Can anyone name this siren?

[The Drop Tone Siren Guy.]

I've been stumped on what this siren is for the past while now, I just love the moan and the drop tone it has, a lot of people I ask are saying it's studio created but I don't believe that because I've only heard it a hand full of times and stock audio sound effects usually get used hundreds or thousands of times.

 

[DefianceEngineCompany]

I've been stumped on what this siren is for the past while now, I just love the moan and the drop tone it has, a lot of people I ask are saying it's studio created but I don't believe that because I've only heard it a hand full of times and stock audio sound effects usually get used hundreds or thousands of times.

Federal Signal Director or interceptor

 

[Night Patrolman]

That almost sounds like an original PA-15/PA-20, rather than the later PA-15A/PA-20A. I'd love to know what show/movie you got this from.

 

[The Drop Tone Siren Guy.]

That almost sounds like an original PA-15/PA-20, rather than the later PA-15A/PA-20A. I'd love to know what show/movie you got this from.

Walker Texas Ranger Season 1 (1993) and the Rookie 1990

Federal Signal Director or interceptor View attachment 246001View attachment 246002

I thought that myself but all the demos I've heard of them sound close but not quite like that.

 

[Wailer]

That almost sounds like an original PA-15/PA-20, rather than the later PA-15A/PA-20A. I'd love to know what show/movie you got this from.

Yep, it's a PA15 or PA20. I have a PA20 and it sounds just like that. The PA15 and PA20 have wail, yelp, and alert tones and were manufactured from about 1962 to 1966.

The movie and TV studios in Hollywood recorded the sound of a PA20 during the late 1960s, and it's been dubbed into hundreds of shows and movies throughout the 1970s.

Finding a PA15 or PA20 in working condition could be kind of tough - they weren't very reliable and there were several minor revisions to the circuitry over the course of production. My PA20 looks like it's been repaired a few times.

The 'bomb drop' effect may have something to do with the layout of the siren oscillator circuit. The 1970s PA15A 1E and PA20A 2E will also make that sound (especially when switching back to wail from yelp), but they are almost an octave higher in pitch. The PA15/PA20 and the PA15A1E/PA20A2E use similar components, but not all values are the same. The high pitch is what really sets the 1970s Federal electronic sirens apart from the 1960s versions.

Also, the PA70, PA100, PA150, PA170, PA200, and PA1000 have the same siren oscillator circuit as the PA15A 1E and PA20A 2E and should be capable of the bomb drop effect.

 

[The Drop Tone Siren Guy.]

Yep, it's a PA15 or PA20. I have a PA20 and it sounds just like that. The PA15 and PA20 have wail, yelp, and alert tones and were manufactured from about 1962 to 1966.

The movie and TV studios in Hollywood recorded the sound of a PA20 during the late 1960s, and it's been dubbed into hundreds of shows and movies throughout the 1970s.

Finding a PA15 or PA20 in working condition could be kind of tough - they weren't very reliable and there were several minor revisions to the circuitry over the course of production. My PA20 looks like it's been repaired a few times.

The 'bomb drop' effect may have something to do with the layout of the siren oscillator circuit. The 1970s PA15A 1E and PA20A 2E will also make that sound (especially when switching back to wail from yelp), but they are almost an octave higher in pitch. The PA15/PA20 and the PA15A1E/PA20A2E use similar components, but not all values are the same. The high pitch is what really sets the 1970s Federal electronic sirens apart from the 1960s versions.

Also, the PA70, PA100, PA150, PA170, PA200, and PA1000 have the same siren oscillator circuit as the PA15A 1E and PA20A 2E and should be capable of the bomb drop effect.

Interesting, would you happen to know the year of yours, have a picture, or maybe a demo, I'm trying to find one that sounds just like the one I was talking about but none do and most are in awful shape and have really poor sounding tones

 

[Maxim2Eng]

I had a PA15 in my early volley days that did the drop tone…I discovered that pressing the siren button snapped it right out of it.

 

[The Drop Tone Siren Guy.]

I had a PA15 in my early volley days that did the drop tone…I discovered that pressing the siren button snapped it right out of it.

ha ha, the manual button, screw those things, when my uncle was a local sheriff deputy he always just held manual with his middle finger for the siren on the car (and generally cussed out the suspect on the PA), stupidest thing I ever heard of, one day during a pursuit with some boozed up teens in a K-10 he crashed his LTD S because of (holding the manual siren) it. Also, from what I've noticed it seems the PA-15 was more of a Chevy and the PA-20 was more of a Cadillac. Which then leads me to the conclusion the PA-20 was more popular with county/city cops and the PA-15 with volunteer/small town fire fighters in povs or fire cars. The GE, Whelen, Dunbar Nunn Unitrol, and FS PA1000s seemed to be more common with state agencies in the midwest vs PA-15/PA-20s. As for the old pushbutton ones that are kinda generic those didn't seem to be common at all and were usually in ambulances or resque squad trucks as I've heard.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

I guess I should have said “tapped”, and I used the foot switch that came with it. When I bought my Director, the Interceptor had the ALERT tone (prior to HI LO)…not very useful for warning traffic. The only time I heard the ALERT tone used was for a “shotgun” start at a golf tournament In the 60s.

I think I just dated myself….

 

[Wailer]

Interesting, would you happen to know the year of yours, have a picture, or maybe a demo, I'm trying to find one that sounds just like the one I was talking about but none do and most are in awful shape and have really poor sounding tones

Mine was made in 1964. I don't have the equipment to record it, but I attached photos to show the spotting features of the different versions of the blue faced Interceptor sirens.

 

[Wailer]

I guess I should have said “tapped”, and I used the foot switch that came with it. When I bought my Director, the Interceptor had the ALERT tone (prior to HI LO)…not very useful for warning traffic. The only time I heard the ALERT tone used was for a “shotgun” start at a golf tournament In the 60s.

I think I just dated myself….

The PA15 Director also has the alert tone. The alert tone is just a steady electronic beep that doesn't rise or fall.

The big difference between the Director and the Interceptor is that the Director is the 'economy' model (with wired in mic and screw terminals) and the Interceptor is the 'deluxe' model (with detachable mic, plexiglas control panel, and pin and plug wiring harness). The circuits in both sirens changed over the course of production.