Do I need a 100 watt or a 200 watt siren?

[Jman423]

How do I know which type of siren I need and how powerful it needs to be?

Discuss!

Please keep it clean and organized, this forum section is heavily moderated to keep information organized. We're going to use content from these discussions to compile a helpful guide for users seeking information about products in this industry.

 

[billforbush]

I would say that it depends on a number of factors. My city vehicle uses a single Whelen compact speaker with a 100W siren. It is adequate, but not particularly loud. In my personal vehicle, I have a 200W siren with two 100W TS100 type traditional speakers behind the grille. It absolutely rocks! The larger, more traditional speaker designs are IMHO much louder than any of the new compact designs. So much so that if a better speaker were used, wattage may not be as important (although it cant hurt).


I would put a 58W Federal Innterceptor and twin CP100 or fiberglass speakers up against any 100 or even 200W siren with compact speakers and I'll bet it would be louder.


If you are responding on straight a ways, more volume may be needed than in urban settings.

 

[bpollard]

years ago we had an engine that had a Federal Interceptor and twin CP100 chrome speakers.   I swear that setup was incredibly loud.  Much louder than most anything we have today.

I didn't realize that the Interceptor is only 58 watt??  Are you sure about that, I have always thought that was a 200 watt setup

 

[VFRDCHIEF1601]

My department is planning an install with a Whelen 295SLSA6 & we already have (1) off brand 200w speaker that we would like to use due to space limitations behind the grill. My question is, beside's being a no name brand, will the (1) 200w speaker drive dual tones + airhorn effectivly or do we need to get (2) 100w speakers? Thanks.

Mods, If this is the wrong place please correct. Thanks.

 

[Carlos SpicyWeiner]

No it will only drive one tone

 

[MtnMan]

I didn't realize that the Interceptor is only 58 watt??  Are you sure about that, I have always thought that was a 200 watt setup

They Interceptor has a selectable 58 or 100 W output.

My department is planning an install with a Whelen 295SLSA6 & we already have (1) off brand 200w speaker that we would like to use due to space limitations behind the grill. My question is, beside's being a no name brand, will the (1) 200w speaker drive dual tones + airhorn effectivly or do we need to get (2) 100w speakers? Thanks.

To get 200 W out of a siren amp, you need either dual speakers or a dual coil speaker e.g., the Federal BP200, which are not common.

The off-brand versions I've seen are just a 100 W speaker with a 200 W sticker.

 

[Skip Goulet]

They Interceptor has a selectable 58 or 100 W output.

To get 200 W out of a siren amp, you need either dual speakers or a dual coil speaker e.g., the Federal BP200, which are not common.

The off-brand versions I've seen are just a 100 W speaker with a 200 W sticker.

The Interceptor did not have selectable output.  It and the Director were always 58 watt output. I had always thought that they were 75 watts but was quickly corrected by board member Wailer some time back.  The Interceptors and Directors would effectively drive either a single or double 58 watt speaker such as the SA24 or CP25.   Federal always claimed that you could get an effective 100 watts output out of those sirens when using dual speakers but I've never seen anything definitive on that.    What I have heard that was quite loud was on a '76 Dodge van ambulance in Canyon, TX was a simple Director that drove triple CP25 speakers.  That was loud.    I may be wrong, but I think that the first selectable-wattage siren from Federal was the PA200.   We had a '72 Chevy Type II van that came with twin CP100 speakers powered by a pushbutton North American siren.  We replaced the N.A. at some point with a PA200, and one of our guys added another pair of 100 speakers to the mix.  Now I know that a 200-watt siren isn't putting out 400 watts to those four speakers, but I guarantee, that siren cleared traffic better than any electronic siren I had ever used.

That having been said, I'd still rather stick to a good Q or Super Chief anytime.

 

[MtnMan]

The Interceptor did not have selectable output.  It and the Director were always 58 watt output. 

I should have phrased that better. Not exactly selectable, but as you said, 58 W with one speaker, 100 W output with two.

 

[Skip Goulet]

I should have phrased that better. Not exactly selectable, but as you said, 58 W with one speaker, 100 W output with two.

That's much better!   I'd be curious to know what the effective wattage was on that Director that was driving the triple speakers that I mentioned above.

 

[AJ3814]

Has anyone heard the BP200 to say whether it really is "that much louder"?

 

[Skip Goulet]

Has anyone heard the BP200 to say whether it really is "that much louder"?

I had one of the early TS200 speakers which preceded the BP series. It was quite loud, but I have no idea about the BP200s.

 

[PJD642]

Tongue-in-cheek answer to the OP - YOU ALWAYS NEED 200 WATTS, and preferably a speaker with the longest cone that will fit....

 

[Andrewscounty82]

200 watt siren with two AS124 in my setup very loud and has a very good range cars pull over a long way off ahead of me I am very pleased with the setup

 

[Skip Goulet]

200 watt siren with two AS124 in my setup very loud and has a very good range cars pull over a long way off ahead of me I am very pleased with the setup

Nice to see someone else from West Texas on here.  What 200-watt siren are you using? I had an EQ2 on the '92 Ford van ambulance that I had and it was connected to the two 100-watt CPI speakers that came with the truck.  They worked fine, but you could really feel the hear on the speakers when the siren was used.  Hope you haven't had the same problem with those AS124 speakers; but they are a bit different technology than the CPI spearkers.

 

[Andrewscounty82]

I am running a star lcs 880 siren right now. It runs my lights traffic advisor takedowns everything I like it a lot I am still working some bugs out of the system only have had it two months but love it so far

 

[Skip Goulet]

I am running a star lcs 880 siren right now. It runs my lights traffic advisor takedowns everything I like it a lot I am still working some bugs out of the system only have had it two months but love it so far

Sounds good. Is that the one that has the nice mechanical tone?  I have a Whelen 295SL100 that has the mechanical tone and I really like it.  I've got to get up your way some time soon.

 

[Andrewscounty82]

no it doesnt sadly i wish I might have to get one though