This one goes to 11.

November 27, 2008 5:44 PM

This one goes to 11.Louder than the "loudest band in the world" but powered by a Hemi, (sound, pops), the most powerful sirens ever built served faithfully through a war that didn’t happen. Others may be more technologically advanced but even today’s loudest ones can’t match the Chrysler (though they may be useful in warning of other types of disaster).

(first post, please be kind)

posted by SoFlo1 (21 comments total)

If things had gone the other way on November 4th, these would have been a nice accompaniment to this post.
posted by gman at 6:01 PM on November 27, 2008

I wonder if you can mount the Tempest as a car horn.
posted by Smedleyman at 6:08 PM on November 27, 2008

Pretty cool stuff, neat post!
posted by DMan at 6:11 PM on November 27, 2008

Oh yes! and the BBCs flash video player volume goes to 11. Lovely.
posted by noriyori at 6:11 PM on November 27, 2008

Anyone else think "lunch time!" when they hear an air raid siren?
posted by furtive at 6:12 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

Holy shit. Is there and Eman and an Fman?
posted by gman at 6:13 PM on November 27, 2008 [2 favorites]

Welcome, and congratulations on the post.

In 1867, the first primitive steam-powered fog siren was installed at the lighthouse on Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Sandy Hook reaches out almost halfway across New York Bay toward Brooklyn, and it poses a serious threat to shipping in and out of New York City.

The light served warning when it could be seen. But, in fog, Sandy Hook could not be seen. It had to be heard; and this new machine was very audible.

posted by acro at 6:14 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

Now we have a place to send anyone who posts and AskMe about the noisy neighbors in their apartment!

Great post about something I knew very little about; I hope Mr. Stall's restoration efforts go well.
posted by TedW at 6:14 PM on November 27, 2008

Whoa. Rock 'n' Roll.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:33 PM on November 27, 2008

Cool post - early sirens.
posted by tellurian at 6:40 PM on November 27, 2008

Very good!

I read the text of the first link when it came out in the print version of American Heritage of Invention and Technology magazine. Thankfully, back issues are now archived online. I was fascinated, and it's good to see more information contained in your links.

Some years before I read the magazine article, I think I read in a local Seattle paper about a metal tower on Queen Anne hill that had once supported one of these powerful horns. I can't remember if the tower was dismantled, or if it's still there.

I remember once being at a drag race seated fairly close to the starting line. I remember experiencing just what the American Heritage author mentioned; when the two 5000 horsepower funny cars launched, it seemed like either the air itself was vibrating, or more likely, my eyeballs were vibrating, as my vision became slightly blurred for a moment.
posted by Tube at 6:40 PM on November 27, 2008

In Minnesota, you always know it is the first Wednesday of the month when you hear a siren at 1 pm.

I've always wondered whether this was a common thing across the US.
posted by localhuman at 7:29 PM on November 27, 2008

localhuman: It is, at least across Michigan. Here in my area the sirens are tested at noon every Saturday during the summer. These are usually only used for tornado warnings, but I imagine they could serve other purposes if needed.
posted by c0nsumer at 7:55 PM on November 27, 2008

Ours are tested on the first Wednesday of the month at around 10-11 AM, I think. They're ostensibly tornado sirens as well, never thought about them being used for other purposes.

Of course, I live in West Texas, so hearing the siren in the middle of a storm is like the city telling us "Get your camera and go outside! Quick!"
posted by DMan at 8:13 PM on November 27, 2008

IIRC, there is an upper limit to how loud (dB_SPL) a sine wave can be for a given atmospheric pressure and temperature. It has to do with the fact that once you reach vacuum, you can't drive a pressure wave any more negative.

I believe it was about 157 dB_SPL at standard temperature and pressure.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:13 PM on November 27, 2008

This made me giggle:

In the short time that this website, VictorySiren.com™, has been online, the public response has been tremendous. During the first two months the site has attracted an average of 100 visitors a day and the pace continues.

Great post. I enjoyed it.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:33 PM on November 27, 2008

ZenMasterThis: it's 194 dB.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 10:05 PM on November 27, 2008

IIRC, there is an upper limit to how loud (dBSPL) a sine wave can be for a given atmospheric pressure and temperature. It has to do with the fact that once you reach vacuum, you can't drive a pressure wave any more negative.

I believe it was about 157 dBSPL at standard temperature and pressure.


It's actually around 194db -- it's not an hard limit of loudness, but the sound begins to distort because the vacuum side of things gets clipped. I believe you can actually hear this clipping in audio recordings of nuclear bombs -- the sound is not that loud at the recording site, but the clipping persists.
posted by ladd at 10:16 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

acro, that link to The Engines of our Ingenuity looks cool! 2449 short lectures on the history of invention?!?
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:25 AM on November 28, 2008

Based on the description, I have to wonder if there isn't some medical use for such high loudness sound. Once they figure out how to get around the hearing loss issue, of course.
posted by tommasz at 7:30 AM on November 28, 2008

Definitely- Here's the NPR podcast link.
posted by acro at 11:58 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]