So this question is mostly being asked to Andrew because he ones one and made a video on it but whatever heres the question. How and with what could I power a National Time And Signal Fire Signal type 411. Now I have 4 of these that I one at an auction on Ebay. Once received them I got one of the alarms and tried to test them. Heres where it gets confusing. So to power the alarm I read its label and see that it says it works on 12 volts but at the end of the power cable, it has a 120 volt plug at the end. Anyway, instead of being stupid at first and connect the alarm to my wall outlet I first try it with 12 volts but it didn’t fire up, it will only clank. So after thinking 12 volts wasn’t enough I then connect it to a power strip just to be safe just in case it draws to many amps. So I connect it and pop, it trips the switch to the power strip. So after scratching my head, I have no Idea hoe to power the 411 alarm. So again, how and with what can I power this alarm? Thanks!
Did you power it with 12 volts AC or DC? DC will cause the alarm to only make a single clanking noise, because it uses AC current.
Well looks like it time for me to get a transformer. I’m just curious, why does the alarm have a 120v AC plug on the end of its cord?
Someone doesn’t know about wiring or they can’t read “DC”
I’d be able to help you but I don’t really have a lot of information.
Can you take a picture of the sticker on the 411 having the problem?
Thanks Andrew! Here are the photos where you could see more than one tag, the alarms, and its plugs.
And for CCS46, I know wiring thats how I make tutorials for the beginning fire alarm enthusiast, thank you very much. Why don’t you read ALL on whats above this post so you know whats going on right now! Don’t come into a topic that wasn’t meant for your pointless opinions. Take a look at the photos below so you could see theirs no “DC” and it has a plug at the end :roll:.
I Meant the person who you bought it from does not understand dc.
These horns were part of a quite old system that used series AC signals. The data plate tells the story on these. 12 volts, 30 V.A. (volt-amps) 60 cyc. (AC device). You will need a hefty transformer to operate one of these. Using Ohm’s Law I=P/E or 2.5=30/12, so these are 12 Volt 2.5 Amp devices. Very typical for an old AC fire alarm system.
So now I’m wondering. What device Andrew used to power his 411 in his “Loudest Horn Ever” video?
How do you know that?
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Believe it or not, sometimes standard outlets can be used for different voltages, despite being a very rare occurrence. For example, the Illinois Railway Museum’s Milwaukee Road X-5000 Dynamometer car has standard outlets that supply 32V. These outlets are clearly marked as such and this 24VAC Federal 350 operates off this power.
Another scenario could be that that the outlets powering these horns were wired in series. With the voltage being distributed equally among the horns, 9 horns could be connected in series to a power source supplying 110-120 Volts, allowing for a roughly 10% tolerance in the 12V feed to the horns. The plugs, rather than hard wiring, could have been used for ease of replacement. This is an example of such a practice at my dad’s work building:
So, in reality, there are several possibilites as to why they are fitted with standard 12VAC plugs
It makes sense on what KCIN556 has written, but I did forget to write that the plugs where put their by factory or in another way to say it that it wasn’t placed their with wire nuts (All Original). Either it was factory custom on like what Simplex did with their 2001 series panels or it was originally made like that.
I’m no technician but didn’t the 2001 run filtered dc with a oil filled capacitor. A relay converted it to AC.
I used a 12 VAC transformer originally meant for use with a burglar alarm panel.
Relays do not convert DC to AC.
Oh I remember Andrew talking about the relay and the 4030 so I was just thinking.
A relay can be used to switch AC power on and off by using DC, like in his scenario, or many other combinations of different voltages as long as they fall within the relay’s voltage and amperage limits. It cannot convert AC to DC however. That is done by using a rectifier.
Maybe it was a rectifier.
Clearly you did not see my post where I actually answered the question…
Second, a rectifier converts AC to FWR DC and then when you use a capacitor then you get DC.
If you’re just going to guess, please stop trying to help.