Chloride Gent Model 1500
| Chloride Gent Model 1500 | |
 A privately owned Chloride-Gent Model 1500. | |
| Company | Gent of Leicester (1975?->1975)
Honeywell Gent (2005-2010s?) |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1975-2010s? |
| Type | Directional Electromechanical |
| Sound output | - |
The Model 1500, or "The Strident", is an indoor fire siren produced by Chloride Gent from around 1975 to the early 2010s, when Honeywell acquired the company. Often used in large open areas or industrial spaces, the Model 1500 proved relatively popular, and many units can still be found today in the hands of collectors. It was the last siren branded under the Gent name after the Tangent sirens ceased production.
History and design
The Model 1500 was introduced sometime during or after 1975, as the earliest units have "Gent of Leicester" and not "Gents' of Leicester" branding on them. This name would be used for a short time in the mid-to-late 1970s after Gent was purchased by Chloride, after which the company would be renamed "Chloride Gent". The Model 1500 was intended to be a small, compact industrial siren that was to be used in a similar vein to a fire alarm. The siren itself is relatively simple in design, consisting of a 6-port rotor and stator driven by a small motor encased in a cylindrical housing, running at either 200 V AC or 250 V DC. A small, circular disk with the company logo, voltage, and name engraved on it is attached to the front of the stator via 4 bolts.
The siren has a small stand with supports on the bottom of the stator as well as one on the bottom of the motor cover. The motor's brushes stick out of the housing on both sides, near the tail end of the motor cover. After Gent was renamed to Chloride Gent, the "Strident" name would be dropped and the disk would be altered, now reading "CHLORIDE GENT model 1500 siren" and the top right and bottom left. The siren would likely be produced until the early 2010s when it would be replaced by Honeywell Gent's electronic fire alarm offerings. Today, a handful of units still exist, with most being in the hands of collectors.