The Siren Board

So I am seeing a vast amount of people on here say that the 508 is the "direct" replacement of the Thunderbolt. I have not been able to find a production date on the 508... But what I have found is the 2001 was started in the 80s and used the same rotator as the thunderbolt. Where is everyone getting the 508 thing and could someone perhaps point me in the direction of the info on that?

coastalsyrolover wrote:So I am seeing a vast amount of people on here say that the 508 is the "direct" replacement of the Thunderbolt. I have not been able to find a production date on the 508... But what I have found is the 2001 was started in the 80s and used the same rotator as the thunderbolt. Where is everyone getting the 508 thing and could someone perhaps point me in the direction of the info on that?

Im just guessing on this one. But it might be that the 508 has a deeper pitch and the sound can travel further than the 2001? Im not sure but its worth a guess.

The 508 didn't come out until 2011 or 12. It was basically computer generated, which is why it looks so weird. It replaces nothing. It is an addition to Federal's outdoor warning siren lineup. It is based off of the Eclipse, which some say is a replacement for the STH-10. Which is very likely

The 2001 roundback came out in 1989, the same year the thunderbolt was discontinued. It absolutely was the thunderbolts replacement. And for good reason. Battery backup and a lot less maintenance. Up until 2003, it even used the thunderbolt rotator. If you ever get to see a pre SRN-B 2001 with the back cover off, inside there is basically a thunderbolt chopper tube.

I would be interested in seeing 2001 vs. thunderbolt sales figures. Did Federal sell more Thunderbolts in the same period as they have 2001's? It would be interesting to see. Granted a lot of areas that had thunderbolts as CD sirens now have no sirens at all.

Brendan Ahern wrote:The 508 didn't come out until 2011 or 12. It was basically computer generated, which is why it looks so weird. It replaces nothing. It is an addition to Federal's outdoor warning siren lineup. It is based off of the Eclipse, which some say is a replacement for the STH-10. Which is very likely

The 2001 roundback came out in 1989, the same year the thunderbolt was discontinued. It absolutely was the thunderbolts replacement. And for good reason. Battery backup and a lot less maintenance. Up until 2003, it even used the thunderbolt rotator. If you ever get to see a pre SRN-B 2001 with the back cover off, inside there is basically a thunderbolt chopper tube.

I would be interested in seeing 2001 vs. thunderbolt sales figures. Did Federal sell more Thunderbolts in the same period as they have 2001's? It would be interesting to see. Granted a lot of areas that had thunderbolts as CD sirens now have no sirens at all.

I thought bolt's officially stopped in the 90s? And yes it would! I have to say there would probably be more 2001s now adays. Although many Thunderbolts are also being restored... But comparing bolt's to 2001 I would personally say that cities that replace thunderbolts either end up replacing them with other sirens or nothing at all... Or a fire siren that could end up covering the whole town once the "alternatives" fail... Lol. But in all seriousness towns and cities here have both many modulators and 2001s. We have a few active thunderbolts in this area but not a whole bunch... We have quite a bit more modulators (Which removed all of the Thunderbolts in Wesport...) and some 2001s... But yea. I am sure you all get where I am going with that. Thanks everyone for shedding light on that!

Brendan Ahern wrote:It was basically computer generated, which is why it looks so weird. It replaces nothing.

The 2001 roundback came out in 1989, the same year the thunderbolt was discontinued.

Yes, it was designed in a CAD program to make the siren as efficient as possible. That projector design works miles better for that siren than the 2001's projector did for the Equinox. Speak of Equinox, the 508 was kind of a replacement for it, but not directly. The Equinox was sort of a prototype, it helped bridge the path between the 2001 and the 508. The Equinox is still offered, but it's a variant of the 2001 now, no longer independent like it had been in 2011 or so.

The last Thunderbolt was made and sold in either 1991 or 1992. IIRC, it was a C-series 1003.

I thought the last one was sold in 89? It was a C series 1003 that went somewhere in IL. From what I remember, the guys on the factory floor even signed the inside of the blower housing. They knew it was the last one.

Brendan is right.

When I was at the Federal plant back in June, we were talking to some engineers and they said that due to the number of Thunderbolts being replaced, they needed a siren that performed just as well which the 2001 does not. This is where the 508 came in. The 508 was designed as a replacement for the Thunderbolt, coverage wise. Obviously it wasn't the Thunderbolt's "successor", the 2001 was. Too bad they are about 10 years late, as basically every major city that had Thunderbolts have already replaced them with 2001s. (Chicago, Indy, Grand Rapids, Detroit, etc)

The Equinox was designed for a nuclear plant that wanted Federal but couldn't use the 2001 due to the 500hz requirement. It was basically something they whipped up in a few weeks so they wouldn't lose business to ASC.

Brendan Ahern wrote:I thought the last one was sold in 89? It was a C series 1003 that went somewhere in IL. From what I remember, the guys on the factory floor even signed the inside of the blower housing. They knew it was the last one.

Is that Thunderbolt still in IL or has been replaced already?

I have no idea. I never heard what town bought it.