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archizackture
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8/8 Port Sterling M-10? Rarity? Date of manufacture?

Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:15 am

So I live in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia where we have a Sterling M-10 for routine 911 calls (three 20-second cycles for fire, 30 seconds alert for EMS) in addition to weather warnings (3 minutes attack).

The siren is mounted very high up on a 4-story elevator shaft where its stators are impossible to view, but since 8/16 port Sterlings seem to be relatively common, I always thought this one was also 8/16, based on its prominent approx. 432hz tone and the gruff nature of its sound. However, it was suggested to me that this siren may actually be 8/8 port. At first I was skeptical because I hadn't heard of an 8/8 port Sterling before, but now I think it may be true. I listened more closely and couldn't discern much of a high tone. I listened to and compared some dual-rotor 8/16 and 8/8 Sentry sirens such as the 10V2T and 10V1T, and the Sterling definitely sounds to me more like the 8/8 Sentrys than the 8/16 ones. What are your all's thoughts on this? Is there any documentation of Sterling making 8/8 port M-10s?

Another thing I'm wondering about is its date of installation. This article claims it was installed in 1921, which seems very early to me, but I'm not all that familiar with Sterling's history. What can you all tell me?
EDIT: I just found some sources online saying the M models began in the 1910s. So looks like 1921 is not an unplausible date, but geez that's old! I suppose being in continuous use has really kept it in shape.

Thanks

Here's a recording of the siren from a window in my house. Please ignore the ugly weathersealing, haha.

Image
Architecture preservationist. I enjoy obscure history and mapping things, and grew up around sirens. Not planning to own one.
West Virginia State-wide & Western Maryland Siren Map

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DJ2226
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Re: 8/8 Port Sterling M-10? Rarity? Date of manufacture?

Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:17 am

They do exist. It seems that they were not as commonly ordered as the 16/16 port units when single tone was requested. Here's a video of one. The siren starts in a short alert @ 5:10.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMcc5dSIQcw
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Re: 8/8 Port Sterling M-10? Rarity? Date of manufacture?

Wed Nov 27, 2019 5:12 am

DJ2226 wrote:
Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:17 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMcc5dSIQcw
That looks like a one-sided sterling, doesn't look dual headed so it wouldn't really be possible for dual tone

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archizackture
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Re: 8/8 Port Sterling M-10? Rarity? Date of manufacture?

Wed Nov 27, 2019 5:38 am

Juicey Juice wrote:
Wed Nov 27, 2019 5:12 am
DJ2226 wrote:
Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:17 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMcc5dSIQcw
That looks like a one-sided sterling, doesn't look dual headed so it wouldn't really be possible for dual tone
Had to look closely at it, but it's definitely dual-headed, one of the stator hoods is just missing. There's actually an inactive single-headed Sterling on another building in Berkeley Springs, and it looks completely different from the one in the video (note that this one is also missing its stator hood).

Image

anyway, today I heard the Berkeley Springs siren from a different angle than usual and I heard much more of a higher tone, so now I'm wondering if it really is 8/16. What I'd like to do is get a drone up there to take a close-up photo.
Architecture preservationist. I enjoy obscure history and mapping things, and grew up around sirens. Not planning to own one.
West Virginia State-wide & Western Maryland Siren Map

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Re: 8/8 Port Sterling M-10? Rarity? Date of manufacture?

Wed Nov 27, 2019 5:54 pm

The videos of single tone sterlings (the 2 sent) I hear a higher tone than the "8-port" tone your hearing. Might just be a case of where it's being recorded, because to me both sound like 8/16 port rotors.

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