The Siren Board

This proves you never know what you will find on a trash run. This is a 12-port bicycle siren I found at the county dump by accident (I almost ran over it). It was rusty and full of dirt but remarkably it still turned. I really don't know much about it but here is some pictures during and after restoration.

Parts disassembled and painted (chopper is still unpainted in pic)


Fully assembled and functioning. Note jagged edges on ports, I think it is for looks and has little effect on sound quality.


I think this went on a girl's bike, or a sissy.


View of the rotor and fan. 12 ports and is VERY high pitched.


I spun it up to 1750 RPMs via the belt on our air compressor and it was pretty loud. I'm afraid it will explode at 3450 RPM, since it is a two piece, non balanced design.

Looks like a Pearsons Majestic. All of them came unpainted.

Thanks, I had no idea who this thing was made by. It had no markings and was rusted pretty bad.

So, what else do you know about it?

I'm thinking of getting one. I'd like to hear that one before buying one.

I have no way of recording this but it sounds kind of like a Model A or L except much quieter.

holler wrote:I have no way of recording this but it sounds kind of like a Model A or L except much quieter.

Ok. But if you have speakers, plug them into the mic port and they'll act as mics.

Shinkansen wrote:

holler wrote:I have no way of recording this but it sounds kind of like a Model A or L except much quieter.

Ok. But if you have speakers, plug them into the mic port and they'll act as mics.

Powered speakers will not work for a mic; only passive. He'd be better off using a cheap set of headphones as a generic mic.

holler wrote:This proves you never know what you will find on a trash run. This is a 12-port bicycle siren I found at the county dump by accident...
Note jagged edges on ports, I think it is for looks and has little effect on sound quality.

I spun it up to 1750 RPMs via the belt on our air compressor and it was pretty loud.
I'm afraid it will explode at 3450 RPM, since it is a two piece, non balanced design.

How lucky. Wish I could find stuff like that.
Amazing how well they work.
I saw one for $45 at an antique store.
I believe the stator port teeth were to repel kids like me from sticking our fingers in and possibly getting hurt. Worked with me.

That lovely little device was designed to employ a clamp mount on the front fork of a bike, and a cable was employed to pull the spindle against the sidewall of the front tire.

It was best used going downhill on a bike with a 24 or 26" tire, because nobody wanted to peddle against the resistance the siren produced.

The original finish was either a copper or silver colored wash coating.

When properly employed one of those sirens could make a kid using it an outcast in a small town.

I believe those were made by a company called Persons.