Is there such a thing as a hybrid siren?

[Mister_Penetrator]

I know that this may be a ridiculous question, but is there a siren out there that is a cross between a mechanical and electronic siren? (I don't mean electromechanical siren and having a mechanical siren and electronic siren sitting next to each other doesn't count )

[Chad]

Some people may consider a rotating electronic siren to be hybrid, being that the rotation mechanism is electromechanical. I'm sure they may be better examples, but what is "hybrid" depends on your opinion.

[SirenMadness]

But if a siren were to be hybrid, the two different working-principles inside the siren would be integrated for the same use; an ordinary car has electrical equipment, but the electric power isn't solely used for propulsion, along with the engine.

For a siren to be hybrid, you'd need a mechanical device making the noise, with an amplifier amplifying it to a speaker. I've read about this type of siren on the Whelen site, at the Q&A section.

[Midwest Siren]

Imagine a T-128 or a T-bolt's sound amplified. A T-135 or a Chrysler siren. That would be way too loud.

[Elliott]

Although the idea sounds kinda cool, it doesnt seem practical. The main advantage, in my humble opinion, is that mechanical sirens with choppers manipulate the air better in the generation of sound energy than a speaker, or combination of, are capable of. I admire the hyperbolic design of the Fed Sig Modulators as far as omnidirectionality, but a diaphragm can only move so much air. And even with tuned ducting such as in hi-fi speaker systems which do improve efficiency, a chopper mechanism is a whole different animal.

Now what my imagination runs with is, and this would have to most likely be small scale, but use precision stepper motors with a fast response "braking" function. In theory, a siren of this type could perform a whoop tone, yelp, or something similar. If the transition of acceleration could be reduced electronically, that could create options of some interesting sounds. Just an idea, and technically, it could be called "hybrid".

[AllSafe]

The Altec Giant Voice, which was designed for military bases back in the 1950s, used an electromechanical tone generator to produce its siren tone.

[Nelso90]

Didn't it use a motor driven wheel, to modulate an electric signal to the speakers?

[AllSafe]

Didn't it use a motor driven wheel, to modulate an electric signal to the speakers?

I don't know, It's entirely possible, though, that would work very well.