Whelen 3016 wooped and then shut off. What could be wrong?

[FedTB]

Thanks to Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression Isaac, we've gotten some severe weather here in the St. Louis metro area today, which has included several Tornado Warnings. Here in St. Charles County where I live we've already had 2 Tornado Warnings. This is the first time in 15 years that we've lived here that I've been home and had the sirens go off twice hours apart for seperate Tornado Warnings. It was kind of strange.

A little while ago I was over at the house of some people that I know who happen to have a Whelen 3016 practically in their back yard, since it backs up to a main road where the siren is. The 3016 is literally about 25-30 or so feet from their sundeck. So I jokingly asked them if "that thing" (the 3016) is loud, since it would've went off twice today. They said that it's broken, that it started to go off today, but it wooped once and continued to rotate but made no more sound. The husband said he's going to contact the police department to let them know it's not working.

So what would cause it to woop and then make no more sound? Blown drivers or amplifier? Or???

I'm hoping that this siren gets replaced with a Whelen WPS-2906 or '07, since this is what our city's been purchasing over the past few years. BTW, the 3016 in question is 20 years old, at least.

[EL1998P71]

Could be that the controller is just bad.
it is on Whelen controls?
When my city had whelen controls on their 3016's being from 1988 they either didn't work or had short signals (wail)but still rotated

[FedTB]

Yep, it has Whelen controls. I didn't even consider the electronics in the control box as possibly being the cause. Right away I'm thinking that it was the drivers or amplifier in the horn as being the culprit.

I don't know if a repair tech has even serviced the siren yet. I would hope so by now, since we're expecting strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and into the early evening.

[Keeshah]

How close together were the two tornado warnings?

As Columbus Ohio found out, from the Whelen techs, since it not in the manual.
Whelens can sound for 5 mins max, then have to rest 20 plus minutes to cool down. Before they can be sounded again..
If you don't give them that 20+ min cool down, the speaker drivers blow if you try to sound them again.

[Busgeek71]

How close together were the two tornado warnings?

As Columbus Ohio found out, from the Whelen techs, since it not in the manual.
Whelens can sound for 5 mins max, then have to rest 20 plus minutes to cool down. Before they can be sounded again..
If you don't give them that 20+ min cool down, the speaker drivers blow if you try to sound them again.

Whelens have a 15 minute duty cycle, and it would be obvious if a driver goes out, since it typically squeals when it does. I'd say aging amplifiers or controller is the culprit.

[FedTB]

The Tornado Warnings were about 3 or 4 hours apart.

I would hope that by now the siren has been repaired, since it's been over 3 weeks since this happened.