Whelen X-Ecutor, wanna b Q siren

[SoundOff]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILaa6ThuqD8 this is just about as sick as it can get i like the 295 hfs better than this

Is it tied to his horn!

Dosen't look like that but it sounds like the camera's mic is dissorting and makeing a horn like sound or either the vibrations from the sound is causing someone's car alarm to activate.

[Whelen Rules]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILaa6ThuqD8 this is just about as sick as it can get i like the 295 hfs better than this

Is it tied to his horn!

I think it is tied into his horn if you listen really carefully everytime he revs up the siren the horn blows.

[Jim_Ferer]

An eQ with a brake? How ridiculous.

Asoon as possible, I switch off the siren.
The blessed silence allows you to hear the siren echo from homes and businesses needlessly annoyed.

Can't do that with mechanical sirens.

Robert, you worry too much about turning sirens and lights off. You might have a problem some day over not sounding a warning during a response. If your agency has a policy about when and how to use warning signals, be sure you are aware of it and following it. Some agencies have a detailed policy and some have none at all. The safety of you, your crew, your patients, and the public count for a whole lot more than anyone's annoyance.

[Robert Gift]

You're right, Jim.
But I don't worry about it.
Justry to be considerate and as quiet as possible.
Many sirens are constantly blared, needlesly bothering everyone.

Our 200 Watt 480K into TS100 speakers is REALLY efficient and LOUD. Makesome people wince. (Would be.ven worse if CP100s.)

We have a great written policy. Allowsiren to be sounded athe driver's discretion.
Colorado Revised Statutes reads: "... lights or siren..." (That "or" is a significant little word.)

But, if I have an accident and not ALL emergency equipment was operating, opposing counsel will bla.me.
So I only do this when safe to do so.

Also, this practice helps reinforce "Drive as if they don't hear the siren."
Vehicles being quieter and stereos better, many drivers may not hear a siren.

Reviewing a recent dash-cam recording, (a JVC camcorder secured to the dash) I was questioned for not sounding the siren at a major intersection during rushour. (I'm told to put it on Youtube for a vote!)

Crosstraffic had green left arrows.
I merely made a righturn on red without stopping. Why make noise and interruptraffic flow?
(We need to keep traffic moving and progressing as much as possible.)

Another advantage is that we can hear other sirens.
A responding Denver FD engine arrived from the right athe same intersection in which I would be turn left. I heard him before sounding the siren, so I was able to yield without causing a concern.

[Undertaker]

This sounds awfull

No, what does sounds awful are those old B & M sirens or those new Timberwolf sirens. They are mechanical but do not wind up very high. Federal has always been the standard by which others are/were compared. I remember seeing and hearing sirens made by Champion, Whelen, B&M, Sireno and all had a different sound not say one was better than the other but all somewhat different and also different from Federal. Federal Sign and Signal Corp had a contract with the only three hearse/ambulance companies to supply lights and sirens. Most supplies were model 28's until the latter 60's when the electronic sirens came into popularity. They were 58 watt sirens that could not be heard well outside in a wide open area so they were not effective from behind an automobile. I don't think that an electronic siren will ever be as effective as an old mechanical siren. As far as penitrating decibels go, they have the market cornered on them. As for the electronic sirens trying to memmick the real sirens, the Whelen in question at least has brush sounds from a rotor blade at startup. I cannot tell how high it charges as none of the sound clips are fully charged.[/quote]

[StonedChipmunk]

Although I'm only 14 years old and can't even drive yet (much less get a job as a police officer, firefighter, etc.), I still can't stress enough that it is best to ensure safety of others. Therefore, drive with normal lighting and siren (if emergency call). Never turn off the siren unless A.) you are in the middle of nowhere or B.) you're already there or C.) you have a better excuse.
Being courteous does not ensure safety. Sure, that mother of the baby might be happy that you turned off your siren before facing her and her child, but let's consider the options: have a happy mother, or prevent a total wreck at an intersection and getting to the incident on time.
I guarantee that the person who's house is on fire will be happier that you arrived on time than the mother.
Lights are an obvious story. I'm not going to get in another argument about EV lights, but remember this: leave them on.
Back to the siren...
I'm absolutely positive that if you got into a wreck and your siren was not on you would obvously be charged for that (and, chances are, lose). Intersections are the most dangerous part of roads... I don't understand why you would want to turn your siren off.
Now, about your "Drive as if they don't hear the siren" theory. I do realize your point here, but that only promotes good driving skills and leaving lights on. It doesn't say that you can turn your siren off. "Oh, sure, they can't hear the siren, so I'll just turn it off while I cross this intersec-" BAM... collision. Of course they can hear your siren. You say that you have a "200 Watt 480K into TS100 speakers" and it's "REALLY efficient and LOUD... makes some people wince." Now, I know cars aren't THAT soundproof. What would be the use for car horns if cars were soundproof? To warn pedestrians? Not really. Car horns are MUCH quieter than sirens, yet you can hear them all throughout cities across America.
How about, instead of "Drive as if they don't hear the siren", "Drive as if they don't see you"? Someone might not be able to see you coming up behind them with no siren/horns. Many drivers today don't pay attention at all to the road behind them. If you drive up behind someone, they might not notice that you're there until they get an earfull of a blasting siren.
And about the fact that "Many sirens are constantly blared, needlesly bothering everyone". Sure, I don't need to know that there's a firetruck two blocks away. One minute later I'm crossing an intersection... BOOM and I get instantly killed by a huge firetruck going at a good 40 MPH with no siren while running a red light.
Sirens make the road safer. They're not just there to have a switch in your dashboard and to add weight to your vehicle.
I agree with Jim. The safety of you/the public is MUCH more important than being courteous to other drivers.

[Whelen Rules]

Although I'm only 14 years old and can't even drive yet (much less get a job as a police officer, firefighter, etc.), I still can't stress enough that it is best to ensure safety of others. Therefore, drive with normal lighting and siren (if emergency call). Never turn off the siren unless A.) you are in the middle of nowhere or B.) you're already there or C.) you have a better excuse.
Being courteous does not ensure safety. Sure, that mother of the baby might be happy that you turned off your siren before facing her and her child, but let's consider the options: have a happy mother, or prevent a total wreck at an intersection and getting to the incident on time.
I guarantee that the person who's house is on fire will be happier that you arrived on time than the mother.
Lights are an obvious story. I'm not going to get in another argument about EV lights, but remember this: leave them on.
Back to the siren...
I'm absolutely positive that if you got into a wreck and your siren was not on you would obvously be charged for that (and, chances are, lose). Intersections are the most dangerous part of roads... I don't understand why you would want to turn your siren off.
Now, about your "Drive as if they don't hear the siren" theory. I do realize your point here, but that only promotes good driving skills and leaving lights on. It doesn't say that you can turn your siren off. "Oh, sure, they can't hear the siren, so I'll just turn it off while I cross this intersec-" BAM... collision. Of course they can hear your siren. You say that you have a "200 Watt 480K into TS100 speakers" and it's "REALLY efficient and LOUD... makes some people wince." Now, I know cars aren't THAT soundproof. What would be the use for car horns if cars were soundproof? To warn pedestrians? Not really. Car horns are MUCH quieter than sirens, yet you can hear them all throughout cities across America.
How about, instead of "Drive as if they don't hear the siren", "Drive as if they don't see you"? Someone might not be able to see you coming up behind them with no siren/horns. Many drivers today don't pay attention at all to the road behind them. If you drive up behind someone, they might not notice that you're there until they get an earfull of a blasting siren.
And about the fact that "Many sirens are constantly blared, needlesly bothering everyone". Sure, I don't need to know that there's a firetruck two blocks away. One minute later I'm crossing an intersection... BOOM and I get instantly killed by a huge firetruck going at a good 40 MPH with no siren while running a red light.
Sirens make the road safer. They're not just there to have a switch in your dashboard and to add weight to your vehicle.
I agree with Jim. The safety of you/the public is MUCH more important than being courteous to other drivers.

AMEN!!!!! The siren needs to be going at all times unless you have legitmate excuse to cut it off. Police cars are the only exception which sometimes have to make silent runs. I would much rather be bothered by a siren than witness a horrific wreck from one not being on. Theres an ordinance here that unless under special circumstances the siren(s) and lights have to be on at all time during an emergency run, the police are exempt from this for obvious resons. I think this is putting ridiculous and dangerous ideas saying to leave your siren off as much as possible. Always use your siren during an emergency run!

[Undertaker]

I'm not completely over the hill as I am only 53 and I was driving an ambulance with red light (s) and siren before most of you were born. Agreed that times have changed but I still occasionally test my skills by volunteering as a driver for our local ambulance service. As far as when to and when not to use a siren, I think common sense dictates that. Common sense? Hmmmmmm.

[Robert Gift]

I don't think that an electronic siren will ever be as effective as an old mechanical siren. As far as penitrating decibels go, they have the market cornered on them. As for the electronic sirens trying to memmick the real sirens, the Whelen in question at least has brush sounds from a rotor blade at startup. I cannot tell how high it charges as none of the sound clips are fully charged.

The problem with mechanical sirens is that they do not put out the highest dB output until at the highest RPM.
Thelectronic will put out a uniform peak output athe lower frequencies which carry further and penetrate vehicles better.

Also, many tend to keep the Q peaked, which often makes it not even recognizeable as a siren.

Electronics are better: P.A., Wail and Yelp, and more polite Hi-Lo, can be silenced instantly, much less power consumption and weight, and speakers can be aimed where sound is most effective, not spreading everywhere unneeded.

[Undertaker]

Robert, I've had both. As for best attention getter, the mechanical siren has proven far superior. I will agree about the decibels not peaking until at full rotation but hey, it's there to get someone's attention and it will penetrate almost anything with shock and awe and not necessarily a Q either. The G, 28, 66, etc were all effective when properly placed in a vehicle. This is only my oppinion but it has been time tested.