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Quick Facts
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1) How do the All-Weather Safety whistles make so much noise?
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2) Do the All-Weather Safety whistles really work underwater, and how does that work?
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5) What is the difference between the Storm whistle and the Windstorm whistle?
1) How do the All-Weather Safety whistles make so much noise?
In the 1850s, Dr. Hermann von Helmholtz invented the Helmholtz Resonator, a devise that could capture sound waves. Through utilizing the Resonator, Helmholtz discovered that the size of the cavity affected the sound waves. To use a modern-day example, if one throws a tennis ball into a very large room, the ball will simply roll to a stop. Likewise, if the chamber is extremely small, then the tennis ball will be immobile. However, if the room is "just right," then the tennis ball will bounce off of the walls in the chamber, rebounding successfully. These principles of sound augmentation and amplification had never been applied to whistles or alarms until Dr. Howard Wright invented the Storm Whistle in 1988.
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2) Do the All-Weather Safety whistles really work underwater and how does that work?
Yes, the All-Weather Safety whistles really do work underwater. As a matter of fact, Dr. Wright invented the All-Weather whistle for just that reason. When he was just fourteen years old, Dr. Wright built the first Storm whistle so that he and his friends could play "tag" underwater. In order to make a standard whistle work underwater, he encased the whistle in a plastic box. When the box filled with air,the whistle worked. After further testing, Dr. Wright proceeded to make the plastic box smaller and smaller until he discovered that the sound producing area of a whistle was a small 5mm x 5mm area over the whistle exit opening. With this information, Dr. Wright was able to create a prototype that would function while submerged.
Today, the Storm whistle is used by dive clubs to organize multidiver events and to signal a fellow diver while underwater. The ability of the Storm whistle to work while wet is even more important for boaters and rescue individuals, as standard whistles will not work if they have been submerged. This is why Navy Rescue boats, hundreds of thousands of boaters, and search and rescue teams across the world demand the power and waterproof nature of the Storm and Windstorm whistles.
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3) Where can I buy the Storm and Windstorm whistles?
See our purchasing page for information on buying the Storm and Windstorm whistles.
4) How loud is the Storm whistle?
The loudness of the Storm whistle was measured in a soundproof chamber by a research team at the Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis Missouri. The Decibel reading varied between 118 and 120 dB. We compared the loudness of the Storm whistle, Windstorm whistle and a number of our competitors' whistles. The Storm whistle was nearly twice as loud as any other whistle. The Windstorm whistle was not quite as loud as the Storm, but was clearly louder than any of the competitors. Below, a graph illustrates the loudness of the All-Weather whistles vs. the competitors at a determined flow rate and at a given distance from the receiver.
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5) What is the difference between the Storm whistle and the Windstorm whistle?
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The All-Weather Safety Whistles comes in two styles: the Storm and the Windstorm.
The Storm is the original All-Weather Safety whistle, and has been carefully designed to produce the most powerful sound waves possible, and can be heard through walls, through glass and through water. The Storm whistle is the loudest whistle in the world, and can be heard over a quarter of a mile through trees and over a half mile over water.
Over the years, however, a number of our customers desired a whistle that was a little more compact. They wanted a whistle small enough to fit into a hand bag, on keys, oron a life preserver, but loud enough to be unequivocally heard. For that reason, we developed the smaller and more compact Windstorm safety whistle. Though much smaller, the Windstorm is still the second loudest whistle in the world?only a few decibels behind the Storm.
As the most powerful whistle in the world, the Storm is, easy to hold, easy to hear, and is used by safety and rescue teams around the world. The Windstorm whistle is simply the more compact and sleek version of the Storm whistle, with a slightly lower decibel rating. Both whistles have waterproof capabilities, tremendous power, and sleek design.
Together, the Storm and Windstorm whistle make the greatest whistles in the world.
When asked this question, Dr. Wright responds that, "[a]s a Boy Scout leader, I use the Storm whistle while making sure that the scouts have a Windstorm."
6) What colors do the Storm and Windstorm whistles come in?
As shown below, the Storm and Windstorm whistles come in three colors: Safety Orange, Safely Yellow, and Black.
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7) How are the Storm and Windstorm whistles packaged?
The Storm and Windstorm whistles are packaged on full color blister cards, in a plastic bag with a header (called a poly bag), or without any packaging at all.
8) Can the whistles be printed for my school or business?
Yes, we often print company logos, school insignias, university slogans, and phone numbers. The cost to imprint a one color logo per whistle is $0.30, with a minimum order of 300 pcs.
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9) How much do the Storm and Windstorm whistles cost?
The Storm whistle has a suggested cost of between $5.00 and $7.00 in stores, catalogues, and on the internet. The Windstorm has a suggested cost of between $4.25 and $6.00 in stores, catalogues, and on the internet. Bulk pricing including break points, GSA pricing and institutional pricing can be obtained by contacting us at:
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All-Weather Safety Whistle Co
P.O. Box 8615
St. Louis, MO 63126
Tele: (314) 894-1293
Fax: (314) 894-1283
Email: stormwhistles@stormwhistles.com
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