Those are some nice older Sears alarms. The second one even though it says it is a 1980s alarm looks like it has a squealer horn. (The first alert rebrand). Thanks that bell is neat. Never seen one like that in person until I got it nearly a year ago from a local second hand shop. It is heavy too. I also made a video of it a few days ago but I am not able to post it. I was wondering if I could email it to someone here and they could post it for me? Thanks.
Yeah the First Alert SA769 rebrand definitely has the squealer horn, and the seller is incorrect as it is actually from the 70’s. Also someone already bought the other Sears (the Fyrnetics F900-D rebrand)
Oh okay does it make a high pitched squeal or does it have more of a buzzing sound (AC) since it is a plug in detector?
It more that likely sounds like https://youtu.be/q-H0EZeoFaE?t=507 my SA769.
Also here’s 2 Nalcor AC powered detectors w/Piezo alarms.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smoke-Alarm-Direct-Wire-Ionization-Alarm-120V-/262069581360?hash=item3d04907630
A very expensive alarm…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultra-Rare-Smokey-Stover-smoke-alarm-1983-Comic-Box-Mint-Im-box-/262084409109?hash=item3d0572b715
Pretty rare though.
Wow that is neat. It also has comics on the box. A good way to teach children about smoke alarms back even for back in 1983. That alarm almost resembles a First Alert of that time period and I would take it that this has a piezo. Speaking of some rare smoke alarms I saw this picture online tonight from December 1978. Most of these alarms could be considered rare except for the one on the top left that I do believe is an old first alert. The bigger on below it is the Dicon that my parents had in their old house. Fire Alarm Fan you would probably know what the other ones are. I think one other one is a Pyr alarm? Again some pretty neat smokes from that era.
Top Left: BRK SS74R. Middle: Pyr-A-Larm Guardion FB-1 variant, looks like it has a test button The normal FB-1s had no test button. In other hand: Base to SS74R, right: Pyrotronics unit. They had battery powered versions of this unit, AC powered versions and system versions of it. I saw the system versions in the subway of the Rochester Methodist Hospital as well as a walkway leading to the parking ramp in the MSP Airport ca. late 1990s.
Middle: Dicon 200, of course. Middle Right: Pyrotronics w/light. These used the same PCB as the Pyr-A-Larm. I have one branded Wells Fargo, as I’ve mentioned before.
Bottom: Edwards 217. There are some http://www.ebay.com/itm/Edwards-115-volt-Smoke-Detector-NOS-lot-of-3-/191705045758?hash=item2ca282dafe on eBay right now… Middle: Heat detector. Right: A*T/ESL.
Pictured below is the Pyrotronics unit in the RMH subway taken 3/25/2002. Sadly it’s not there anymore.
Thanks for the info on those smoke alarms. That BRK unit really resembles a first alert. What year would that be from about 1974? Sears had this same unit right? Since the first alert unit was introduced in 1976 Im just thinking it was before that. Wow those Pyrotronics alarms must have been popular during that time and for it to still be installed as late as 2002 I can see why it is no longer there anymore. I saw one of those Pyrotronic units (with the light) back in the mid 1980’s at Canada’s Wonderland. The Dicon 200 was a huge alarm and the plastic housing was very thick too. Those were popular around 1978 especially up here in Canada. My parents had one. my Uncle on my Dad’s side had two in his house and my Aunt on my Mom’s side also had two in her house. That very alarm again being my worst nightmare as a kid.
Wow, that Smokey Stover is very expensive. I really like the box though, and I didn’t know it was made by Gateway. There are two videos on youtube of this smoke alarm, someone has a hardwired one in their hallway and I asked them to test it so they did and it does the 5/6.
I also really like that pic. Some very interesting and rare alarms there too!
Here’s some 907A2s w/o brackets or labels.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smoke-Detectors-/161859383459?hash=item25af9230a3:g:42wAAOSwo6lWH7LK
Haven’t been here in ages. I just started collecting smoke detectors in addition to fire alarm (yes, I’m still actively collecting for those who remember me). Here’s some of the more rarer smokes i have:
From top to bottom going left to right:
Sears 350.57045 (squealer horn, eBay find), GE home Sentry 8201-301 (Star buzzer, New in box eBay find), GE home Sentry 8201-201 (Star buzzer, New in box, eBay find, needs new battery),
FireX 1218 (piezo, does 5/6, removed from a friends house), Teledyne Waterpik D1 (squealer horn, New in box eBay find), Sears Early One 246.57067 (AC buzzer, new in box eBay find), Wake N Warn 05-51-03 (piezo, does 4/6, came from my mom’s house), Lifesaver 0905 (piezo, does 5/6, New in box eBay find), Family Guard FG777 (squealer horn, New in box eBay find), Jameson Code One (piezo, does 4/6 New in the box eBay find).
I also have a First Alert 83R (common Family Guard style lid, does code-3, found outside my front door on an old stove), First Alert SA1839WN (Piezo does continious New in the box eBay find) and the cover to a Lifesaver 1245 (was unable to save the actual alarm, came from my godmother’s old house),
and I have just bought a New in the Box Montgomery Ward 83-7-1666-00, and a New in the Box GE Home Sentry SMK-6/M1 (rectangular model). which should be here next week sometime.
Nice smoke detector collection. My parents had the Sears alarm with the squealer horn in their old house. Wished I had taken it before it got pitched. What is the difference between the two GE Home sentry’s? You said one needs a new battery so is the other one an A/C version? Also I didn’t know those Firex’s had piezos. I thought they all had squealers…interesting. Cool about the Montgomery Ward detector that you will be getting. Do you know if that one will have a piezo or squealer horn? Thanks for sharing.
Another thing that is interesting about the older alarms are the sizes in comparison with the ones of today. Especially the Teledyne Waterpik unit. That thing is freakishly huge even compared to the Sears ones which were pretty big themselves. That Teledyne one is also one weird looking detector. I have always thought they look like spaceships. They were big and also somewhat futuristic looking despite the fact they were made around 1975-76. They would definitely fit in with a retro looking home these days for sure.
The GE Home Sentry 8201-201 is a 12.6 volt model. It came with a Mallory 12.6 volt mercury filled battery (looks like an over sized AA), but it was dead and finding replacements are very hard and expensive since they have to be custom made. The 8201-301 is 9 volt and runs on any alkaline 9 volt battery. Both use Star buzzers and make a buzz much like a Simplex 4001 but a bit louder and lower pitched. The FireX I originally thought was the model with the AC buzzer since my friend also has a Sears 350.57045 in the hallway until I noticed the green LED. Not sure how long they used that cover design.
I think the Montgomery Ward smoke will have a squealer in it. The listing said it was from the 1970’s, so I’ll find out once it gets here.
The Teledyne is the biggest smoke I’ve personally seen. I don’t know if I would have thought it was a smoke if I saw one in a house when I was growing up. Biggest smoke I saw growing up was the First Alert SA76RS’ at my uncle’s, the early 80’s Sears with the piezo and large side vents in pairs at my grandparents (mother’s side), and the 8201-301 in my grandparents house (father’s side).
Also I decided to snag one of those Smoke Gards (my wife is going to kill me :lol: ).
If it the Montgomery Ward is the one you are getting then it is the same one my neighbour had. Hers had the squealer horn and it was so loud it could be heard from our house with our TV on. You will have to take pics of it when you get it. I personally think 1970’s smokes were and still are more interesting that todays alarms. Even though I was terrified of the sound the squealer horn made. I still don’t like them today and Im 42 but I wouldn’t freak out like I did when I was little when they went off. But hey that is how effective they were. Piezos don’t sound serious at all to me. Does the smoke guard make a squealer or a buzzing noise. There is also a GE home sentry that does squeal. Im thinking that is the AC one I guess although I always thought AC alarms made more of a buzzing tone than a squealing one.
The 907 makes a https://youtu.be/tfXdbGUy1GI?t=1023 pulating 60 Hz buzz., although https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoiAgX9h-FI This one makes a 120 Hz buzz.
Well 2 boxes and a padded envelope greeted me when I opened my mailbox last night. I had to wait until I got out of work to open them, in them were these.
3 SmokeGard 907s (was only expecting one, makes the 60hz pulsing buzz), a New in the Box Montgomery Ward 83-7-1666-00 (with a leaking Montgomery Ward 9 volt battery, makes the typical squealer horn buzz), and a New in the Box GE Home Sentry SMK-6/M1 (sadly I mangled the box opening it, makes the warbling beep).
The insides of the Montgomery Ward. Looks like this is just a relabeled First Alert SA76RS or the BRK equivalent. What surprised me was just how potent the horn is, louder than my Sears 350.57045, and Family Guard FG777.
The insides of the GE. Never seen one with a black sensing chamber before.
Nice alarms and yep that’s the one my neighbour had. The Montgomery ward unit. Yep the horn on that thing was powerful enough to be heard from my parents house with the TV going at a loud volume. They may have been freaky sounding but that was good. No way you could ignore that. Alarms these days are no where near as good or serious sounding. Thanks for sharing the pics.
Is there a manufacturing date anywhere on the Montgomery Ward alarm? If I had to guess I would say it is from 1977 or 1978. Again thanks for sharing. 
It said in the manual July 11, 1977.