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[Brandt]

Im thinking to get a powerhorn

Im curious what they sound like does anyone have audio recordings of the old one and the new one??

[Brian H]

I looked but have not seen any wav files of the PH508.
I know my older unit. Has a High and Low tone that alternates with the On and Off commands. I found with mine an On triggers the lower tone and an Off the Higher Tone.

Also you need a 1 second cycle of on off commands to trigger it. A simple on or off does not trigger the module. Takes about 3-4 cycles to trigger it and then it keeps sounding until the cycling stops for 4 seconds.

[HA Dave]

To me the powerhorn (NOT the large powerhorn) is very high pitched. Even though those high pitch sounds no longer hurt my ears as they did when I was much younger (that is normal)... it is still very loud. I wouldn't worry about the smaller sirens effect... or lack of effect on older males.. as we tend to do such a tiny percentage of the break-ins.

However the LARGE power horn is still my favorite.... and cheaper too.

[Brandt]

However the LARGE power horn is still my favorite.... and cheaper too.

yes that's the new one...110db....the old one looks more like the chime module and was 105db i believe.

[Brian H]

You maybe thinking of the small powerhorn siren SH10A. It looks like a chime module but is called a Powerhorn Siren. The PH508 is also called a Powerhorn Siren. Just so the end user can get confused and both are still being sold. 
http://www.x10.com/security/x10_sh10a.htm
http://www.x10.com/security/x10_ph508.htm

My comments where on the PH508 and its sounds.

I also have an SH10A and it can also be made to ding and dong. Send it an on signal. Then bright and dim commands make it ding and dong. Can also be sent a rapid set of on signals and it then locks on and the on off cycle used to trigger it can stop and the thing keeps sounding. Till it times out in four minutes or you send it a few offs.

[HA Dave]

yes that's the new one...110db....the old one looks more like the chime module and was 105db i believe.

Didn't realize the Large Powerhorn was newer.... it's been around a few years. The smaller one does look much like the chime module. I have all three.

I had read a post here at the forum where someone had said the new sirens cycled differently... (like 6 seconds on 6 off?). I just recently installed a DS7000 for someone else... and didn't see any difference in the sirens. Actually I bought the 3 Large Power horns.. and kept one for myself. I can't tell any difference.

I just double checked the sounds mine make (they are loud). The Large Powerhorns make the High-Low noise similar to European police sirens. The smaller (chime sized) siren warbles [at a very high pitch].

My plan was two-fold. I wanted enough noise that it would be hard to tell where the console was located. And I wanted to make it difficult to be able to just unplug the sirens. Both worked well and I got a bonus.. they can be heard outside well enough I think they would get my neighbors attention.

[HA Dave]

.... I also have an SH10A and it can also be made to ding and dong.

You know I had forgot about that! I've read it once or twice... but never even tried it before. It's a nice option for an alternate sound/notice/warning... as well as a pericing siren. Another little seldom mentioned tidbit is the floodlights. When used on the same House code as the alarm console the floodlights will flash like any other light on the alarm code. When the alarm is triggered.

Also if the floodlight is set on the security light code... the floodlight will flash once when the alarm is armed using the pocket remote. On the new[er] alarm consoles. That can make knowing your armed from the outside... much easier.

Note: if the security light/ floodlight is already on when it is "flashed" it will merely appear to turn off.

[Brian H]

Both the PH508 and the SH10A have been around for years.
My SH10As are Date Code: 04H33 and 07E20
My PH508s are Date Code: 02H33.

Now I do remember that the PH508 was redesigned a few years ago as my older ones have the empty PCB area to add a relay and components to drive it. For an external dry closure switch when triggered. From what I remember the new ones don't have an empty area for the relay and components to drive it.

One of the features of the KR15A Big Red Panic Button remotes is to ding a SH10A if you hold the button a few seconds. That is just before an extended button hold then triggers the SH10A into the siren mode or so the manual states. I have never gotten mine to properly trigger the siren, though I have gotten to the dinging part.