BNCO Model 110

BNCO Model 110
A Model 110 unit, located in Maiden Rock, WI. Photo by SuperSiren25.
Company	Biersach & Niedermayer
Produced	1960s-1967
Type	Omnidirectional Electromechanical
Frequency	50/60 Hz
Horsepower	10 hp
Succeeded by	Banshee 110

The Model 110 was a short-lived omnidirectional siren produced by Biersach & Niedermayer (BNCO) from the mid to late 1960s to 1967, when BNCO's siren division was reformed into Alerting Communicators of America and the design was partially reused for the Banshee 110.

History

The Model 110 was introduced sometime in the mid-to-late 1960s, when Mobil Directo sales were on the decline due to stiff competition from industry giants such as Federal Sign & Signal, whose Model 5 was on the rise in terms of sales. As such, the Model 110 was quickly conceived as a last-ditch effort to compete with Federal and keep the company's siren business afloat. The 1st units were planned to be installed in Green Bay, WI, with BNCO submitting a bid of $31,000 dollars for the system. Other bids submitted for the system were $43,980 from Graybar Electric Co., $44,000 from Westinghouse, $44,440 from General Electric Co. (both Federal dealers), and $44,440 from Federal Sign and Signal Co. themselves.

According to a newspaper article, BNCO purposely did not bid on all items, including the "110 siren warning system", because they did not have the Model 110 in stock at the time, citing that it was not authorized by the U.S. government. Ultimately, Graybar ended up winning the bid. The 1st unit would actually be installed in Maiden Rock, WI, which would use it as a weather siren. It is unknown if any other Model 110 units were ever sold, though it is highly unlikely. In 1967, BNCO sold off its siren division and discontinued the Mobil Directo and the Model 110. The company's siren division was reformed into Alerting Communicators of America (ACA), led by James Biersach, who partially reused the design for the Mobil Directo and Model 110 for the Allertor 125 and Banshee 110 respectively.

Design

The Model 110, at its core, is little more than a rearranged Mobil Directo Model BN44E. The siren makes use of an 8-port rotor and stator, with the siren being driven by a large, 10 hp motor above the stator. The Model 110 reuses the Mobil Directo's projector drum, with 4 openings cut into it to make way for the siren's 4 rectangular horns, which help project the siren's sound better. These horns converge at the very front, forming a "flower" shape when viewed from above or below, in a similar manner to the T-121. The horns have mesh screens attached to the front, to prevent animals from getting into the rotor. This is all held up by 4 mounting legs, which are connected to a square base. Another mesh screen is placed in between the mounting legs and is connected to a rounded base which hovers above the square base. This assembly serves as the siren's intake.