Hello, it’s me, Netscape128 from the “other” forum.
I’ve been looking at some of Ademco’s panels for hobbiest fire/security systems but I’m wondering if four-wire NA’s can be used. For instance, if I want to use a Spectralert Classic P1224MC as a combination security sounder/fire alarm NA, how would I get the strobe to work so that it’s not coded to the panel? I’ve heard that the panel codes the sounder circuits to pulse for burglar and code-3 for fire, but I’m not sure how many notification appliance circuits there are. To make a long story short: Help. :lol:
The Ademco Vista 32FB and 128FB are the only panels that could support 4-wire notification appliances out of the box. If you want to have non-coded operation for the strobe on regular Vista security panels, you could run the auxiliary power through an alarm relay, but I wouldn’t recommend this for anything other than a hobby setup.
If you’re using an FB panel, one bell output will be for burglary and the other for fire (programmed per zone in #93 menu mode). you can’t program one bell output to be (for instance) steady for burglary and pulsed for fire like the smaller Vista panels do.
for a small Vista panel like a 20SE or 20P, you have one bell output.
You can use a generic bell supervision module like a DMP 866 or Radionics D192. These connect to the aux power of the panel, and they have a supervised NAC output on them. They also connect to a zone on the host panel (your Vista) to indicate a NAC trouble. you could program a zone on the Vista as a trouble or auxiliary zone to indicate a trouble when this card’s NAC is in trouble. This module triggers the NAC output via a low-current 12V input. On a 20P, you can use one of the onboard triggers T17 or T18, programmed to go low on a fire alarm, to trigger the bell module. Since it’s in the same enclosure as the Vista, it meets the requirements of NFPA.
I may or may not have one of these floating around in my “inventory”. here’s a basic diagram:
Bell Supv Card Vista-20P Panel
aux (+)--------------------------------------------(+) aux + terminal 5
pwr in (-)---------------------------------------------(-) aux - terminal 4
supv ()---------------------------------------------() Zn 8 hi (example, zone 8 indicates NAC trouble)
zone ()---------------------------------------------() Zn 8 low
trigger (+)---------------------------------------------(+) aux + terminal 5
input (-)----------------------------------------------T17 output, normally hi, goes low on any fire alarm (provides negative power)
signal (+)----------------- To
circuit (-)------------------ A/Vs
however, honestly, I’d either use an FB panel with 2-wire A/Vs on bell 2, and a standard 747/Wave 2 siren on bell 1. program all your burglary devices to trip bell 1, program all the fire zones to trip bell 2.
you could also use a voice siren driver on a 20p panel.
:lol: