The Siren Board

Does anyone have photos of sirens rendered inoperable due to lightning strikes or other power surges? I'm curious as to what kind of damage is done to motors/windings,etc from power surges such as lightning. Sirens taken apart with physical damage, burned windings etc. Do any of these beasts exist? if anyone has stories/photos ,please list them here.This might make a good sticky.

I remember a few years ago a T-128 in North Omaha, Nebraska was struck by lightning and activated in attack mode. You could hear it loud and clear and it must have stayed on for 20+ minutes in continuous attack.

Here is a video that Jeb (Blue10AEMia) posted on YouTube of a P-15 that was struck by lightning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2roGJ4YAruM

The windings of my 2T22 I got from WSS The motor is toast all burnt up
Not going to be rewound either going to be junked. Both 2 3T22's motor's check out OK

I also had a 3T22 that had a Marathon motor on it that was struck by lighting it also took out one of the solenoids on the top damper it melted the solenoid and locked the damper in the open position it was really hard to get that damper and solenoid off.

Wow Great stuff guys! Man! the damage that lightning can do.Depending on installation,like a wooden pole, if siren were properly grounded for lightning strikes do any of you think that damage like this can be averted ?Please keep the carnage coming!!!

hobbeekid wrote:if siren were properly grounded for lightning strikes do any of you think that damage like this can be averted

No, as the siren itself would still form a part of the circuit. The only way to avoid lightning strikes is to direct them away from the siren, either by surrounding landscape or by lightning rods.

Archon wrote:I also had a 3T22 that had a Marathon motor on it that was struck by lighting it also took out one of the solenoids on the top damper it melted the solenoid and locked the damper in the open position it was really hard to get that damper and solenoid off.

I think I recall seeing this solenoid myself at Red Arrow Siren Services


It is quite bizzare what a bolt of lightning can do, bend around corners, touch one thing but not the others, blow wires but not breakers, weird stufff all in all.

Here's an Iowa City Press-Citizen article and a KCRG News story about a siren in North Liberty, IA which was struck by lightening the other day. It appears the strike caused the siren to activate then malfunction.

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20 ... nado-siren

The KCRG story provides a picture as well.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Lighteni ... 55554.html

I think this is the result of an indirect lightning strike (high voltage, high power pulse in the power supply).

The siren itself and its control box should be a faraday cage, so the current of the lightning strike should flow through the siren's metal case and the earth connection to the ground.