59 replies to this topic

[Lucas North]

I thought I'd start a generic topic for sirens (for the uber geeks)

I'll start with a question - something that's been bugging me for years!


Does anyone know what siren this is? 1:25 onwards




From 0:00 to 0:07



It definitely not the usual "Whelan" siren that seems to have spread nationally. I've always referred to it as "The Met Siren."

[mdon]

Sounds like a standard yelp siren to me. All sirens will sound slightly different due to different makes of sirens, even the same siren midels fitted to different cars etc.

[AnthonyB]

It is a yelp, but not from an amp produced by the usual suspects such as Whelen, Redtronics, Premier Hazard, etc and was for many years specific to Met Vehicles. If I recall correctly the manufacturer is Sterling Vehicle Products.

Every manufacturers tones are slightly different, those with a practiced ear can tell whose make (& sometimes as a result which service!). Some are even trademarked!

[Lucas North]

Sterling, eh? I'll have to try and hunt that down.

I've always preferred it to the Whelan... now I just need to find a WAV / MP3 of it so I can stick it in a video game


Off to Youtube...

[N7_Spectre]

Found this, I have it installed on my GTA San Andreas (with Metropolitan Police cars of course). Don't know if it's the right thing but there's a download link if you want the mp3 files

[AnthonyB]

Sterling, eh? I'll have to try and hunt that down.

I've always preferred it to the Whelan... now I just need to find a WAV / MP3 of it so I can stick it in a video game


Off to Youtube...

They do have a website (not easy to find as the US company SVP often pops up instead who do similar stuff but are not connected) & the siren drivers do pop up on eBay, we got one for one of our vehicles.

[sarin]

Lol...never thought I would be posting on a topic about Police sirens... The latest MET pandas also have a bull horn. They are quite fun to wake people up....

[Lucas North]

Found this, I have it installed on my GTA San Andreas (with Metropolitan Police cars of course). Don't know if it's the right thing but there's a download link if you want the mp3 files

Nah - still Whelan mate, but thanks anyway

They do have a website (not easy to find as the US company SVP often pops up instead who do similar stuff but are not connected) & the siren drivers do pop up on eBay, we got one for one of our vehicles.

Yeah that is a right pain in the rectum! I shall have to do some hunting.

Lol...never thought I would be posting on a topic about Police sirens... The latest MET pandas also have a bull horn. They are quite fun to wake people up....

Bull horns are great - fantastic way to give someone a heart attack

[Lucas North]

Right... I got the royal hump with searching for it... so I ripped it from The Bill (though trying to find a clean sample was a nightmare).

ET VOILA!

[Javioli]

The latest MET pandas also have a bull horn.

Does that go "MOOOO!!!!!!!" ??

[Killicksparker]

The latest MET pandas also have a bull horn. They are quite fun to wake people up....

Does that go "MOOOO!!!!!!!" ??

Nah!! its just a recording of BHH shouting "BULLS**T" every couple of seconds !!

Lol...never thought I would be posting on a topic about Police sirens... The latest MET pandas also have a bull horn. They are quite fun to wake people up....

Oh yes, and officers don't like playing with them much do they !!!???? (see below)

[boywonder]

Am i right in thinking that red lights apply to motorists regardless of whether you have an emergency vehicle right up your backside with his lights and siren on or am i wrong.

[JS_Manc.]

Say what you like, but nothing beats the old school. I have noticed they have started to make a come back on certain vehicles.

This video displays what I mean perfectly:




Having a member of that family who deals in this business, I was told that the modern electronic sirens are becoming less and less effective due to modern vehicle design. The traditional siren (compressed air), no matter what your speed will always project the sound forward and left to right. The electronic ones at a certain speed, around 50 - 60MPH can not keep up with the vehicle speed meaning no matter how modern they are, will always be less effective simply because of how the sound is projected, not to mention they fail to penetrate the build of modern vehicles.

Finally, being in a force which is now moving from headlight flash to simply blue and white grill lights I feel it is a move in the wrong direction. Only this week it has become clear even the newest LED lights on a bright sunny day are no match for headlight flash and halogen lights mixed with led.

Another one to add to the above

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6y7MeMWyC4

Again one of my favourites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6y7MeMWyC4

Again, good example of H/L flash at night with sidelights in an urban built up area. I am slowly becoming used to wheelan only sirens and people not moving prior to being touching their rear bumper !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqWJagD4BFc&feature=related

[Lucas North]

The two-tone on that fire truck is one of my favs, but I only like it on fire trucks. The sound makes it feel like something huge is on the way, so to see a little Fiesta appear round the corner would be a disappointment

I agree with you about the lights as well - wig-wag lights will always be king!

[Burnie]

The two-tone on that fire truck is one of my favs, but I only like it on fire trucks. The sound makes it feel like something huge is on the way, so to see a little Fiesta appear round the corner would be a disappointment

But cool as hell just to see the look on drivers faces when the fiesta lets out a satisfying bullhorm "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!!!"

[Smeders]

Oh yes, and officers don't like playing with them much do they !!!???? (see below)

Skippers chips must have been getting cold!!

[Myky]

Skippers chips must have been getting cold!!

skipper was supposed to turn the siren off at the lights if he had no way round...

[Smeders]

skipper was supposed to turn the siren off at the lights if he had no way round...

Yep, getting a lot of stick on the comments..

[oddbod]

Oh please, the bullhorning Astra's already been done to death
http://www.policespe...sponse-trained/

Our older cars have a 4 cycle siren with a weird klaxxon button thats not quite a bullhorn.

[Damsel]

Am i right in thinking that red lights apply to motorists regardless of whether you have an emergency vehicle right up your backside with his lights and siren on or am i wrong.

You're right, but what that has to do with siren tones, I'm a little unclear on.


I know someone has already mentioned that the Met use (or used) Stirling Sirens. What they've not mentioned, probably because they know people will take the MetMick.... Is that they were actually branded as.......

MetSound!

[Killicksparker]

Another one to add to the above



Again one of my favourites:

Isn't that the same link ??

[Smeders]

Isn't that the same link ??

Looks like it!

This is one of my favourites, the older west midlands police siren (now using the "METsiren" on the new insignia response cars)

http://www.flickr.co...N06/5823814235/

(i couldn't get the video inserted like the Youtube ones, sorry!)

[Killicksparker]

The two-tone on that fire truck is one of my favs, but I only like it on fire trucks. The sound makes it feel like something huge is on the way, so to see a little Fiesta appear round the corner would be a disappointment

I agree with you about the lights as well - wig-wag lights will always be king!

Having lived in the States for some time before returning here, I will always associate fire engines with a Federal Q siren and bull horn, I wonder why it didn't make it over here like the wail/yelp siren did

[Lucas North]

Looks like it!

This is one of my favourites, the older west midlands police siren (now using the "METsiren" on the new insignia response cars)

http://www.flickr.co...N06/5823814235/

(i couldn't get the video inserted like the Youtube ones, sorry!)

Sounds French

I absolutely hate the sound of those fire trucks, Killicksparker... reminds me of 9/11 - it's the bullhorn that does it

[Smeders]

Sounds French

I absolutely hate the sound of those fire trucks, Killicksparker... reminds me of 9/11 - it's the bullhorn that does it

Its fitted to a 308 as WMP used them for response cars for the last 1 and a bit years until they switched to insignias for response cars.