Question about Twinsonic/Aerodynic/Code 3 speaker mounts and grilles

[Night Patrolman]

So I had a thought recently: is it possible to mount the siren speaker and/or grille backwards on a Twinsonic, Aerodynic/AeroTwin, Code 3 SD, XL, LP or anything like that? I'm asking because I had this idea for ambulances or SWAT vans with two lightbars where the lightbar on the rear would have the speaker facing backwards for rearwards sound projection.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

So I had a thought recently: is it possible to mount the siren speaker and/or grille backwards on a Twinsonic, Aerodynic/AeroTwin, Code 3 SD, XL, LP or anything like that? I'm asking because I had this idea for ambulances or SWAT vans with two lightbars where the lightbar on the rear would have the speaker facing backwards for rearwards sound projection.

Twinsonic, Aerodynic and LP, yes. I presume the others could as well but have not had hands on recently enough to confirm.
The only real point I could see is for the pa. Unless the vehicle loses all gears except reverse it seems almost counter productive.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Yes on all counts. reversing the speaker grille was common once OSHA killed the roof mounted speaker.

 

[TDC]

Yes, seen a lot on wreckers of the day

 

[Maxim2Eng]

In the Blues Brothers mall chase scene, the Illinois State police car 12X was mounted backwards with the speaker grill facing “forward”. (From FedSig’s instructions, the handclap pattern when viewed from front should be rotator flash followed by reflected flashes moving toward the center of the bar). I’ve known a few agencies in the day that thought the reversed pattern would be a visual signal to “MOVE THE HELL OUTA MY WAY!”. The jury never returned a verdict.

Here’s the scene:

 

[stansdds]

In the Blues Brothers mall chase scene, the Illinois State police car 12X was mounted backwards with the speaker grill facing “forward”. (From FedSig’s instructions, the handclap pattern when viewed from front should be rotator flash followed by reflected flashes moving toward the center of the bar). I’ve known a few agencies in the day that thought the reversed pattern would be a visual signal to “MOVE THE HELL OUTA MY WAY!”. The jury never returned a verdict.

Here’s the scene:

That was an incredible stunt scene and had to be incredibly dangerous to perform. So many moving parts to that scene and only one shot at getting it on film.

 

[Wailer]

I've seen a couple ambos with Twin Sonic speaker grilles facing backwards. They didn't need speakers in the light bars because they had Federal CP25 speakers on the roof.

 

[SoloRTP]

In the Blues Brothers mall chase scene, the Illinois State police car 12X was mounted backwards with the speaker grill facing “forward”.

Those bars have the split funhouse mirrors. Seen from above, they are kind of an X pattern, so the light patterns show to front and rear.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

Thus the model designation 12X

 

[stansdds]

The only issue I had with the 12X was that with splitting the mirrors horizontally, each mirror panel reflected only 1/2 of the beam of light from the rotating bulbs. Yes, that 1/2 beam of light was 1/2 as effective as the full height mirrors of the Model 12.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

As a voluteer firefighter in KY, we could use red lights and siren when responding to an alarm. (The admonition was the vehicle had to be in complete control of the operator when proceeding through traffic, thus, if there was a collision, the vehicle was not under control and liable). One of my first bars was a FS model 11 and the synchronized alternating flash was very effective (FS sales brochures called it the Wig-Wag effect like a train crossing signal). When the TS model 12 came out, I upgraded and it seemed even more effective (I was working for an outfitter). I never considered a 12X for the very reason @stansdds mentioned. I did, however add a Unity par36 lamp flashing to the rear on the passenger side to improve rear warning. I used that bar all through college.

Now, had I only known of the CTS…alas, not in KY.