I know this is a strange request, but does anyone know something I can hook up to my Simplex 4004 to create a supervisory condition? I still don’t fully understand the word “supervisory”. I have heard many different descriptions, from “It’s what happens when the system is being worked on” to " It’s what happens when a smoke detector is tampered with or something" and many other descriptions relating to fire suppression systems.
Does anyone know the steps I would have to take to test the supervisory function on the panel? Again, it’s a Simplex 4004-9101 panel. Or would I have to have a suppression system or elevator recall hooked up to it?
Also, if someone could clearly state what supervisory means, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
One good example I can think of is on a few coded pullstations, there are a set of supervisory contacts which are supposed to ring the trouble bell (or in the case of a modern system, a certain zone) after the system is reset to let the operators know to replace the break-rod.
I know on Fire-lite systems zones can be programmed in as either supervisory or regular zones. Not sure how to do it, nor do I know how it works on a Simplex system.
Any zone can be set as a supervisory zone. Basically, you would use a supervisory zone for anything you want supervised that the panel doesn’t supervise already. For example, low pressure sensors on sprinkler valves are commonly connected to supervisory zones so that the central station can monitor if the water pressure becomes low. In some cases, you might want a supervisory zone to activate a certain relay, such as to have a zone of tamper switches also connected to an armed zone on a security system. The supervisory function on fire alarm panels can be used for anything - there’s no one way to have it set up.
You can use anything with contacts to set off a supervisory zone, such as a pull station, smoke detector, tamper switch, motion detector, etc. You can also set whether you want the supervisory to latch into alarm or not. A non-latching supervisory circuit means that when the contacts are opened again, the supervisory condition goes away.
On a 4004, you can set an IDC as a supervisory zone. Unfortunately the manual I have doesn’t seem to include programming instructions, but I know it involves changing DIP switches on the card. Maybe someone else with first-hand 4004 experience could chime in and help you out.
Thanks. I have tried all the zone operation functions, and even so, the supervisory light on the panel will not come on. The options for zone operation are: Fire Moniter, Fire/Supervisory, Trouble Only, and Style C. Thanks again. I now understand supervisory a bit better.
The coolest thing I’ve seen done with a supervisory is in a hotel or similar type of building, they’ll have the detectors in each of the dwelling units hooked up to sounder bases, and when those go into alarm it’ll sound the sounders bases in that unit only and send a non-latching supervisory to the control panel. I bet it’s so much nicer than evacuating the whole building just in case someone accidentally burns food or something in their room.
That is a pretty cool setup. I think my Grandma’s apartment is set up like that. I was doing a tour of the system last Sunday, and I heard a smoke detector in one of the apartments. I got that on film as well. That video is here:
Listen very carefully at 1:50-2:00, and you can hear the detector without the system going into alarm.
Well, these rooms are actually fully open to the residents here, since they are garbage rooms. There is an east garbage room (the one with the fire panel) and the west garbage room, which I passed as I was exiting the west elevator. Since this building doesn’t have an underground parking garage, where they normally put the maintenance rooms, they put the building’s panels, boilers, and elevator machine rooms into the garbage rooms. The buildings with garages all have their maintenance rooms locked, and there are garbage shoots on the first floor.
About the panel, I didn’t necessarily have permission. It doesn’t really matter anyway. Just had it open long enough to get a look at the circuitry. Also, it is their fault for leaving it unlocked and partially open. LOL. If you ever see an opportunity like this, take it. Usually, no one gets to see fire panels without permission. The maintenance here is so poor, no one would even really care if I was in there taking a look.
