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Looking for Programming software and cable for a Federal Signal Tornado siren controller.

K5DVT

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
54
Location
Woo Pig Sooieville
Hello all,
I'm helping a local FD build out a UHF repeater secondary to their main system. That I am very familiar with. They would like to put their tornado siren which does contain a radio module on the repeater so they can DTMF activate it. It is a Federal Signal DCFCBU Siren enclosure. All though if you google "FC Siren Controller" you get more accurately what is in the cabinet.
I am looking for the programming software for it. I found on their website the "FC/FCM Programmer" which seems to do what I would need it to, but on the RF module on the board itself there is a label that says "Receiver requires FSPWARE V(??) SFCDWARE V(??) or later software" Is anyone familiar with this software and know where it get it? What about a programming cable? I am relying on pictures from one of the FD members and I can't tell if there is a RS232 serial port on the board or if it is a standard 0.1" header or what. Any help/advice on that would be greatly appreciated!
 

dryfb

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
215
Location
America
I would urge some caution here. If you use an Analog UHF repeater with plain DTMF you are opening up the FD to all sorts of issues with unauthorized activation of the Sirens.
I'd bet that an analog repeater or simplex freq with DTMF or 2 tone is the most common method of activating tornado sirens in the US, or at least that it was 10 years ago. How many people are going to sleuth out the 2 tone or DMTF codes and then actually activate sirens?

If it's really a concern then use split tones on the repeater so it's harder to access (should already do that)
 

K5DVT

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
54
Location
Woo Pig Sooieville
Yes all the above, or use Two tone or a long DTMF string that would mean more work to decode it.

Regardless, this about the quest for software. I see that the programming cable is just a serial cable. I can do that, but looking for input on software.

Thanks everyone
 
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