My Thunderbolt, new Info 3-31-09 see page 7

[EL1998P71]

This tells me it is an event counter indicating the siren was tested twice a month --
If twice a month over, say, 48 years = 1152 tests
Plus some actual warning activations and some extra tests, 38 activations over 48 years is reasonable, brings total to 1190.

If tested monthly = 576 -not enough tests to explain 1190 operations over 50 years.

If minutes, 1190 = 19.8 hours.
I would expect the roots blower and other components to last far longer than 20 hours.

If monthly 3-minute tests, 1190 minutes = 396.6 tests which indicates the siren was in service only 33 years. (Installed 1975)
If 2-minute monthly tests = 595 tests = 49.6 years (Installed late 50s)

OR:--it is a minute counter showing 49 years of of 2-minute monthly tests with a small number of actual warnings.

Excellent info!!
Wonder if Federal can tell me based on the serial number?

[Robert Gift]

I sent Federal Signal our 2t22 serial number.
They did not keep records or keep them well enough to even tell what decade she was made.
Hopefully the Thunderbolt is different.

Does it have their newer FS logo? When did they start that logo?

Will be fun to learn if my conjecture is even close to reality.

[JasonC]

The counter just counts the number of times the radio decoder has triggered a function on the AR timer. This includes cancel as well, but thats rarely ever used.

Its a good way to get an estimate on how long your siren has run in it's total lifetime.

# on counter x 3 = how many minutes your siren has ran.

[Robert Gift]

59.5 hours!

It must be documenting one test activation and cancel per month.
Otherwise, at 12 activations per year, it equals 99.1 years!
One activation AND cancel = 49 years, which seems like a resonable life.

Do all siren controllers have such counters?
Would be nice to use to determine lubrication frequencies.

A pipe organ blower motor burned out when it's lubrication schedule was not increased with increased use of the organ.

Thanks, Jason

[AllSafe]

LUBRICATE TWICE YEARLY WITH SAE 30 NON-DETERGENT OIL.

That is what most motors which have wick oilers say on them. How big are those blower motors?

An air mover I am currently working on has a 1 1/2 hp Fairbanks-Morse 3-phase motor with permanently lubricated ball bearings. Large 184-frame fully enclosed motor which runs at 1725 rpm. It dates to the mid-40s.

[Robert Gift]

Love those old motors. They look so heavy, crude and exposed.
I assume their bearings are far beyond their designed life expectancy.

I'd hate to spend the money to travel to and lubricate Thunderbolts which operate only 18 minutes per 6 months. (Although as a labor of love I'd gladly give them TLC on my own time.)
Does the lubrication oxidize necessitating lubing once a year?

I feel a little frustrated that there is nothing I can do to our 2t22A to clean or lubricate her bearings. But I don't ever want to remove her rotors from their shafts.

[AllSafe]

This one is actually fully enclosed with fan openings on the bottoms of the front and rear housings. The bearings, though slightly noisy, are still in excellent shape. It came off an air compressor which was used for over forty years in a technical school auto shop.

[Conky 2000]

Oh....my....gosh! Even Garland, Texas left their Thunderbolts in better shape than that-- after sitting by a water tower for over 10 years! (Look on Brent Willcox's site.) That blower looks like someone put an Oreo smoothie in there on test day!

[Nelso90]

Garland never had T-Bolts...

[EL1998P71]

It's been awhile since I posted pics of my progress. But here's what I've gotten done.

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