Moss Lake Tx Sirens PHOTOS ADDED

[JasonC]

We managed to get it to run but it can't be run with a timer because of the static phase converter. The blower has to be started first, then the chopper then the rotator.

You should be able to put the static converter at the end of the circuit and everything should be fine to run off of the timer. As for the over voltage on the rotator motor, its the most likely culprit. I've never dealt with static converters before so that guy who built that one might want to come out and rewire it.

[Trey]

Excellent work Eric! I gotta see those things this summer.

[Castlevania2006]

How does it get activated? Radio or manual? without the timer they have to remember to shut it down or all your work would have been in vain.

[StonedChipmunk]

That would be quite bad... have it just running until it breaks. Ouch.

Nice Thunderbolts! They look brand-new - good job on the restoration.

I'd guess that the no-timer one would be manual, the timer one would be radio.

For some reason the pole seems too small. (The one attached to the actual siren part, that is. Not the wood one.) Plus, with the small clamps, it seems like there is a big risk for that thing to fall. And nobody here would want that Thunderbolt to have the same fate as the T-135 in the other post...

[CDV777-1]

Plus, with the small clamps, it seems like there is a big risk for that thing to fall.

I've been thinking about the clamps. I think I'm going to offer to make them some bigger clamps for the top of the poles. One for about a foot from the top and one for about 6 feet further down.

[Rory Buszka]

Is your phase converter rated to start the horsepower load of the motors it will be running? It seems like your phase converter may be large enough to 'run' the motors in question , but not to 'start' them. If the static converter freaks out when the motors present their starting load, it may make sense to use a rotary phase converter instead, since it would be too "dumb" to try and crank up the voltage extra-high. Then, just oversize the rotary phase converter by 1.25 or 1.5 for safety factor.

Here in West Lafayette, IN, there are some smaller sewage lift stations way out in the sticks that use rotary phase converters. They just use TEFC idlers and mount them to a concrete pad beside the control cabinet.

[Robert Gift]

Rory,

Xcel Energy does not want us to have three-phase at our fire station which has single-phase 240 V service.
I am hoping to bury 205 feet of cable to bring 3-phase from a privately owned sewage treatment plant to the station.

Would/could a rotary phase converter power our 10 hp 240 V Federal Signal 2t22A siren?

Cable costs less than $250. Rotary phase converter $1650.

Thanks,

[AllSafe]

Would/could a rotary phase converter power our 10 hp 240 V Federal Signal 2t22A siren?

Yeah, if you have a 15hp one. Make sure when you get it that it has power factor correction.

[CDV777-1]

Is your phase converter rated to start the horsepower load of the motors it will be running? It seems like your phase converter may be large enough to 'run' the motors in question , but not to 'start' them. If the static converter freaks out when the motors present their starting load, it may make sense to use a rotary phase converter instead, since it would be too "dumb" to try and crank up the voltage extra-high. Then, just oversize the rotary phase converter by 1.25 or 1.5 for safety factor.

I have no idea what it's rated for. Some guy that was involved in the deal made the thing and installed it. It starts the blower motor just fine. The more I read about static phase converters the more they look like to me to be just a short-cut way to get a 3 phase motor started. They aren't "converters" at all. They are just starters. The converter just makes the motor start by temporarily energizing the 3rd winding in the motor and then runs the motor on the other 2 windings. That's why they are only 2/3HP. As far as rotary converters go from what I've read they aren't much better unless it's a really good rotary converter. I looked at some on the net and I think they would have to lay out about $2k for a good rotary converter. From what little I know about it I think the problem is trying to start the 3ph motor and the 2 single phase motors at the same time. If it was hooked up with a single phase RCM panel with the converter between the RCM and the blower it would probably work fine. The thing is hooked up with the phase converter before the 3phase RCM now. If they did have a rotary convertor then they would have to start it up before the siren could be run anyway which would still be a manual type of operation. The thing runs ok now by starting the motors in sequence so I think that's what they will do for now. There is 3 phase power about 100 yards from this "phase converter siren" is located. The power company wanted $50 a month for service to the pole so they tried this single phase deal. For the price of a rotary converter they could just run the 3phase power and pay for service for a few years. I don't know what they are going to do.