Suggestions for the newbie hobbyist, redux

[paul_c]

restarting thread. Trying not to beat a dead horse but let me take this in a slightly different direction:

Looking for a siren that loosely meets these criteria

--single phase (I could do 3-ph but that is going to be work/$/limits my location)
--let's say something less than 200 lbs or so (so far we have 2/2T; 2v8)
--something I could run w/o a motor starter or controller (in my mind, I see using a NEMA L14-30 plug into my home 220v outlet. I'm not sure how people commonly power up)--could somebody comment on a simple electrical hookup? (don't want a permanent/direct wiring situation)--so how do people connect to 220v? a plug into an outlet? And how important are starter motors? It seems like these are required for larger units, so might not apply to me? And timers seem to be simple things to get current to go on and off to get various modes (like Attack mode), am I correct?
Sorry if this is too much for one thread.

[Mark N]

Don't forget about the Model A, D, J, and other smaller sirens. I don't know how big a 3v8 is going to be; maybe even the smaller Sentry sirens could be a good start too, but once again, I'm not 100% sure.

[paul_c]

Don't forget about the Model A, D, J, and other smaller sirens. I don't know how big a 3v8 is going to be; maybe even the smaller Sentry sirens could be a good start too, but once again, I'm not 100% sure.

Oh I thought those were vehicle-mounted sirens but I guess not. Haven't seem much about those. The 3v8 I'm pretty sure is big and heavy

[Chem_Boffin_6589]

The 3v8 shouldn't be heavy, though. It's a good start, at 108 Db at 100 ft, the sound does carry quite far for its size (I think). But please don't take my word for it.

[Sirenguy02]

You were correct with the A, D, and J being vehicle mounted sirens. They are definitely not bad sirens to start out with. I got lucky and my dad found one in a factory where they were installing a crane and got it for free. You can sometimes find them for free, or pretty cheap on ebay.

[Crazywarriorman]

There's nothing wrong with starting small, most of us have.

[Daniel]

One place you can look is around older fire stations. Quite often, an old siren sits out back or in storage after having been removed or replaced. An old pole or tower with a newer siren on it or an empty shelf or bracket is an indicator that an old siren may lurk nearby. Ask the people in charge, and they might be glad to get rid of it for little or no charge. It may have serious damage, but that adds to the enjoyment of restoration.

[paul_c]

One place you can look is around older fire stations. Quite often, an old siren sits out back or in storage after having been removed or replaced. An old pole or tower with a newer siren on it or an empty shelf or bracket is an indicator that an old siren may lurk nearby. Ask the people in charge, and they might be glad to get rid of it for little or no charge. It may have serious damage, but that adds to the enjoyment of restoration.

Good clues to look for, thanks!