I live a half mile from a Whelen Vortex and I can tell you its loud enough I can hear it in my house with the windows up and the air conitioner going. The Whelen Vortex R-4 can reach lengths of over 2 miles in fact Whelen has told me that they cover 4 square miles. So don't criticize Whelens or any other Electronic siren because of the sine wave they produce. I have been 100 feet from a Vortex and it was so loud I had to cover my ears ( no hearing protection) my ears were ringing for 5 minutes afterwards. We have 7 Vortex R-4s in Tullahoma and they cover the whole city and even up to several miles outside of the city limits. Whelens are the most effective Electronic siren produced today due to integrity when designing and building them they utilize a low tone which is known to carry further. So I personally know that Whelens are just as loud and just as effective as a mechanical siren as I have heard a T-128 tested and I must say our Vortexes are louder!SirenMadness wrote:Most electronic sirens today produce a sine wave, the most simplest wave in its profile known. The mechanical sirens produce a square wave, a wave composed of much sharper alterations in the vibration fluctuations of the medium. While the energy of the sound does matter to one's safety of hearing, the type of wave determines the speed of hearing-loss. You'd much find a blast of (130) Decibels of sine waves less deteriorating than a blast of (130) Decibels of square or sawtooth waves, because a sine wave spreads its energy out more smoothly than a square or sawtooth wave; square or sawtooth waves have a much straighter and angular scope of particle movement, in the sense of the shape of the wave. It is no wonder that mechanical sirens can be heard through obstacles much easier than some electronic sirens.
I even recall Brent Wilcox stating that Whelens are not that loud, on his site. But there are plenty of Whelen Vortex series that are on high poles, some poles higher than the ones of some Thunderbolts.
Other than for the acoustical properties of some Whelens today, the only reasons for them being on shorter poles is for economical efficiency.
Those poles are pretty significant.
Not that I have anything against Whelen, or "Electronic" in general, but 4 square miles should equate to about a linear mile from the siren. Think of (4) 1 mile x 1 mile squares together forming a 2 mile x 2 mile square ( a circle is more realistic), with the siren in the middle. It's not really more than the ratings for a 2001.SirenMadness wrote:I am in no way criticizing electronic sirens. I'd prefer a Vortex over a 2001, of any series, or a T-128, in some instances, any day.
But sine waves are easier on most people, though, and do not cause too much wear too quickly on the cells of an electronic siren; that's a major advantage.
Elliott wrote:Not that I have anything against Whelen, or "Electronic" in general, but 4 square miles should equate to about a linear mile from the siren. Think of (4) 1 mile x 1 mile squares together forming a 2 mile x 2 mile square ( a circle is more realistic), with the siren in the middle. It's not really more than the ratings for a 2001.SirenMadness wrote:I am in no way criticizing electronic sirens. I'd prefer a Vortex over a 2001, of any series, or a T-128, in some instances, any day.
But sine waves are easier on most people, though, and do not cause too much wear too quickly on the cells of an electronic siren; that's a major advantage.
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