 - 48VDC @ 112 amps = 7.21 hp
T-135 - 72VDC @ 108 amps = 10.4 hp
2001-130 - 48VDC @ 100 amps = 6.4 hp
508 - 48VDC @ 115 amps = 7.4 hp

SuperBanshee wrote:This photo turned up in a search, showing a dual tone Banshee with damper however its shroud is absent.

Nice to see my photo there.

Just to throw this out there...I remember a big stink over what that thing even was. Interesting that it ended up being something that odd...

I'd love to hear it in action. I think it could still be active.