Old NYPD electronic sirens

t-bone35

New Member
Apr 5, 2012
8
LI, NY
Does anyone know if these things are worth anything? If so, what a fair price would be to ask. They both work and have been sitting around for years


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WS224

Member
Nov 28, 2010
1,049
West Tennessee
Not sure what they worth, but I have a question for you. I have this exact model in the non NYPD version. Do you have any info or a schematic with them? I would like to convert mine to he NYPD style if possible.
 

WS224

Member
Nov 28, 2010
1,049
West Tennessee
t-bone35 said:
I am sorry, I do not. Do you know what is different? If so, maybe we can swap inside photos and figure it out.

The NYPD versions have instant on/off with use of the manual button. Non NYPD versions are not instant on/off. A Tao of the button results in about 3-4 seconds of siren sound.
 

AerodyMANIAC

Member
May 1, 2012
113
Northeast
Scientifc prototypes in ny.They are out of busness since the early90s.


they are worth about 150 a piece maybe.


NYC EMS used them thats why they dont have the nypd logo. back in the 80s


Also FD used them intheir chiefs cars. then too


they made that one also with a airhorn and phaser too which was rare.


The red pushbutton was purchased from radio shak by SP


They are still used to on some nyc ambulances that work for specific hospitals.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
AerodyMANIAC said:
They are still used to on some nyc ambulances that work for specific hospitals.


NY Presbyterian


I'm told this is the 3rd bus to have this siren. It's also a van with an air horn which is cool.

 
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AerodyMANIAC

Member
May 1, 2012
113
Northeast
JohnMarcson said:
NY Presbyterian

I'm told this is the 3rd bus to have this siren. It's also a van with an air horn which is cool.





Long island college hospital on atlantic av and hicks street in brooklyn has a few sp's on their rigs too
 

AerodyMANIAC

Member
May 1, 2012
113
Northeast
CHIEFOPS said:
NY-Presbyterian has been phasing them out thru attrition.

Im such a "SP Whore", I even visited their factory in maspeth off metropolitan av, ithink back in 99 or so. They had a nice little operation and they were really accomodating to give me the tour. I even bought one when I was there. I think i paid 80-90 or something It was a refurb model if i recall. Dont quote me but it was a long time ago. I do remember it was the one with the airhorn on it. I used it for my collection but sold it. Then a friend of mine from BRAVO Vol Ambulance back in the early 90s gave me his NYPD model with the logo on it. He didnt know what he had.Back then everyone wanted the SVP with the phaser , it was the thing .Again that was back in the early 90s to mid wheneverone had a buffed out ex police auction car with pa 300s, lollipop grilles, dashlasers and limo tints LOLOLOL Alot of those buffed out cars were Bravo members that were EMS city workers. Those days are long gone ..old skool
 

CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,532
NYC
AerodyMANIAC said:
Im such a "SP Whore", I even visited their factory in maspeth off metropolitan av, ithink back in 99 or so. They had a nice little operation and they were really accomodating to give me the tour. I even bought one when I was there. I think i paid 80-90 or something It was a refurb model if i recall. Dont quote me but it was a long time ago. I do remember it was the one with the airhorn on it. I used it for my collection but sold it. Then a friend of mine from BRAVO Vol Ambulance back in the early 90s gave me his NYPD model with the logo on it. He didnt know what he had.Back then everyone wanted the SVP with the phaser , it was the thing .Again that was back in the early 90s to mid wheneverone had a buffed out ex police auction car with pa 300s, lollipop grilles, dashlasers and limo tints LOLOLOL Alot of those buffed out cars were Bravo members that were EMS city workers. Those days are long gone ..old skool

That's where they "died"(the NYPD killed them), for years prior they were in Harlem on W 130 or 131 off Broadway, whenever my command had a defective siren, I'd bring it directly there for repair or exchange rather than officially put it out of service to Motor Transport/Electronic Section, they were very accomodating.
 

PC Comms

Member
May 30, 2010
1,881
Beautiful southern Georgia!
Is there anyone that services these still? I have one sitting in my collection that looks great, but makes some interesting tones that I'm sure the original designer didn't intend for it to make. I would like to get it back to original condition if possible.
 

AerodyMANIAC

Member
May 1, 2012
113
Northeast
CHIEFOPS said:
That's where they "died"(the NYPD killed them), for years prior they were in Harlem on W 130 or 131 off Broadway, whenever my command had a defective siren, I'd bring it directly there for repair or exchange rather than officially put it out of service to Motor Transport/Electronic Section, they were very accomodating.

Yes they were pretty cool SP folks there. But i wasnt too happy with e nypd pa300. Although the horn ring instant yelp was cool but not quite the thing.


And i never really like fed sig tech support , they seemed rather curt, independant and cold.


Compared to able 2 sho me tech guys...they are sweethearts
 

AerodyMANIAC

Member
May 1, 2012
113
Northeast
PC Comms said:
Is there anyone that services these still? I have one sitting in my collection that looks great, but makes some interesting tones that I'm sure the original designer didn't intend for it to make. I would like to get it back to original condition if possible.

the only thing that comes to mind is Securly Yours in Brooklyn


They used to deal with them sp's
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
WS224 said:
Not sure what they worth, but I have a question for you. I have this exact model in the non NYPD version. Do you have any info or a schematic with them? I would like to convert mine to he NYPD style if possible.

What you both have were built by Smith and Wesson. While I don't think they're still made, S/W might give you info on them. They were never high-priced commercially, and probably much lower on the package deals they gave NYC.
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
crescentstar69 said:
I don't think S&W is still around to give any information. They haven't been around for years.

You're right about that. They haven't built the sirens in many years, but S&W's parent corp. is still around. They might still have info on the sirens they built. I've still want one of their Sonic Sirens (another S&W co. out of NJ). Had one on an ambulance many years ago, and it was something else, with its slow wail and deep-throated hi-lo sound. And they weren't expensive. Paid $150 new in 1986.
 

spddare65

Member
May 24, 2010
25
Garnerville. NY
I know this conversation is old but I have some info. I have the manual for these units, and aside from the markings they are identical. One of the joys of that unit was except for the newer models being able to vary the tones, they never changed. Scientific Prototype used to make these for Signal Stat and then under their own name (SP). The company that made them is now called Itech and they are, as of a year or two ago, located at 557 So. Fulton Ave. Mount Vernon NY. They no longer make the siren, but as of about two years ago, if you bring it to them they will try to repair it.


If anyone needs the manual let me know and I will e-mail it to you.
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
spddare65 said:
I know this conversation is old but I have some info. I have the manual for these units, and aside from the markings they are identical. One of the joys of that unit was except for the newer models being able to vary the tones, they never changed. Scientific Prototype used to make these for Signal Stat and then under their own name (SP). The company that made them is now called Itech and they are, as of a year or two ago, located at 557 So. Fulton Ave. Mount Vernon NY. They no longer make the siren, but as of about two years ago, if you bring it to them they will try to repair it.

If anyone needs the manual let me know and I will e-mail it to you.

If you haven't seen it, there's one of the old NYPD sirens on Ebay at the moment, but the price is waaaaay too high!
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
Black Hoe said:
Actually that is the normal price range they go for although, that particular siren is not in the best of condition.

That's the bad thing about Ebay. People seem to think that it's a forum for legalized theft! Just like the little Federal "O" siren you see on Ebay frequently. They sold for $30 new....period! No way on earth are they worth much more than that now regardless of condition, but look what they go for on Ebay. I've seen them go for nearly $300. And there's a guy who has an old Model D industrial siren that sold for less than $100 and his starting price is $1000. Ludicrous!
 

Skip Goulet

Member
Feb 23, 2011
4,241
Midland, TX
Black Hoe said:
Agreed however it's all about supply and demand. Equipment that is no longer manufactured but are desirable by collectors will demand the money.

Oh....that much I understand, all right. It's just ridiculous that someone is greedy enough to want $300 for a siren that only sold for $30 (the Federal "O", for instance), whether it's been restored or not. I can understand someone like Joe Dorgan getting a good price for his sirens, since they've been totally restored and have a warranty. But even that has gotten out of sight lately. I'll repeat myself! Ludicrous! Demand or not.
 

WS224

Member
Nov 28, 2010
1,049
West Tennessee
Skip Goulet said:
Oh....that much I understand, all right. It's just ridiculous that someone is greedy enough to want $300 for a siren that only sold for $30 (the Federal "O", for instance), whether it's been restored or not. I can understand someone like Joe Dorgan getting a good price for his sirens, since they've been totally restored and have a warranty. But even that has gotten out of sight lately. I'll repeat myself! Ludicrous! Demand or not.

So you won't be paying $17.59 for a Twinkie?
 

CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,532
NYC
AerodyMANIAC said:
....

NYC EMS used them thats why they dont have the nypd logo. back in the 80s


Also FD used them in their chiefs cars then too....

Not exactly. The NYPD logo and "property of..." marking on the rear appeared in the last few years of production. Prior to that they just bore SP, and before that, Signal-Stat.


To put it another way, the upper model was 99% just as likely to be an NYPD model.
 
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limotrip

New Member
May 1, 2013
9
Long Island, NY
spddare65 said:
I know this conversation is old but I have some info. I have the manual for these units, and aside from the markings they are identical. One of the joys of that unit was except for the newer models being able to vary the tones, they never changed. Scientific Prototype used to make these for Signal Stat and then under their own name (SP). The company that made them is now called Itech and they are, as of a year or two ago, located at 557 So. Fulton Ave. Mount Vernon NY. They no longer make the siren, but as of about two years ago, if you bring it to them they will try to repair it.

If anyone needs the manual let me know and I will e-mail it to you.




Hi, I'd LOVE that emailed to me!!


Limotrip@yahoo.com


Thanks!!!!!
 

Wailer

Member
May 24, 2010
2,290
Canada
The SP Mark VII yelp tone sounds okay, but the wail tone sounds kind of funny.
 

CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,532
NYC
The Signal-Stat/Scientific Prototype Mark 7/Vll wail and yelp tones were iconic NYC sounds for 12 or 13 years
 

RadioTech

Member
May 22, 2010
24
NY
I have a few of these. All of the sp models can be modified from 3sec hold to (nypd) momentary yelp by cutting a small Mylar cap.


Itech was located in mount Vernon NY up to a few years ago before they closed up shop. The owners name was Joe.
 

mayhemnyc

Member
Nov 8, 2010
116
NYC
Skip Goulet said:
No....but I might pay $17.50 for a Ding-Dong! They're gone, too! :p


That's what she said.
 

RadioTech

Member
May 22, 2010
24
NY
The NYPD logo mark7 is about as rare as a pink unicorn. I sent one back to Itech several years ago for repair never to be seen again.

HPD84 said:
I may be interested in one that says "NYPD". Any link or leads?
 

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