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3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 9:59 pm
by MysteryTexan75
Can anyone clear up whether ACA ever made any Hurricanes with solenoids or provide proof of existence? I have heard some people say that a coded model was offered but never sold, while other users say a single one was shipped to a supposed showroom in South Africa.
(Also If anyone can provide photos of a 3 signal ACA hurricane and the solenoid mechanism, that would be even better.)
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 3:10 pm
by dallemations
heres a video on the topic.
https://youtu.be/sYo2ewJbqMc
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 8:29 pm
by WillamsH28
That's a kiddie video without any information
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 2:06 am
by traintraveler
MysteryTexan75 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 27, 2023 9:59 pm
Can anyone clear up whether ACA ever made any Hurricanes with solenoids or provide proof of existence? I have heard some people say that a coded model was offered but never sold, while other users say a single one was shipped to a supposed showroom in South Africa.
(Also If anyone can provide photos of a 3 signal ACA hurricane and the solenoid mechanism, that would be even better.)
I don’t have any photos of the mechanism but ACA did indeed produce coded Hurricanes. I may be mixing things up here but one was apparently installed in Milwaukee? They were also mentioned in the manual.
Speaking of the South African unit, an old article of it appeared recently:

- received_672036154814835.jpeg (206.97 KiB) Viewed 13041 times
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 2:09 am
by traintraveler
That video is from a notorious siren “kiddie” known as Eric Toff. He’s been spreading misinfo for quite a while now, even going so far as to photoshopping fake photos of Thunderbolts in the Philippines.
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 1:17 am
by Someone22
traintraveler wrote: ↑Tue Aug 29, 2023 2:06 am
MysteryTexan75 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 27, 2023 9:59 pm
Can anyone clear up whether ACA ever made any Hurricanes with solenoids or provide proof of existence? I have heard some people say that a coded model was offered but never sold, while other users say a single one was shipped to a supposed showroom in South Africa.
(Also If anyone can provide photos of a 3 signal ACA hurricane and the solenoid mechanism, that would be even better.)
I don’t have any photos of the mechanism but ACA did indeed produce coded Hurricanes. I may be mixing things up here but one was apparently installed in Milwaukee? They were also mentioned in the manual.
Speaking of the South African unit, an old article of it appeared recently:
This is a legendary find, I'm happy to see a photo of this thing finally exists despite the quality of it.
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 1:02 am
by Mr. Hurricane2024
Someone22 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 1:17 am
traintraveler wrote: ↑Tue Aug 29, 2023 2:06 am
MysteryTexan75 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 27, 2023 9:59 pm
Can anyone clear up whether ACA ever made any Hurricanes with solenoids or provide proof of existence? I have heard some people say that a coded model was offered but never sold, while other users say a single one was shipped to a supposed showroom in South Africa.
(Also If anyone can provide photos of a 3 signal ACA hurricane and the solenoid mechanism, that would be even better.)
I don’t have any photos of the mechanism but ACA did indeed produce coded Hurricanes. I may be mixing things up here but one was apparently installed in Milwaukee? They were also mentioned in the manual.
Speaking of the South African unit, an old article of it appeared recently:
This is a legendary find, I'm happy to see a photo of this thing finally exists despite the quality of it.
Can anyone explain to me what part of the siren this is and where the solenoid is in that picture. ( I might be totally wrong about where it is because the quality isn't good.) I am making/3D printing a 1/2 scale of a Hurricane 130.
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 2:28 am
by HDN
Mr. Hurricane2024 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 1:02 am
Can anyone explain to me what part of the siren this is and where the solenoid is in that picture. ( I might be totally wrong about where it is because the quality isn't good.) I am making/3D printing a 1/2 scale of a Hurricane 130.
It looks like a Mk. 1 Hurricane or whatever the square-horned version is called. The blower box is the bottom half of the picture. The blower pipe leads up to what looks like a rotator, and then the chopper with a square horn. I can't pick out any obvious coding mechanism.
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 4:49 pm
by Mr. Hurricane2024
Now that you say that, I can see it. The square horned version is the Hurricane 130 MKI, Not the MKII (the circle horned)
Re: 3 signal ACA Hurricane question
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2024 9:42 pm
by NahIDee
From an ACA signal timer manual, found in a 1981 Banshee 115 starter cabinet at WSS.
The solenoids used on the Hurricane were made by Trombetta, which was located near Mequon. Unfortunately, nobody really knows how exactly they were setup in the siren.