WPS-2900

Model WPS2900
A Model WPS2905 in Myersville, MD. Photo taken by Ben Schumin.
Company	Whelen Engineering
Produced	2006-present
Type	Omnidirectional Electronic
Sound output	109-129 dB @ 100 ft
Wattage	400-4000 W
Voltage	28 V DC
Preceded by	Model WPS-2800
Documentation	Manual Product sheet

The WPS-2900 (more recently WPS2900) is a series of modular multicellular electronic sirens that is currently produced by Whelen Engineering and is the latest version of their omnidirectional sirens. Having been produced for over 15 years, it is Whelen's most popular omnidirectional siren and one of the most popular electronic sirens on the market, rivaling Federal Signal's Modulator and competing with ASC's i-FORCE and ATI's HPSS-32.

History and Design

All 10 cell configurations for the WPS(-)2900.

The WPS-2900 was introduced in 2006 to replace the popular WPS-2800 series, boasting several improvements over the latter. The WPS-2900 is largely identical to the WPS-2800, with a few design changes. The most significant is the introduction of Whelen's EZ-Pull drivers, which allow for drivers to be removed and replaced from the side of the siren, instead of needing to partially disassemble the siren to replace a defective driver. This made the siren far easier to maintain. The other design change was the mesh screen, which was reverted back to the same size as the screen on the WPS-2700.

This change was made as the enlarged screen on the WPS-2800 created a loud hissing noise when the siren was running due to the vibrations, and the larger screen was not necessary to keep debris out effectively. The WPS-2900 is otherwise entirely identical to the WPS-2800. The siren is made entirely of fiberglass and consists of a varying number of speaker cells. Each cell contains a 400 W Superpower speaker compression driver in the bottom half of each cell, which broadcasts the amplified tones from the controller. Each cell is made of two elliptical surfaces, a projector and mesh screen, and six fiberglass supports.

A 400 W Superpower driver attached to an "EZ-Pull" handle for easy replacement of faulty drivers.

This design allows the sound to be projected in a true 360° fashion. The sound is projected upwards from the bottom of each cell, and outwards by a conical projector in the middle of each cell, and by the shape of each cell. Like the WPS-2800, the WPS-2900 supports between one and ten cells per unit, for a maximum of 4000 W of output. They come standard with the ESC-2030 digital controller, although early units ran on the ESC-2020 controller. The WPS-2900 includes support for VisuAlert Model VALERT*—a set of 6 LED lights attached to the bottom of the siren head—and L31 Model L31H*F4—a beacon attached to the top of the siren head—which provide visual notification alongside standard audio tones.

VisuAlert and L31 beacons are available in amber (Model L31HAF4), blue (Model L31HBF4), or red (Model L31HRF4). WPS-2906 and smaller units require a Type II cabinet, while WPS-2907 and above require a Type III cabinet. Today, the WPS-2900 continues to be sold alongside its sub-models and is a very popular alternative to the Federal Signal Modulator II and ASC i-FORCE. It is very popular for cities looking for a high-performance electronic siren and do not want to invest in the higher maintenance WPS-4000 line. It is easily Whelen's most popular siren and continues to have a reputation for high performance and reliability. They can be found worldwide, and rebranded models are sold by HSS Engineering in Europe and the Middle East.

Variants

Also included in the WPS-2900 series is the OMNI-ALERT series/OA series. The OMNI-ALERT series was carried over from the WPS-2800, although the models have been renamed. The OMNI-ALERT series comes in one to four cell configurations, designated the Model OA1, Model OA2, Model OA3, and Model OA4. OMNI-ALERT sirens are identical to a standard WPS-2900, but with voice capabilities removed, meaning OMNI-ALERT sirens are entirely incapable of relaying voice messages, both prerecorded and live. This reduces the cost of the siren and makes it more affordable for areas where voice capabilities are not needed. They are very similar in concept to the VORTEXR and HORNET. In 2011, the FIREHOUSE series was introduced; intended for use by fire stations, it is the spiritual successor to the WS-280 series, which was meant for the same purpose. The FIREHOUSE series includes support for 2 tone 1 way radio activation, which the OMNI-ALERT series lacks. There are 4 models in the FIREHOUSE series, the Model FHS1, Model FHS2, Model FHS3, and Model FHS4.

Models

WPS-2900 models

Model	Image	Output	Cells/drivers/wattage	Documentation
WPS2901/OA1/FHS1		109 dBc	1 (400 W)	Model WPS2901 product sheet/install guide Model OA1 install guide Model FHS1 install guide
WPS2902/OA2/FHS2		115 dBc	2 (800 W)	Model WPS2902 product sheet/install guide Model OA2 install guide Model FHS2 install guide
WPS2903/OA3/FHS3		119 dBc	3 (1200 W)	Model WPS2903 product sheet/install guide Model OA3 install guide Model FHS3 install guide
WPS2904/OA4/FHS4		121 dBc	4 (1600 W)	Model WPS2904 product sheet/install guide Model OA4 install guide Model FHS4 install guide
WPS2905		123 dBc	5 (2000 W)	Model WPS2905 product sheet/install guide
WPS2906		125 dBc	6 (2400 W)	Model WPS2906 product sheet/install guide
WPS2907		126 dBc	7 (2800 W)	Model WPS2907 product sheet/install guide
WPS2908		127 dBc	8 (3200 W)	Model WPS2908 product sheet/install guide
WPS2909		128 dBc	9 (3600 W)	Model WPS2909 product sheet/install guide
WPS2910		129 dBc	10 (4000 W)	Model WPS2910 product sheet/install guide

Gallery

• 

  A Model OA1 in Norton, OH. Photo taken by Kurt B. (SF57) on 3/31/18

• 

  A Model WPS2910 with VisuAlert Model VALERT* and a L31 Model L31HRF4 beacon in Vinton, LA. Photo taken on 5/22/20

• 

  A Model FHS4 in Addieville, LA. Photo taken by Chris B. (American Siren Productions)

Examples

• A Model WPS2910 in Victoria, MN in the "alert" tone