2007 Dodge Charger equipped with the "Rumbler"

[scannerboy02]

Elk Grove Police Dodge Charger Hits the Streets​

ELK GROVE, CA – On Wednesday, August 22, 2007, a new police vehicle will be seen patrolling the streets of Elk Grove in addition to the commonly seen Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars. Elk Grove Police Officers will now be patrolling the city of Elk Grove in a 2007 Dodge Charger, equipped with the police package and a state of the art siren system manufactured by Federal Signal called the "Rumbler".

The 2007 Dodge Charger will be marked in the familiar "black and white" body color with reflective "Police" designs on the side doors and an overhead light bar. The Dodger Charger will also be equipped with a high tech low frequency siren call the "Rumbler". The "Rumbler" comes with two woofers, a timer and an amplifier and is capable of producing a loud, low-pitched siren that is designed to get the attention of inattentive drivers.

"Frequently, our officers encounter drivers who do not yield to emergency vehicles that are responding to calls with lights and siren," said Police Chief Robert Simmons. "The new rumbler system will hopefully allow our officers to get the attention of inattentive drivers during emergency situations."

 

[scannerboy02]

I had never heard of this system until today, doing some research I found that it actually uses low frequency sound waves to shake solid objects.

This is text from the company web site.

"The Rumbler introduces a revolutionary new concept to audible warning. This system has the ability to interact with 100/200-watt siren amplifiers and provide secondary, low frequency duplicate tones. Low frequency tones have the distinct advantage of penetrating and shaking solid materials allowing vehicle operators and nearby pedestrians to FEEL the sound waves, and perhaps even see their effects through a shaking rearview mirror."


"allowing vehicle operators and nearby pedestrians to FEEL the sound waves" makes me wonder if it has the possibility of causing damage to a car or a persons insides. If it is capable of "shaking (a) rearview mirror" what else in my car is it shaking? I would hate to see some electrical wire fall off or a window break. The rap music shakes my car enugh now the police are doing it too. I'm sure they tested it but it just makes me wonder.

 

[Sac916]

I predict that in 6 months that squad car will rattle more than a ratlle snake.

 

[icom1020]

Couldn't they just install the 'bub rub' muffler?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSOSJ68xOBA

 

[BirkenVogt]

The sales literature exaggerates a lot; it is just a low frequency component added to the regular high pitched siren sound. It makes the thing sound a lot like a vacuum cleaner for some reason. I think it will work well though if people associate it with the siren sound.

Birken

 

[RolnCode3]

This was such a non-news event I found it amusing it was in the paper.

 

[Kirk]

At least around here, incidents of LE rolling code 3 are pretty limited. We don't tend to get a lot of hot calls, so it's rare to hear Police/Sheriff with a siren on. CHP is much more common, and obviously fire/EMS.

That said, when I worked EMS, I would have taken darn near anything if I thought it would get people to move out of the way.

I hope before an agency spends too much money on rumblers, they're equipping every last signal with Opticom.

 

[trooperdude]

The sales literature exaggerates a lot; it is just a low frequency component added to the regular high pitched siren sound. It makes the thing sound a lot like a vacuum cleaner for some reason. I think it will work well though if people associate it with the siren sound.

Birken

That will last about 15 minutes in an urban area when the citizens start calling
city hall about the excessive rattling.

:roll:

 

[RolnCode3]

At least around here, incidents of LE rolling code 3 are pretty limited. We don't tend to get a lot of hot calls, so it's rare to hear Police/Sheriff with a siren on. CHP is much more common, and obviously fire/EMS.

I hope before an agency spends too much money on rumblers, they're equipping every last signal with Opticom.

It's very common for LE around here to respond Code3. I don't know of any LE that has Opticoms installed, however (except *maybe* West Sac). Can't think of anyone else.

It's an interesting premise, and something new, but don't know how big of a deal it will be. Hopefully it'll work for them.

 

[pfish]

It's very common for LE around here to respond Code3. I don't know of any LE that has Opticoms installed, however (except *maybe* West Sac). Can't think of anyone else.

It's an interesting premise, and something new, but don't know how big of a deal it will be. Hopefully it'll work for them.

If you're throwing West Sac in the mix, Yolo is fair game

Davis PD/Fire both have opticoms installed, and most of the intersections support them. I know West Sac (PD) units have them installed...I would assume fire does too. AMR also has them.

 

[RolnCode3]

If you're throwing West Sac in the mix, Yolo is fair game

Davis PD/Fire both have opticoms installed, and most of the intersections support them. I know West Sac (PD) units have them installed...I would assume fire does too. AMR also has them.

Any idea how much the devices are? I know where to get them, just no clue on price.

 

[pfish]

Any idea how much the devices are? I know where to get them, just no clue on price.

Nope...couldn't find the prices. I'd be interested to see them though.

 

[556fmj]

Elk Grove Fire/Cosumnes have been using the 3M opticoms for quite a while now. I remember seeing them back in 89-90. Before Elk Grove PD started up their own Police Dept. from SSD I drove a unit that had the opticom installed in the lightbar. Didn't have a chance to use though. I still see Sacramento Metro and I think Sacramento City fire with the 3M opticoms or equivalent.

I was in Elk Grove the other day and did see the Dodge Charger driving around. Not sure on how effective the rumbler is though. A few months ago on elightbars.org some officers posted some feedback on the federal signal rumblers installed in their crown vics including videos.

 

[Duster]

It's very common for LE around here to respond Code3. I don't know of any LE that has Opticoms installed, however (except *maybe* West Sac). Can't think of anyone else.

It's an interesting premise, and something new, but don't know how big of a deal it will be. Hopefully it'll work for them.

Roseville and Rocklin have them installed in all vehicles (both PD and FD), and on well over 90% of their intersections. Citrus Hgts and unincorporated Placer County have the system installed on most intersections, but primarily for fire use. I don't know if the new CHPD uses Opticoms or not. Placer Co. SO does not install them on their patrol vehicles, nor does Lincoln PD, even though Lincoln is starting to add Opticom to their intersections, once again probably for fire use, because Lincoln Fire has emitters on some of their engines.

 

[todd818]

Here's how the "Rumbler" sounds:

http://media.putfile.com/Rumbler-vs-regular-siren-sounds

 

[BirkenVogt]

We did Opticoms some years ago. Off the top of my head they are in the $500 range for the emitters and tens of thousands per set of signals. That was for high speed roads though. But they are still darn expensive. Any city that can afford them is small and/or has lots of developers that they are extorting lots of money from.

Birken

 

[scannerboy02]

You can also use a $10 flash light and accomplish the same goal, or so I have heard ;-)

 

[JT-112]

Hi guys (and any gals)...

Here in the suburbs of Chicago we're almost 100% Opticom. I actually can't even think of an intersection that doesn't have it - although I'm sure some don't.

They're really effective and it's nice to have the ability for emergency responders to get around w/o siren when that's appropriate.

How or why this area came to be such a Opticom hotbed (even more so than St. Paul, 3M's HQ) I don't know. All ambulances and fire rigs have the emitters, most local police do as well but State and County not as much. I would suspect that this is because each municipality uses a different code to unlock their intersections.

I agree with the poster that Opticom is much much more effective than any siren, but it doesn't stop every single fire rig from having a Federal Q on it!

 

[RolnCode3]

You can also use a $10 flash light and accomplish the same goal, or so I have heard ;-)

I've always heard the old "flash the headlights" idea, but I thought these were based on some gaseous discharge idea.

Here's 3M's Opticom website:
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Traffic_Safety/TSS/Offerings/Systems/Opticom/

Personally, I'll take the siren, halogens, strobes, LEDs, Opticom, and whatever else the alternator can power in order to get there quickly and safely.

Too bad my boss is super-cheap, and we're still replacing 20-yr old Aerodynics with halogen MX7000s (don't laugh, it's pathetic and embarrassing). God forbid we enter the 21st century and mount an LED somewhere!

 

[BirkenVogt]

I love the look of Aerodynics so long as the lenses are in good shape (most aren't after all these years) but I am not all that enamored of LEDs for most emergency warning. They are good looking at them straight on but off to the side they die out real fast. Modern alternators (in trucks anyway, don't know about police cars) have little problem keeping up with halogens these days. The last truck I speced, a big MD ambulance, I deleted all strobes except the Opticom and did halogen. I could not even begin to justify the many thousands of extra dollars that LEDs would have cost.

Birken