Old Unitrol TM4 with Delta tones?

[tactiblox]

I recently purchased this older Unitrol Touchmaster TM4-0 off of ebay, and was very surprised when I heard that it had Touchmaster Delta tones instead of the old Dunbar Nunn style tones. I also noticed that its missing the yellow ignition wire for the RLS. Any ideas as to why this unit has Delta tones and why it's missing the ignition wire?

I've also attached a video showcasing this oddball Unitrol.

 

[Escalator Slinky]

Do you happen to know the MFG. date of the siren? My best guess is that this is either a Cal-spec siren or this might of been set up like a delta when it was being phased out? That's just my best guess though.

 

[gandalftheman241]

Do you happen to know the MFG. date of the siren? My best guess is that this is either a Cal-spec siren or this might of been set up like a delta when it was being phased out? That's just my best guess though.

The thicker UNITROL logo indicates it was made by FS. They changed to FS Unitrol logo like the bottom on ein the video, circa 2006. They made a change to the tones around 2000-2002. Not sure exact date though. Dunbar Nunn has the letter D/N on the Unitrol logo and obviously has their name on it.

 

[ur20v]

I think you bought that from me... I sent the red knob off in the mail this afternoon.

There were various models of the TM4, as I'm finding out. The first one you bought from me had the momentary gun lock release, did not have blackout, and had the accessory switches labeled. The second one, the one in question, I believe was aimed towards users who didn't need gun locks and probably didn't have full lightbars with alleys and takedowns... firefighters, EMTs, undercover/unmarked cars, POVs, etc. It still had accessory switches, they just weren't labeled.

I even have a third version yet, one with labels and a momentary switch plus two normally closed relays that open when the "blackout" feature is enabled - intended to keep cars with their headlights off inconspicuous at night by disabling the brake and reverse lights.

 

[ur20v]

Here is something I found online... the -0 and -1 model features don't exactly jive with what I have, like someone made an error with the printed material. Or maybe I'm wrong about the models I have, who knows... I just go off the label on the bottom of the siren.

 

[tactiblox]

Do you happen to know the MFG. date of the siren? My best guess is that this is either a Cal-spec siren or this might of been set up like a delta when it was being phased out? That's just my best guess though.

The thicker UNITROL logo indicates it was made by FS. They changed to FS Unitrol logo like the bottom on ein the video, circa 2006. They made a change to the tones around 2000-2002. Not sure exact date though. Dunbar Nunn has the letter D/N on the Unitrol logo and obviously has their name on it.

Do you think that there is way to determine mfg date based on the serial number?

I think you bought that from me... I sent the red knob off in the mail this afternoon.

There were various models of the TM4, as I'm finding out. The first one you bought from me had the momentary gun lock release, did not have blackout, and had the accessory switches labeled. The second one, the one in question, I believe was aimed towards users who didn't need gun locks and probably didn't have full lightbars with alleys and takedowns... firefighters, EMTs, undercover/unmarked cars, POVs, etc. It still had accessory switches, they just weren't labeled.

I even have a third version yet, one with labels and a momentary switch plus two normally closed relays that open when the "blackout" feature is enabled - intended to keep cars with their headlights off inconspicuous at night by disabling the brake and reverse lights.

Yep. Thats me, thanks for the info,

 

[Escalator Slinky]

Do you think that there is way to determine mfg date based on the serial number?


Yep. Thats me, thanks for the info,

Well at least for Whelen sirens, not sure about Federal Signal, but there should be either a metal plate that has a date stamped into it or a sticker on the back of the siren or underneath the siren if you were to flip it over. An example of what one might say is "05/06" which would mean (as far as I know) that it was manufactured in May of 2006, for example. Of course every manufacturer will be different, but generally I imagine each will have a date either stickered, written on, or stamped on a metal plate somewhere on the siren. There could possibly be a date inside the siren if you were to take off the cover and look.

 

[Escalator Slinky]

This could also help in determining some of the reasons why your siren sounds different.

This is a document by Federal Signal about the Touchmaster TM4 and it does mention some variants in it.

Page 4 of the document shows the dip switches which can be adjusted.

https://www.fedsig.com/resource-document/file/7420

 

[tactiblox]

Well at least for Whelen sirens, not sure about Federal Signal, but there should be either a metal plate that has a date stamped into it or a sticker on the back of the siren or underneath the siren if you were to flip it over. An example of what one might say is "05/06" which would mean (as far as I know) that it was manufactured in May of 2006, for example. Of course every manufacturer will be different, but generally I imagine each will have a date either stickered, written on, or stamped on a metal plate somewhere on the siren. There could possibly be a date inside the siren if you were to take off the cover and look.

Ok. It seems with the TM4's there is no date code anywhere on the siren. The only thing I found on it was the serial number.

 

[gandalftheman241]

This could also help in determining some of the reasons why your siren sounds different.

This is a document by Federal Signal about the Touchmaster TM4 and it does mention some variants in it.

Page 4 of the document shows the dip switches which can be adjusted.

https://www.fedsig.com/resource-document/file/7420

The sounds of the tones have nothing to do with the dip switches unless it's dipswitch #3 which changes Ultra Hilo to the monotone hilo. The other dipswitches just change the usable tones. Such as on Sweep mode, You can eliminate hilo from it. Like I said before Federal Signal changed the tones around 4-6 years after they took over Dunbar Nunn in 1996.