Ok, it's over your budget ($400) but I've been eyeballing this thing for a while:

http://www.keepshooting.com/hand-cra...aid-siren.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stationary-M...ht_3597wt_1271

I just bought one! Thanks Allen!
BTW.... Don't get a hand crank air raid siren for your event. Nobody is going to sit or stand there all night cranking the thing.
Get an outdoor speaker system and play a CD loop of an AIR RAID SIREN.
I have a few on my MACHINES OF DEATH CD.
Here is a link for some good speakers that would do the job!
http://www.onlyfactorydirect.com/p-5...1002aset1.aspx

And here's is a link for the CD.
http://poisonprops.com/index.php?mai...products_id=21

Try some of these sites below, you might find something that is under your price range that will work for you.



http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...d=8880030073.1

http://www.outdoorspeakerdepot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Dual-LU43PB-In.../dp/B00081NX5U

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=267-569




Ryan

"BTW.... Don't get a hand crank air raid siren for your event. Nobody is going to sit or stand there all night cranking the thing."

Adam, in this instance I could not disagree more. On paper you are absolutely correct, but in practice I think hand cranked is the way to go for several reasons.
1. a constant siren is not as effective, it becomes a part of the back ground if it is constant.
2. as an actor I would murder my haunt owner if they made me stand under a siren on a loop
3. Sounds are better when they happen as the customer approaches- it makes it personal for them. You could even get a startle by hitting the crank at just the right time.
4. It could add a sense of drama and urgency to the area for the haunt actors. Having the duty of cranking the siren when a group is in the area makes that actor have an important job so he feels more important and appreciated, the more important he feels the more likely he is to come back.
5. if it only happens when a group is in the area then it can be used as an audio queue for the sections before and after it alerting them to the presence of a group.
The human element of timing and interaction should never be overlooked. Yes you could simply make an audio track on a loop, but it would have no soul. What we haunters have to offer is memories- our guests get nothing else for the price of their ticket. Missing an opportunity for human interaction is missing an opportunity at making one of those memories. From the side of a cast member the difference is between having a loop that is alien and annoying to you (sirens are meant to annoy and alarm) , or allowing you to help craft the audio of the environment by turning the crank. What drama it could add as an actor scrambles to get to his post at the siren and alert the hordes of other monsters to the presence of interlopers!
Allen H

Allen makes some excellent points. I think if an actor would crank it up when someone approaches it would be a really cool effect.... just my 2 cents :mrgreen:

Ryan

I actually had thought of having an alarm on a loop. That is, until I read Allens post and put myself in the actors' shoes... you'd go crazy! The others are great points as well.

The only alternative I could see is a temporary loop set off by a trigger.

I agree with Allen, again.

However, I do have a solution if you'd rather not crank on one of these things, or have an actor crank on one. For my bob zombie, he was static with a motion detection activating a strobe and a looped track saying "Braainnsss braaainnnss... " etc. All you gotta do is get a cd player, MP3 with new batt's or something and use powered speakers, even a set of pc speakers with 75w to them with a little bass, and viola.

Why couldn't you hook it up on one of these doodads with a few screw in outlet adapters? I'm not sure on the pro's points of using these methods, but it does take the hassle that you'd be afraid of out of the equation. Or you can spend $80+/- and get an automatic controller to do it for you, which it's built to do, and could very well be safer than the $15 motion detector with screw in outlets, ya know.


Just my .01 cents worth.


Dewayne

Size?

You need to determine if you want to cover your haunt with a lot of smaller speakers to keep the volume controled or if you want to wash the entire haunt with a few larger speakers where the volume is going to be louder close to the speakers and disipate the further away from the speakers you get. If you're going to make an investment in a sound system, be sure you're investing in something that is going to do what you want it to and what you need it to. Plan out your sound coverage and how many spots are going to be scene sound effects as aposed to background sound. Once you know what sounds you're going to have you'll know how big of a system you need.

I also agree about using a prerecorded sound instead of having a hand crank, unless it is part of the scene...