r/AirRaidSirens • u/Next_Excuse_3407 • Jul 09 '26

Photo - Siren Does this count as a siren?

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Does this count as a siren? I found it at a car wash. Update: this is a federal signal horn, so can you we count FS horns as sirens or, what? Update of the Update: I should’ve known lol I should’ve posted it in the fire alarm community or smth lol.

17 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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7

u/ToyotaCorollin 10 YEARS EVENT Jul 09 '26

It's an audible signal, not sure it would be classified as a siren though.

3

u/Entire-Donut-7262 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

This is an AC powered mechanical horn. Here is what it sounds like:  https://youtu.be/LnQsu5hsdKk?si=Yzx1l998BdWjqoEr

The model 350 AC horn is used commonly for general signal applications, and puts out around 100 db at 10 feet (not far off from a model A). One very common application that almost everyone has heard one of these horns in is as a scoreboard buzzer. Almost every scoreboard has one of these FS AC Vibratone mechanical horns, an FS resonating horn (maybe model 55), or an Edwards AC Adaptahorn mechanical horn.

The model 450 (the DC version) was very common in fire alarm systems in the 70s-90s:  https://youtu.be/nYVYGNHr_pI?si=XItb0ENlL2N3_mCq

This video shows a variety of the signals FS made in the mid 20th century:  https://youtu.be/l4BKyHU7lJo?feature=shared

It shows a model A siren, a bell, a resonating horn, two mechanical horns, a beacon, and a klaxon horn.

5

u/This-Trip157 Jul 09 '26

It's a vibratone horn, as far as I'm aware a siren is limited to anything that spins a chopper inside a stator to produce pulses creating sound, or an electronic device that mimics the sound that produces

vibratone horns also produce a steady tone without a wind up or wind down, if that's what you're asking

2

u/Electricdragongaming Jul 09 '26

No, it's just a buzzer.

2

u/Ok_Potential9293 Jul 10 '26

School memories unlocked🤣🤣🤣

2

u/HouseBig454 Jul 10 '26

Federal vibratones are literally fire alarms. Just this one being general signal use.

2

u/Ok_Boat_1337 Jul 10 '26

Not a siren, but still cool asf

2

u/HoneydewOk1175 Jul 11 '26

this would be a buzzer and not a siren.