If anyone wants a Probe 201:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Probe-Multi-Purpose-Smoke-Alarm-/162099264603?hash=item25bdde7c5b:g:FkIAAOSwnFZXWj9t
I thought I would make a contribution to this topic. A little while ago, my family was visiting a condo in Plymouth Township we plan on renovating, remodeling, and moving in to over the course of several months. As I walked throughout the condo, I came across this device on the ceiling:
I believe this is a vintage Norelco HB-0933 smoke detector (without the test button)! I suspect it was manufactured sometime in the early-to-mid 1970s, when this condo was first built. I don’t know if this device is still in a working state, as the “Replace Battery” tab was showing. It is highly unlikely that this detector will remain in the house, either. We had an inspector during our visit to the condo, and the smoke detector violates local fire code. It is also the only smoke detector throughout the entire condo, located at the bottom of a stairwell in the basement.
Wow that is an old one and since it is the one without the test button that is really showing its age (Probably close to 40) years old. Way long past its expiration date and even if it was to work when a battery was put in it there is no way that could be trusted to go off in a fire. Do you know if the detector is still there? If it is I would gladly take it off your hands. Im in Canada and actually never saw these ones growing up but I have seen several videos of them. I hope a new detector goes up soon there if not already. Nice for a collection though but definitely not as a functioning smoke detector.
I have no idea if the detector is still there or not, as I haven’t been inside for a couple of weeks at least. The actual renovation work has not even started yet. I don’t know about the chances of salvaging the detector, either, as it could be removed and thrown out while electrical work is being done.
Oh okay, if you are not able to salvage the detector that is understandable. I just hope it comes down soon for safety reasons. Are you not a collector yourself of vintage smoke detectors? I used to be terrified of the old 1970’s units because of the horrible screeching sound they made when they went off but when compared with detectors of today the old ones were far better in getting ones attention. The piezo doesn’t seem to be nearly as effective at least not to me. I barely flinch when they go off. It is just funny how something I was once afraid of 35 plus years ago can be fascinating now. I only have a small collection now (one 1970’s Nortron smoke detector and one wind up Gardsman bell from the 1960’s)
I have a seven-piece fire alarm collection (which I will be posting on the forums soon), but I have no smoke detectors at the moment. I did have at least two of them previously, but I ended up giving them away for free at a garage sale. They were quite modern and I wouldn’t have really considered them vintage.
Oh okay cool. Can’t wait to see pics of your collection. I am keeping my eye out for vintage detectors at a local second hand shop. The owner knows I collect them so he is also keeping an eye out for any that arrive. It doesn’t happen often but still when it does it is great. That is where I got the ones I have now. Also whenever I go into an older home if I spot older detectors from the 1970s I try to convince the owners that I will take if off their hands and use it as a collectors item only so they can get a new one for their own safety.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-NEW-OLD-STOCK-Sears-Early-One-Ceiling-Fire-Alarm-Smoke-Detector-in-Box-/122019773290?nav=SEARCH
Expensive NIB Sears, rebranded Cerberus
This arrived in my mailbox this afternoon:
a Probe 201
Sorry about the blurry pic, took it in a rush.
the insides through one of the side vents. This smoke is from 1986, didn’t think AC smokes were still using mechanical horns this late
I tested it a few minutes ago, it does the typical classic AC smoke 60hz buzz.
I did shoot a brief test video which I’ll post when I get home from work tomorrow morning (I’m in the process of getting ready as I type).
Very cool! My 202 has a different sensor and horn, and it has a quick-connect.
That LED lights up when it is the source of the alarm. I don’t know why there’s a separate LED for that. The LED’s on my BRK 1839ACI and FireX FX1020 go out when they’re the source.
I can’t tell what year mine is from by the date code, but my guess would be 1987 or 1988.
Very nice. My 201 also has a quick connect:
I assume it also does a 60hz buzz?
Speaking of which, as promised here’s a test video of mine:
Here’s a BRK 1769AC-I (the ones that look like 1800s)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIB-BRK-Electronics-1769AC-I-Smoke-Detector-Alarm-/371663410684?hash=item5688dd95fc:g:HLQAAOSw3YNXauCD
And here’s some Ei Ei100B detectors that the seller imported here via Element14/Farnell
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Ei-ELECTRONICS-Ei100B-IONISATION-SMOKE-ALARM-/182180370383?hash=item2a6acbd7cf:g:izoAAOSwMmBVtwTq
6 available. I might go for 1 or 2. (Those of you who are a fan of a certain person on YT who makes cool electronic/mechanical gizmos probably recognizes Element14)
Very interesting indeed. The horn in Federal3t22’s is the normal Kobishi AC squealer, but yours looks a bit different. Also, my 1839ACI’s LED goes out when testing, but oddly enough, my FX1020’s LED stays lit. Don’t know if it always did that, or something broke but it’s really strange how all the rest I’ve seen go out when tested.
I’m not really into smoke alarms, but I saw a listing for a NIB Honeywell TC49A? type smoke alarm on eBay while checking around for pull stations.
Is this rare? been in our house since it was built in 1977 we bought the house in 1994 rarely has gone off even when house filled with cooking smoke . It is VERY loud and scary sound . :!: Went off randomly middle of night 2-3 times in a short time my husband was working nites in 2009 since then I have not hear a peep (or roar) out of it going to replace with a more modern battery version. if it is hardwired into the house how would it work if there was an electrical fire ? Replacing . just tested it before removing wire connection and it bellowed loud and long . if I could pictures to load I would show you . It is an ESL model 206
It is not rare at all for older smoke detectors to go off for no reason especially like you said it is from 1977 when your house was built. If it doesn’t go off when the room is filled with smoke I would be a bit worried. Time to get it replaced and with a battery powered alarm or one that is electrical with a battery back up. Does it have a very high pitched screech? Most AC detectors of that time made a lower pitched buzz. It was the battery (DC) models that made the awful screech and trust me that noise is one of my biggest childhhood fears. I can understand how you felt with it going off in the middle of the night. The smoke detector at my parents house went off in the middle of the night once and there was no smoke or fire. It was the battery going low. Scared the beep out of all of us (no pun intended). This was around 1985 or so and it was the old Sears ones. I do believe I know the one you have in your house but for your safety get it replaced.
You could try vacuuming dust out of the unit and around the cover. A bit of info, ESL model 206 was rebranded by Gillette, the razor company, for their Captain Kelly lineup of detectors. I have both Gillette versions (Model 941, 120VAC plug-in and model 929, 12.6V battery), I have yet to find the ESL version.
As for the NIB Honeywell TC49A on ebay, I’ve seen it, considered buying it though currently don’t have any money. The Honeywell TC49A is my personal favorite for sentimental reasons. I’ll let someone else get it, along with the brown base GE 8201-401C. I might get the NIB white base GE 8201-401C next month
I went over to a friend’s house tonight for dinner, and ended up unexpectedly going home with 2 smoke alarms, a rare one I’ve been eyeballing since he started dating his wife 2 years ago, the other not so rare, but still well over 10 years old.
Yet another Sears 350.57045, heavily nicotine stained, and a First Alert SA90B (from 1999)
What happened was as soon as I got there I heard a smoke chirping. I mentioned it and they said “oh it’s the one at the bottom of the stairs (the SA90B), please make it stop”. So while I was about to remove the battery, I was asked to remove it, since it was over 10 years old. After I remove it from the ceiling, they asked about “the old one in the hall” . I opened it just to see if it had a battery in it, it did, but it had bulged at the bottom and split open, but not leaking. So I pulled the battery, and was asked to remove that one too.
I tested both, and they do work.
I thought the kind of quick-connect you have was called something different. I guess not. Mine plugs directly into the alarm.
Yes, it does do the 60-Hz buzz. I’ll try to make a vid of mine. I probably won’t be able to do that until Friday or the weekend.
I don’t know what kind of horn mine has. It is a different one though.
As for the LED’s, your FX1020 looks like it says it’s from 1983. Mine is from 1987. Maybe they didn’t yet have that feature in '83. It could be broken. I also got one of the BRK 769AC-I’s, and the LED’s on those don’t turn off either. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have date on it, but I’d say early-'80s. I couldn’t imagine not being able to see which alarm was triggering the others, and having to go around and disconnect or clean each alarm. Of course, if there was cooking smoke or a real fire, it would be fairly easy to tell. If an alarm was dirty or had a bug in it though, trying to track down the originating alarm would be awfully inconvenient.
Nice detectors especially the Sears. Glad it was removed as that is why beyond its service life and would be no good up on the ceiling if there was a fire. Nice for a collection though. It looks like it has been through alot with those heavy nicotine stains but honestly I would trust that detector (with the awful high pitched squeal they made) over the ones of today. That looks like the one my parents had in their old out it was the Fyrnetics rebrand.