Federal Interceptor, 1963

[500AT]

Here is a photo that I think you will all enjoy:



Starting in the spring of 1963, the Detroit Fire Department began replacing their mechanical "coaster" sirens on all command vehicles. The older electro-mechanical sirens placed a very high current drain on the electrical system of newer automobiles, which were unable to sustain enough power to operate the siren without causing serious problems. Therefore, the apparatus division of the Detroit Fire Department, began ordering the new Federal Interceptor electronic siren controls, which not only allowed for audible warning capabilities, but allowed the external speaker to be used for public address and retransmission of radio traffic.

To the left of the siren control, is a control head for an older General Electric Progress Line two-way radio. This was when the Detroit Fire Department used 154.400 MHz, for all command and tactical operations. After the riots of 1967, the department received several federal grants which allowed them to completely upgrade their two-way radio system. The single channel mobile radios (pictured) were replaced with modern four-channel units.
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Wire photo taken by the Detroit News staff photographer Lawrence, on June 13, 1963. Shot at the Detroit Fire Department's main headquarters on North Macomb Street.

[Toledo 2t22]

That looks just like my Federal Director... Except I don't have the "alert" option. But the housing for it is the same and everything.

[Skip Goulet]

Federal built both the Interceptors and Directors from the mid-50s until the mid-70s...eventually replacing both with the PA200. The early Interceptors were labelled as PA10 and the Directors as PA5. Both had the monotone "Alert" function. Later modifications show the Interceptors as PA20s and PA20As. These eliminated the Alert function and replaced it with the more familiar Hi-Lo sound. The Directors became PA15s and eliminated a third sound completely. An interesting note: both of these can get some awesome sounds by freezing the selector switch between wail and yelp on both units and an interesting bark between yelp and hi-lo on the Interceptors. While both of these sirens are technically only 54-watt units, they can put out some very loud outputs when used on two or more 100 watt speakers. Back in the late 70s I spotted an interesting ambulance that belonged to Metropolitan Ambulance of Amarillo, TX. This unit served their office in Canyon, TX. It was a then-new high-top Dodge van that sported triple Federal CP-100 speakers over the cab. This was powered by a single Federal Director, which was supposedly Federal's economy model back then. Don't let them fool you: this thing was awesome. That siren powered by the three 100 watt speakers was verrrrry loud! I wonder, sometimes, about the so-called progress made when these very good sirens were eliminated in favor of the new technology that uses microprocessors rather than transistorized amplifiers. Go figure!

[landmobile]

The high power versions of the GE Prog Line radio pictured had motor-generator power supplies that ran the transmitter final amplifier tubes. They drew almost as much current as a mechanical siren, and sounded like someone was running a vacuum cleaner in the trunk of your car when operating. No wonder they were looking to conserve power with electronic sirens!

[JasonC]

I wonder, sometimes, about the so-called progress made when these very good sirens were eliminated in favor of the new technology that uses microprocessors rather than transistorized amplifiers. Go figure!

Hey Skip! Newer sirens utilize higher tones due to the fact that speakers are smaller and more compact, and can't handle the deeper harmonics of older sirens at higher wattages. Smaller sirens just can't dissipate the heat well enough (a good example of this was the newer powercall sirens blowing out normal speakers, they now recommend you buy their special speaker with lots of heat fins to compensate for cooling on the lower Powercall tones>