Federal Model C3 1/2...how do i get it working?

[fammer570]

Hey everyone.

New to the board, forgive me if this has been discussed already.
And also forgive me as my knowledge of these sirens is sub par.

I have an old Federal Signal Fire whistle/air raid siren that has been sitting on my property since since around the late 40's or early 50's and has been turned off since the early 90's.

I'm looking into possibly getting it working again.

Here's what i got off of it.

The silver box that has a reset button:
Type: "RC5-1"
M.P.: "5"
S.N.: "BF1101"
Volts: 220
Cycle: 50
Phase: 1
Amps: 56

The rusted box that has "Test" and "Alarm" buttons:
Model: "Z220"
S.N.: 8L30C68

All I can make out from the siren on top is:
"C 3 1/2"

And the pics....




i don't have a shot of the siren itself but this is pretty close to it...


From another forum i was told that it is a Federal Electric "C 3 1/2" siren.

So with that said...what are the steps i should take to get it up and running again?

I believe they disconnected it just by cutting the power wire...however I'm not sure.

Thanks for your help!!!

[zetronist]

That's a Federal Model 5 ("5 HP" Siren).

John

[500AT]

Considering that the siren has been inactive for around 15 years, you're going to need to do the following:

• 1. Determine what shape the siren motor and bearings are in. Also, what phase current it's designed to run on.
  2. Find out if the motor can be removed and taken to a shop to have its brushes and other components rebuilt.
  3. Take the RC5 Motor Starter apart, clean and replace any bad parts.
  4. Do the same for the PGA Timer.
  5. Check the wiring from the power source to the siren, replace if needed.
  6. Sand blast any rust, and repaint the siren to a color of your choice.

Anyone else, who has practical experience with outdoor siren restorations got any further ideas?

[Cyrun]

It look's like the plate on the siren is single phase.

[JasonC]

I posted this on the eLightbars.org forum, I'll repost it here for all to see:

You have a Federal Electric "C 3 1/2" siren, which was the precursor to the "Model 5" type sirens. Your siren was manufactured in the late 40's, and is extremely heavy due to it's solid iron construction. Your siren timer (the buttons) is a PGA type timer, and should sound 2 minutes of a wailing signal. The RC5 starter is an indoor only starter, and is not weather resistant

These sirens are simple, and it wont take much to get it running. First, check the bearings (there are two of them). CAREFULLY spin the rotor, it should spin freely and take a minute or more to stop. The bearings in this siren are very robust and are probably fine (in which you don't need to worry about anything). However, if it doesn't spin freely, you will need to pack fresh high quality grease into the bearings. To reach the bearings, you will need to disassemble the siren, which can range form not bad to nearly impossible (if you do disassemble the siren, take an extra couple of minutes and clean out the inside of the motor assembly).

Next, check the brushes. There should be two (possibly 4....2 sets of 2) brushes on either side of motor. Unscrew and remove them. Most likely, they will be worn down. A local motor shop should have replacements, if not, Federal should be of help (though they may be only familiar with the "model 5" nomenclature).

Good luck and post some pics!

[fammer570]

Ok so i got up with the siren and was trying to figure it out when my friend and i quickly realized it was going to be close to impossible to work on it up where it is, 30 or so feet up. So we were brainstorming ways of taking it down...and came up with none. Any ideas? Keep it mind this thing weighs on our best guess 250-300 lbs, and i have no access to any type of cranes or machinery. The only things i have are 2-100 ft ropes and a car as an anchor. My best guess is to disassemble it up there...i.e. taking the aluminum cone off, then disconnecting the wires and taking the actual siren down.

Once this step is completed i can move the siren inside where its nice and warm

So. Any ideas?

And Jason i pm'ed u over there as well

[JasonC]

If its up in the air....leave it! Anything short of a crane or a ladder/bucket truck isn't going to work. It probably weighs closer to 500lbs.

Basically, I would take the housing off (it's attached at the top eye bolt) and just check the brushes (which probably need replacing). If its been up in the air for that long, chances are the bearings are fine. As for the controls, I'd check and redo the wiring. Also, a light sanding and paint job for all components is probably best as well.

After checking the brushes, sound off a test blast, and you should be good to go!

[thunderbolt69]

That's a Federal Model 5 ("5 HP" Siren).

John

If you were talking abouth the one in the photo it would be a 5T.

[fammer570]

yea i guess ill leave it up there. and as for the picture....thats just one i found off the net...something that looked close to mine. I have a c 3 1/2.

As for the power..... u was looking at it yesterday and all the wiring seems to be fine...except the main power line (from the telephone poles) was cut. What would you suggest to get it powered up?

[Cyrun]

Is your local FD volunteer? Maybe if they are, and have a aerial device, they would remove it. I realize this is on your property, but what was it used for or who controlled it up to the 90's?