Any coding sirens still in use?

[Daniel]

Does anyone know of a location using a coding siren that is still used to sound codes, such as a Fedelcode Model 5 or a Sterling Model Y?

[Corey Hudson]

unless the model 5's are coding compatable, then not dracut

[Adam Pollak]

Just to keep you in suspense, actually yes. It's one of the coolest setups I've seen for an active siren, though I am not sure if the coding is just for wailing cycles or an actual damper. I'll post photos in a little bit though, this was just to keep you all in suspense.

[Adam Pollak]

Ok, I found the photos. The code wheel in there now is used for tornado warnings as that is the siren's only use now. I'm not going to give out the sirens location. Like I said above, I am not sure if the siren is coded by either a damper or its number of wail cycles. That control cabinet is pretty much awesome though.

[Daniel]

Amazing! That is exactly like the control box for the Fedelcode siren that used to be in Ashland, Oregon, and it looks like a larger version of the old coding box for the fire horns in Mount Shasta. You just pull back the handle labeled "Federal" to cock the clockwork mechanism and the cam starts to rotate. Ours had a few extra knife switches including one to start the old Erick siren.

[Hacksaw]

That's also like the one at saw at the Ely, Nevada Fire Dept 30+ years ago. They used a horn for the codes, though.

[pyramid head]

That is an awsome setup! There is a lot of things I have been yet to see, but that is one of the most interesting mechanisms I have seen to date.

[kx250rider]

That is an awsome setup! There is a lot of things I have been yet to see, but that is one of the most interesting mechanisms I have seen to date.

I agree! That's a piece of true American craftsmanship, and I want one

Charles

[Daniel]

I remember as a Cub Scout watching our fire chief demonstrate the horn encoder. He took a cam and put it on the spindle, then cocked the lever and the cam rotated two revolutions. If he had flipped the wall-type switch next to the timer, the horns would have sounded. Unlike this encoder, the one in Mount Shasta could do both long (10 sec.) and short (1 sec) blasts. The fire call was three shorts, one long, repeated twice.

[slant-40]

That's also like the one at saw at the Ely, Nevada Fire Dept 30+ years ago. They used a horn for the codes, though.

Might that Horn have been a Diaphone?