New(to me) Heathkit gd-1810 siren

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fish.stick88

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Sep 2, 2012
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Hello, I just found an old siren from long ago, im assuming it was once on firetrucks, or ambulances in our station. Anyhow, We currently do not have the money, to buy a new siren at my dept. and need one on our boat. (30k and didnt budget a siren) I was looking to hopefully get some help on this model. I know most of it, but i dont want to buy the manual for like 3 switches i dont know... So, Here it goes . Pilot Lamp, Switch (-), and Common. there are only conectors on the switch, and common, pilot lamp is off, and i'm guessing when it was in, it would have been hooked up, so. Do i need that one hooked up? and and other Ideas, what common, or switch do? I'm guessing they are mostly auxilary plugs?


shouldnt the unit work with just the power to the head, and power to the speaker?


Thanks
 
Just out of curiosity, why do you have to have a siren on a boat? I have never understood it.
 
WS224 said:
Just out of curiosity, why do you have to have a siren on a boat? I have never understood it.
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Just like any response, you would want to alert them, to stay out of your way.
 
fire1 said:
Just like any response, you would want to alert them, to stay out of your way.
Click to expand...
Lol.......right.


It's not road traffic. Movings boats always get out of each others way - all of them, all the time. Stationary boats are not going to crank up and move out of your way, you go around them. I have been in some crowded waters and have never had an issue going anywhere.


You don't overtake boats the same way - there are no roads. You go from A to B. Between the engine and air noise, no other boaters are going to hear you anyways.


No wake zones are no wake zones - even with sirens.


So, I'll ask again. Can anyone explain why you "have to have" a siren on a boat? They don't even need emergency lights - perhaps just something small to aid in visual recognition and identification, not for any yielding purposes.
 
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Nice siren. I believe they were made in Benton Harbor MI. They came as kits that the customer assembled(something I do not entirely understand). Heath also made radios and other electronics.


I was on a fire dept near benton harbor and a lot of us used the Heath Kit siren, but in my time Heath Kit was closed down. I am not old enough to remember assembling their products.


Perhaps they also sold assembled products, but a few old timers told me that Heath Kit only sold products that needed assembly(hence, "kit").


I have one that my Dad had in his truck, he cut the microphone off because it was always getting in the way. It works but only at about 1/4 of the volume. If someone knows a fix for it let me know. Dad cut the mic off at the face plate, perhaps it is shorting out.


Good luck with your Heath Kit.
 
WS224 said:
Lol.......right.

It's not road traffic. Movings boats always get out of each others way - all of them, all the time. Stationary boats are not going to crank up and move out of your way, you go around them. I have been in some crowded waters and have never had an issue going anywhere.


You don't overtake boats the same way - there are no roads. You go from A to B. Between the engine and air noise, no other boaters are going to hear you anyways.


No wake zones are no wake zones - even with sirens.


So, I'll ask again. Can anyone explain why you "have to have" a siren on a boat? They don't even need emergency lights - perhaps just something small to aid in visual recognition and identification, not for any yielding purposes.
Click to expand...

Come on!! Who doesn't want a siren on a rescue boat?
 
We actually need it more-so for the PA side of things, we don't really need a siren, but hey. Why not!? :D


I also Found a GE mobile communications Ranger. Which i'll take a look at. though we are switching to all digital radios in the next month or so,


Anyone know how to see if the bullhead of the horn is working on a siren? I have it set up, properly, good fittings, and connection, yet not getting any sound. it is putting out about 16ohms. so the coil should still be intact right?
 
boboloo said:
Come on!! Who doesn't want a siren on a rescue boat?
Click to expand...

That's a more acceptable answer than the last one!
 
fish.stick88 said:
We actually need it more-so for the PA side of things, we don't really need a siren, but hey. Why not!? :D

I also Found a GE mobile communications Ranger. Which i'll take a look at. though we are switching to all digital radios in the next month or so,


Anyone know how to see if the bullhead of the horn is working on a siren? I have it set up, properly, good fittings, and connection, yet not getting any sound. it is putting out about 16ohms. so the coil should still be intact right?
Click to expand...

It's your department, boat, and siren. I would just hate to see such an old, rare siren get wasted after the first couple of splashes when it is ultimately going to be of little benefit.


I get wanting one, but I have made on average about 10 runs a day for most of my 18 years on a large urban fire department and have never used the PA function other than just goofing off. That's a heck of a lot potential to "need" one than you will ever have on any fire boat.


Save the siren and wait til you get one that is waterproof if you have to have one.
 
Well whats a siren or PA with no horn? just an empty head unit with no output.


what is the reccomended output for this siren? I looked at the manual but didnt see anything. We don't really want to buy one, so if i can fix this one, thats way better, but if we did have to get one, say 50-100 watt. that should do right?


We've had this boat for 3 years almost, and from massive flooding to 10 rescues a year, other than yelling with a loud engine, its going to be very nice to be able to use it.
 
aimg.photobucket.com_albums_v691_Henry455_Heathkit_20GD_18_img275.jpg


Any 11 ohm nominal impedance siren speaker should work. You might try the speaker in question on another siren amp that is known to be working.
 
The Heathkit electronic siren is nice and low-pitched. We had one in our 1967 Cadillac Superior Ambulance many years ago. It was built by one of our members (now deceased).
 
WS224 said:
Lol.......right.

It's not road traffic. Movings boats always get out of each others way - all of them, all the time. Stationary boats are not going to crank up and move out of your way, you go around them. I have been in some crowded waters and have never had an issue going anywhere.


You don't overtake boats the same way - there are no roads. You go from A to B. Between the engine and air noise, no other boaters are going to hear you anyways.


No wake zones are no wake zones - even with sirens.


So, I'll ask again. Can anyone explain why you "have to have" a siren on a boat? They don't even need emergency lights - perhaps just something small to aid in visual recognition and identification, not for any yielding purposes.
Click to expand...

You do not even deserve a answer to your statement.
 
boboloo said:
What was the point of buying a Heathkit? Just for the fun of assembling it? Anyone have an answer?
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Heathkit provided state of the art, quality electronic products at a lower price. You could buy the siren with a 75 watt Atlas speaker for $125.00. I built many of their kits in the 1970's and 80's. Here is a 1975 catalog to give you a idea of what they offered. Caution its a large pdf. file, 162 mb. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3598300/75janclr.pdf
 
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