Federal Signal Modulator
Federal Signal Modulators (also known as Modulator Speaker Arrays) are electronic warning devices produced by Federal Signal Corporation that are used to alert the public about tornadoes, severe weather, earthquakes, fires, lahars, tsunamis, or any other disaster.
Modulators have an inactive (dummy) speaker cell on the bottom of the stack that is used to help project sound in all directions.
In January 2013, Federal Signal released the Modulator II sirens, consisting of the 1004B, 2008B, 3012B, 4016B, 5020B, 6024B, and 8032B models.
[citation needed] The sirens can be activated by radio using single tone, two-tone, DTMF, MSK or POCSAG over analog, digital and trunking systems, or by satellite, cellular, landline or IP.
[2] The Modulator has a similar setup to the Whelen WPS 2700, 2800, 2900, and OmniAlert omnidirectional speaker arrays.
The American Signal I-Force siren, which uses stacked, elliptical speaker cells that provide omnidirectional sound output, is also similar to the Modulator.
The Modulators in Olmsted County, Minnesota are known for their pre-test and post-test voice announcements, and also for only being located in parks.
Additionally, in Cape Town, South Africa, several Modulator sirens are installed which use their standard wail tone to alert citizens in the Melkbosstrand, Duynefontein, Blaauwberg, Table View, Robben Island, Atlantis, Philadelphia and Parklands areas in case of any emergency which can occur at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.
Listen to Good Hope FM or Kfm for further information") and live voice announcements (which are read by people and are often cite similar things said by the preset voice), other than the typical wail tone of the Modulator.
[5] The Modulators (MOD-2008 & 1004) make up nearly all the warning sirens in the Netherlands, which are tested on the first Monday of the month at noon.
The Modulators in Saudi Arabia are located in Air Force Bases in both Riyadh and Dammam.
The Concrete, Washington area has a system of eight 8032B Modulators to warn of possible breaches at the Baker River Dam.
The system uses a distinctive "WHOOP" tone that was originally produced for Federal Signal's line of fire alarms.
[6] Alaska has many Federal Signal Modulators and Eclipse 8s on their All Hazard Siren System.
They play bugle calls such as The Star Spangled Banner, Wild Blue Yonder, and Taps.
Hawaii has a statewide system of green painted Federal Signal Modulators and Modulator II sirens throughout the state to warn of tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, bomb threats and any other dangerous emergencies or natural disasters.
The now decommissioned Pilgrim Nuclear Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts used Federal Signal Modulators and EOWS 612s.
PLEASE REGARD ANY FURTHER ALARMS.” The Pilgrim Power Plant never had any major emergencies, but if there was one, the sirens would sound in a tone, followed by a voice announcement.
They are similar to the Chicago siren system because they use the rare signal, alternate wail, but after, it includes a voice message that says “THIS IS AN EARTHQUAKE.
They test at the same schedule as the city of Clemson, South Carolina’s siren system for the nearby power plant.
[8] When a thunderstorm is detected, the modulators sound in hi-lo followed by a voice that says “LIGHTNING WARNING!
PLEASE SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!” [10] The system is not only used for tornadoes, and severe storms, therefore, it is also used in case of an emergency at the power plant nearby the facility.
These sirens are used for calls, funerals, Santa escorts, flooding, curfews, blackouts, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey has a Modulator 3012 that plays off a Gamewell Diaphone recording in addition to a custom attack tone used primarily for calls even though Point Pleasant Beach never had a Gamewell Diaphone.
This is different, and more secure, to the SiraTone which required a jumper to be added in order to permanently arm the controller.
After a signal was activated the digital audio was sent through a digital/analogue converter to each amplifier and onto the speaker array in the form of a square wave.
