Powercall Sirens LLC Ecto siren

[Skip Goulet]

Not gonna lie...this is definitely a cool blast from the past and the ghost buster movies, but I personally would never use it to respond to a call (I'm pretty simple...a standard Whelen/FedSig wail/yelp/hyper yelp, or a Q running simultaneous with a yelp or power call). I didn't get to see the full movie since my iPhone was taking forever to load, but I wonder how it's gonna obtain certification or compliance (i.e. SAE, NFPA, etc)? I doubt they'd invest all the time/money/effort into something that was just for $hits & giggles, but it just doesn't seem effective IMHO, and I bet a decent amt of ppl on the streets would be confused when they heard it (but that's just my take on it)

Why wouldn't you want to respond in a classic ambulance like that??? For many years our vol. ambulance service ran two Cadillacs and a number of Pontiac and Oldsmobile ambulances. That was until 1984 when Texas started requiring hightop ambulances. Then we went to the Suburbans and vans. One of the best coach-type ambulances we had was a short-wheel-based 1971 Olds ambulance that ran like a scalded-ass ape! Made a run from Lubbock to Snyder, TX (right at 100 mi.) in 45 minutes. Never exceded 85 on the speedometer, but was clocked by DPS at 120. Just a quick speedometer repair and that was it. But that was one smooth running and driving ambulance....not to mention faaaaast! :yes:

 

[Wailer]

Why wouldn't you want to respond in a classic ambulance like that??? For many years our vol. ambulance service ran two Cadillacs and a number of Pontiac and Oldsmobile ambulances.

Even though pro-car ambos can't carry all the equipment that today's van and truck based ambos have, I still find them more aesthetically appealing. In my opinion Superior made the best looking pro-car ambos, especially in 1949-1953, 1961-1964, 1965-1970, and 1971-1976.

 

[1965-500]

Ha, I just found this thread...here are a couple videos of my Ecto siren...

 

[strobecrazy]

Awesome! What are you using?

 

[1965-500]

There's a guy in Texas who makes chips with the standard siren and the only heard in the montage siren that I had to recreate. If you're wanting to buy one of them, his website is replicaprops.com. The only thing I don't like about his version is there's a very small "hiccup" between the wind up and loop, which I've massaged. I just haven't been able to send him the updated file yet.

 

[unlisted]

Like the user above mentioned.. Purchase this, tie into the PA on your existing siren and bust some traffic!

 

[Skip Goulet]

Even though pro-car ambos can't carry all the equipment that today's van and truck based ambos have, I still find them more aesthetically appealing. In my opinion Superior made the best looking pro-car ambos, especially in 1949-1953, 1961-1964, 1965-1970, and 1971-1976.

I'd have to agree with that. But Flxible and National's Buicks were super, too, not to mention the short-lived Trinity Coach (here in TX) Buicks. But the "staple" of ambulances here in Texas came from two sources: The Gordon K. Allen Co., who was the parent co. of the short-lived Modular Ambulance Corp. and Summers Coach, the parent co. of Trinity Coach. Both companies built on station wagons originally and eventually Suburbans. Eventually Summers added high-top Suburbans to compete with what MAC was building. In the earlier days of station wagons and lowtop Suburbans, the common roof-top conversion was a roof-mounted Q flanked by either two or four lollipop lights, either all red or red/blue combinations. The way to spot the difference between what Gordon K. Allen built and what Summers built was that GKA used DoRay lollipop lights, while Summers favored Unity lights. And when electronic sirens were favored over the Qs, GKA primarily used Federal Directors while Summers used the Unity SiTrons. Of course, both companies built to customer specs. For many years Gordon K. Allen was the Superior dealer for the Southwest and Summers handled M-M and Cotner/Bevington. Summers' Trinity Coach Co. which built exclusively on Buick platforms only lasted from '65-'68, and in their latter years, Summers built hearses and first-call (removal) vehicles on Chrysler Town and Country platforms.


Speaking of equipment in procar ambulances, a lot of people in PCS and PCI who have coach-type and/or Suburban ambulances have them fully equipped, just like they were "back in the day". Something interesting that happened: I went to the PCS national meet in Lancaster, PA in 1999. A lot of the vintage ambulances were fully equipped. One afternoon while I was attending one of the events at the PA Railroad Museum, a bad car crash occured back across from the host hotel on Rt. 30. Some of the member who witnessed the wreck responded in their vintage ambulances and were able to care for the multiiple patients until the local EMS arrived. There were a lot of nice comments at the time about what happened and what was done. Wouldn't you know it, I missed it all!

 

[liberal noob]

Any word on if this is really gonna happen we really want one for our squad it would be awesome if he added it as another tone on his powercall siren maybe instead if Hi lo or something

The Real Ghostbusters version (has not one but two tones) of the Ecto-1 Siren would would be perfect! Too bad I can't track down a sound clip!

 

[1965-500]

The Real Ghostbusters version (has not one but two tones) of the Ecto-1 Siren would would be perfect! Too bad I can't track down a sound clip!

Ask and ye shall receive

 

[Rofocowboy84]

Ask and ye shall receive

I'm still only hearing the one tone...

 

[1965-500]

Yes it is only one tone...It's been quite some time since I've seen the cartoons but I don't remember a second tone.

 

[Solvarex]

Try clicking the video posted by unlisted...

 

[1965-500]

I created the hi-lo siren in the other video. The cartoon version of the wail is a higher pitch than the movie version. I rewatched some of the cartoons recently and have only found the higher pitched siren from the second video I posted.

 

[zakovermyer]

Ok, not a "real" response with it, but this was during the lights and sirens parade. I used it periodically throughout the parade via the "Outta My Way!" app on my phone. 8:09 is a good example, and again at 12:11.

 

[Shawn L]

I kinda like the siren but I kinda don't, i'm with a few others here I don't think it would be the best as a sole siren tone while responding, but a few of the engine videos that have it running with a mechanical siren sound good,


maybe its a west coast thin g but out here apparatus will have both siren mechanical and electronic but they don't see to run them at the same time, often at night the electronics will be used for quick short bursts and day time they wind out the Q, I cant honestly remember seeing a engine running both at the same time locally, and the most exotic you get out this way is the hi-low,


Im going to program a few of our sirens to have the warble woop , and power call type sound just to mix it up,

 

[Skip Goulet]

Ok, not a "real" response with it, but this was during the lights and sirens parade. I used it periodically throughout the parade via the "Outta My Way!" app on my phone. 8:09 is a good example, and again at 12:11.

Is the Q that we hear in the first video on your vehicle or on the old fire truck just in front of you? The big emergency show they have in MI every years is something to watch. I once owned a nice '74 hightop Olds ambulance (see the threed on Fire/EMS media) that's now in MI.And it's in all their shows. The last video I saw of the car it had a Federal C6 siren on top, but it's since been replaced with a Q. Haven't seen a video since the Q addition.

 

[res1cue2001]

WHAT?! How can you not like the ghostbuster siren?

I would imagine you could just record it on your iphone and play it through the PA feature on the siren box, couldn't you. isnt that what these guys did?

 

[foxtrot5]

I would imagine you could just record it on your iphone and play it through the PA feature on the siren box, couldn't you. isnt that what these guys did?

While that's plenty easy to do, Powercall Sirens was originally talking about obtaining proper NFPA, SAE, KKK, or whatever certification so that there would be a degree of less liability if a unit were involved in a MVC while responding with the ecto tone. As it stands now, anything played through your PA technically doesn't meet those qualifications.

 

[strobecrazy]

 

[TritonBoulder47]

I WANT!!!   :drooling:

 

[WS224]

Seems like an awful lot of noise on a residential street with no other traffic on it.

 

[Skip Goulet]

While I think this is a fantastic idea, I'm wondering how well the Ecto tone would be received by the motoring public. Is it possible that emergency vehicles may encounter failure-to-yields resulting from the use of this tone? I certainly wouldn't use this in place of wail, yelp or hi-lo, but I definitely use this in place of piercer and other tones.


In Pennsylvania, emergency vehicles are required to use an "audible warning system" (exact language), with no further definitions nor specifications for siren tones. In California, siren tones are heavily regulated, to the point where not only specific tones are authorized, but the technical specifications for such tones are defined as well. Theoretically, there could be wails and yelps that do not comply with California Title 13.


Once this siren is ready to go, I'd love to hear this through the Rumbler or the Howler. That'd be better than getting slimed!

It would be interesting to know just how technical other states might be when it comes to the definition of "siren".   I know that CA is strict, but I wonder about other places. I think the main thing to consider is if the Ector siren is something that will move traffic like other sirens do.

I remember a Disney movie years ago where a kid got hauled into court for having a siren on his car.  The kid's defense was that it wasn't a "real" siren; but the judge asked, "Does it sound like a siren?" to which the kid smiled and said,"Oh, yes!"  The judge said, "Then it's a siren."   And that was that!

 

[rettoded]

It's been awhile but, Powercall Sirens just released this updated video. Getting closer!

 

[strobecrazy]

Looks like its finally gonna happen.