Hello everyone! Like the title says, I’m a dad and looking for some help! My son is autistic and has become infatuated with civil defense as well as simplex fire systems. We just got him one of the wall mount indicator lights (he knows the exact model number but I don’t haha), I’m hoping to use this forum and the discord to help him with his collecting but more importantly powering his stuff so he can see/hear it operate. My main focus right now is finding an appropriate 120/12v AC to 24DC inverter that I can get to start wiring in a pull station that I got from work to his simplex light with the hopes of getting him more things to go with his light. Do you folks have any recommendations on what a good inverter would be that won’t ruin any thing (I know something that has filtered current is the best option), I’ve searched online but couldn’t find something that wouldn’t break the bank that says it supplies filtered 24VDC. Thank you all for any suggestions and advice you have.
Howdy!
The first thing I always tell new collectors about Simplex equipment is that certain models (inside of a larger device line) may have special properties that make their operation different than just applying regular 24V DC.
I would advise checking the model number of the device in the model number checker to see what type of device it is. SmartSync, Addressable and ES devices need special hardware to run, and Syncable needs a coded (pulsed) input.
As for power supplies, almost anything can work. The standard ‘wall wart’ switching power supplies work fine for hobbyist use - most often you’ll find them in 120VAC → 12VDC configurations, so you can just wire two in series to get a 24VDC output.
If you’re looking to purchase something just for this purpose, this unit on Amazon is a rated for 24VDC @ 6A, or this variable unit allows for a range of voltages. Some older devices may only accept 12V DC.
What part of the country are you in? I have a few fire panels that I removed years ago but shipping would be cost prohibitive. They would have 24 volt power available.
Also make sure to find a power supply that does not output full-wave rectified (FWR) power, as FWR damages Simplex devices (that’s how the strobe on one of my 4903-9236s stopped working: I used it with I think a 24VDC security camera power supply that at the time I had no idea output FWR).
Most power supplies available on the market are all filtered. The worst fire alarm panels like the MS-2 and stuff will output FWR but that’s not what we are looking for.