Kent's Siren Repair Shop

[tsquale]

@MtnMan I have my GE that we discussed via email on its way to you via USPS. Finger's crossed it isn't too big of a headache for you to get up and running

 

[Crownfire]

Kent, I sent you a GE Powercall and a Federal Director in a large flat rate box a couple of weeks ago. Been trying to reach you by email. Did the sirens arrive OK.
Thanks
Don Jarvis

 

[MtnMan]

Kent, I sent you a GE Powercall and a Federal Director in a large flat rate box a couple of weeks ago. Been trying to reach you by email. Did the sirens arrive OK.
Thanks
Don Jarvis

Hi Don. I replied by email on Oct 24. Your sirens are here and they’ll be next on the repair bench. Thanks for your business!

 

[Crownfire]

Hi Don. I replied by email on Oct 24. Your sirens are here and they’ll be next on the repair bench. Thanks for your business!

Sorry, I somehow missed your email. Thanks for the reply.
Don

 

[A23fcems]

Kent did you get our sirens?

 

[Nolines]

im Betting his nickname is Clark..... a Hes Earned the Title of Superman with his repair jobs!

 

[8E PPD]

Hi MtnMan. I have a GE Powercall siren circa 1980. When it's turned on, you can barely get a tone from the speaker. You can hear it, but it's only a whisper. I would like to get you to look at it. I have it attached to a 24 volt system on an 85 AMG 5 ton truck that my organization uses for parades. It worked fine up until a couple months ago. Can you contact me at fmb2675@comcast.net?

 

[Safetyman]

Hi Kent ,
Wondering if you repair Heathkit sirens. I have a Heath /Zenith WD-5130. The yelp settings sounds like a GE Power call and the pitch adjustment is not working. I have a copy of the manual with schematic if you need.
Thanks, Bill

 

[Usmc69187]

Kent's (MtnMan's) Siren Repair Shop is open for business!

Got a croaking, squawking, buzzing, fuse-blowing, or just plain dead siren? Want to hear it wail and yelp again in all its full-power glory?

I've been doing repair and restoration of electronic sirens for ELB members by request, and it seems like time to offer my services more widely. I have experience working on many current and vintage sirens, including:

• Carson SA, SC series
• Code 3 V-Con, MasterCom, Undercover
• Federal Signal PA 15, PA 20, PA 150, PA 200, PA 300, e-Q2B
• Galls branded sirens
• North American Signal Siren Master
• Scientific Protoypes Mark series
• Star SVP SS series
• Unitrol 80K, Omega, Touchmaster, Touchmaster Delta
• Whelen 295, Alpha

The most common component failures encountered on electronic sirens are output transistors (no sound at all), control switches (some modes don't work), and PA mic wiring and switches (no PA or scratchy sound). Older analog sirens are also prone to out-of-spec capacitors, producing tones that just don't sound right.

All of these issues, and more, can be fixed. I offer component-level troubleshooting, and I have sourced replacements for many discontinued and hard-to-find parts, including Germanium power transistors, mics, knobs, switches, fuse holders, connectors and wiring harnesses. Defective output transistors will be replaced with gain-matched pairs, which is important for long-term durability.

Basic repairs start at $60 flat rate, plus actual cost of parts and return shipping. Any additional costs are subject to the customer's approval. If my evaluation indicates that repairs are not feasible, I can return the unit as-is (customer pays return shipping), or I may be able to make a cash offer for parts value.

If you're interested in services, please PM me with details of your siren and its condition for an up-front estimate and further details.

Thanks!
Kent

Kent's (MtnMan's) Siren Repair Shop is open for business!

Got a croaking, squawking, buzzing, fuse-blowing, or just plain dead siren? Want to hear it wail and yelp again in all its full-power glory?

I've been doing repair and restoration of electronic sirens for ELB members by request, and it seems like time to offer my services more widely. I have experience working on many current and vintage sirens, including:

• Carson SA, SC series
• Code 3 V-Con, MasterCom, Undercover
• Federal Signal PA 15, PA 20, PA 150, PA 200, PA 300, e-Q2B
• Galls branded sirens
• North American Signal Siren Master
• Scientific Protoypes Mark series
• Star SVP SS series
• Unitrol 80K, Omega, Touchmaster, Touchmaster Delta
• Whelen 295, Alpha

The most common component failures encountered on electronic sirens are output transistors (no sound at all), control switches (some modes don't work), and PA mic wiring and switches (no PA or scratchy sound). Older analog sirens are also prone to out-of-spec capacitors, producing tones that just don't sound right.

All of these issues, and more, can be fixed. I offer component-level troubleshooting, and I have sourced replacements for many discontinued and hard-to-find parts, including Germanium power transistors, mics, knobs, switches, fuse holders, connectors and wiring harnesses. Defective output transistors will be replaced with gain-matched pairs, which is important for long-term durability.

Basic repairs start at $60 flat rate, plus actual cost of parts and return shipping. Any additional costs are subject to the customer's approval. If my evaluation indicates that repairs are not feasible, I can return the unit as-is (customer pays return shipping), or I may be able to make a cash offer for parts value.

If you're interested in services, please PM me with details of your siren and its condition for an up-front estimate and further details.

Thanks!
Kent

hey, i have a few NYPD Mark 7 sirens that need various repairs. Im hoping you'll be able to help. Hope to hear back from you.

 

[Safetyman]

HI,
My experience with Kent has been very good . Kent has repaired for me a FS PA15,. PA150, PA200 and his latest repair for me on a Unitrol Touchmaster D. Kent apparently works several jobs in addition to siren repair. My advise is to be patient. He does good work is usually has a bench full.
Bill

 

[Usmc69187]

HI,
My experience with Kent has been very good . Kent has repaired for me a FS PA15,. PA150, PA200 and his latest repair for me on a Unitrol Touchmaster D. Kent apparently works several jobs in addition to siren repair. My advise is to be patient. He does good work is usually has a bench full.
Bill

Do you have a phone number for him

 

[Safetyman]

Sorry, I do not.

 

[MtnMan]

Do you have a phone number for him

I’ll give you a call in the AM. Thanks!

 

[ProPatriaNeverPassAFault]

Hi Kent,

I have a Japanese Clarion AA-227A from 1981 that's completely dead. Single tone (simulated mechanical) and the circuitry seems relatively simple. Tricky enough siren to find in Japan, owing to the introduction of the AA-228G a year or so later. Exact same siren, except with a ground cable instead if ground screws on the unit itself.

I've attached photos of the circuitry, including some of a capacitor that's bulging a bit. Please PM me at your earliest convenience. It'd be great to get this little beaut going again!

Thanks!

 

[Chiefs Chrysler Ñewport]

Here's an update on some recent repair work:

I'd like to thank two members for entrusting me with a pair of very uncommon and interesting sirens to repair, giving me a nostalgic blast from the past, and for their patience when the projects turned out to be more extensive than expected.

Tony (tsquale) sent me his beautiful Signal Stat Mark VII (http://elightbars.org/forums/threads/signal-stat-stat-vii-siren.76001/). I have an NYPD spec Mark VII, but I've never seen the full-featured version, with the modified tone switch.

The neat thing about this siren is that it's all off-the-shelf discrete logic and analog components, circa 1980, which is what I learned on as a teenager. You could have walked into any Radio Shack back then and bought almost every part to build this siren (and at checkout time, the sales guy would have tried to upsell you a CB, instead of a cell phone).

I had a scan of the original service manual to work from, but the details of the circuit diagram were blurry and there were some undocumented revisions, so I ended up redrawing the entire schematic (I'll contribute it to the old manuals thread). The Mark VII has a complicated and rather overprotective protection circuit, which was shutting down the tone and output sections. I located the fault, replaced a switching transistor and flip-flop IC, and the siren was back to perfect working order, complete with the funky Mod tones. With Tony's approval, I also did the (easily reversible) modification for the NYPD-style momentary yelp that every New Yorker from the 1970s - 1980s remembers. Check his updated thread for a video of the final result.

Turning back the retro dial a few more notches was the Federal Signal PA-1 received from another member. That's right, not a PA-10, or a PA-5... a PA-ONE. The Original Federal Electronic Siren, from around 1952.

This siren was a real time capsule. The circuitry is all transistorized, which was advanced for the time, but the construction is hand-wired, point-to-point, a technique going back to the early days of tube equipment.

I didn't have any information at all on the circuitry, but fortunately it was basic enough that I was able to trace it out and draft a diagram (to be posted as well). As received, the siren just produced a feeble, monotone squeak. The basic fix was predictable: replacing some dried-out electrolytic capacitors in the oscillator section, which restored the original, rich wail tone.

The siren also showed evidence of some more-expedient-than-expert repair work over the decades (remember, this piece dates to the era when every town had a local radio repair shop). A power resistor had been replaced with a kludged substitute and the output transistors were a mix of mismatched components. I found some NOS transistors on eBay, returned everything to spec, and was very pleased to hear the old siren putting out a solid 50 Watts.

To the member whose PA-15 is on my bench right now, I promise I haven't forgotten! It will be receiving a selector switch transplant first thing next week.

Keep those old sirens coming!

We often had our sirens repaired locally. Usually the power transistors got changed. Sometimes we had them tweaked a bit without the bosses knowing...