You've probably found yourself wondering, whats a low frequency siren? The Feniex Hammer is a great example. It's a low cost all-in-one system.
There’s plenty of confusion for what a low frequency siren is, what it does and how it’s best used. If you’re like most people you want to add a Hammer siren to your setup, but you’re not clear on how it will work with your current setup.
First, let's start with hertz. Humans can hear from 20 right up to about 20,000. We hear best around 1,000-5,000.
For reference a dog can hear up to about 50,000 hertz.
So to compensate for our lack of superior dog hearing a low frequency siren helps alert drivers by shaking their vehicle.
Your standard 100W siren averages around 1,000 hertz. Right at the beginning of our best heard range.
This is why a standard 100W siren plays an audible tone that can be heard far and wide.
A low frequency siren averages right around 500 hertz. Right below our best heard range.
So you can’t quite hear a low frequency siren as much as you can feel it. It will shake the vehicles around you and add an additional layer of notification.
So what’s the best way to utilize a low frequency siren? It’s best used as an addition to your standard 100W siren. Allowing you to be heard for a wide range of hertz.
When you’re pulling up to a crowded intersection turn on the low frequency siren in conjunction with your standard siren and vehicles will not only hear you, but feel you!
One last note, it’s important to mention that OSHA does not recommend using the siren for prolonged periods to prevent hearing damage. So it’s best to have a separate switch for your low frequency siren to turn it off when not in use.