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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Technical Advice => Topic started by: denman on July 15, 2007, 03:38:54 PM

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: denman on July 15, 2007, 03:38:54 PM

Could anyone comment on adding sounders to an existing system? It is a conventional (sorry, non addressable) system that currently has a Zircon panel with two sounder circuits, each having approx 12-15 sounders on. The owner has asked for beacons to be added, or the existing sounders be changed to sounder beacons. Will this not be too much for the panel's sounder output? How do I fit a larger power supply to cope with the additional load?
Sorry to sound like a novice, but I have not come across this before.

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: John Webb on July 15, 2007, 06:53:48 PM

LED beacons have a significantly lower power need than the traditional 'flash-tube' type , so the literature says. It might be worth investigating these.

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: denman on July 15, 2007, 07:02:38 PM

Thanks John
The panel has a maximum output of 800ma on the sounder circuits, so I take it that this is 400ma for each circuit.
LED sounder beacons does seem viable if the consumption is less.

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: John Dragon on July 15, 2007, 07:33:15 PM

Squashni base sounder beacon = 9mA each         use as detector base sounder or wall sounder with cover fitted

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: denman on July 15, 2007, 08:38:37 PM

Thanks John
Those will do fine!
Just out of curiosity, what did anyone do before LED'S?

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: Graeme on July 15, 2007, 08:42:04 PM

as metioned go onto the company's website that you buy sounders etc from.

It will tell you the power used by each device.

Work out you sounder circuit loads and see if 400ma per circuit is enough.

800ma is not great.If you requirement is more,you could replace the panel or fit additional sounder control units with seperate power supply units.

Test the system as it is now and see what each circuit draws,to see what you have to play with.

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: Graeme on July 15, 2007, 08:43:06 PM

Quote from: denman

Thanks John
Those will do fine!
Just out of curiosity, what did anyone do before LED'S?

used xeneon

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: denman on July 15, 2007, 08:57:09 PM

Thanks Graeme
Found some xenon beacons on the net at 70ma EACH!!!
Thats what raised the initial question!
where would I have got the sounder control units from? Sorry again but I have not had this before.
How would these link to a conventional panel and still monitor the cabling?

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: John Dragon on July 16, 2007, 08:10:58 AM

CTEC make a sounder extender module, gives an extra 4 sounder circuits, be careful of standby time tho, might need larger batteries or seperate power supply.

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: Allen Higginson on July 16, 2007, 01:44:39 PM

http://www.fulleon.co.uk/products_range.php?productRangeID=39 - the current rating on these are between 6 and 33mA.

Title: too much power needed from sounder circuit
Post by: David Rooney on July 16, 2007, 06:44:55 PM

Quote from: denman

Thanks Graeme
Found some xenon beacons on the net at 70ma EACH!!!
Thats what raised the initial question!
where would I have got the sounder control units from? Sorry again but I have not had this before.
How would these link to a conventional panel and still monitor the cabling?

If you want to change sounders for combined sounder beacons then as already stated work out what the extra load will be, then do a battery calc to make sure the standby isn't going to be affected.

Also check the fuse rating of each circuit, the 800mA could be a total alarm load, but the circuits might be rated at 500mA + each.

Re the "C-Tec 4 way splitter", if your adding sounder circuits then you trigger this from one of your panel sounder circuits....you need a 24volt supply to be feed the splitter and need to be careful where you pick this up from your panel, or you can install a separate PSU for the splitter. Any fault on any sounder circuit is then indicated through the trigger circuit from the control panel.

Or you can go somewhere like Kentec and get a splitter in a box with PSU built in.