It’s been a while since this question is really bugging me… Is an Ademco 623-12 (aka Chloride Pyrotector SENTINEL in http://firealarmresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Chloride-Pyrotector-1978-Ad.pdf this old 70’s ad) Smoke/Thermal combo rare ? I don’t know if in the US/Canada it’ll be considered rare (IIRC optical smoke detectors were invented allegedly in the early 70’s… Not sure if it’s true or not.) I already have a picture of it on my collection topic.
In short, I’d like to know more about it, ever since I saved it from being thrown away it has always intrigued me, as for the life of me I can’t figure anything out of it aside that it’s a combo detector, is 4 wires and is from the late 70’s.
Welcome to the forums! I’m not exactly sure when those were produced, But I believe smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. So probably best to replace it with a newer working one!
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Thanks! I told the people there about it and they were kinda skeptical. Apparently they have an inspector come through once and a while to test their fire extinguishers, and the inspector thought the detector was alright to be up there. It definitely looks older than 10 years old, though. I’ll be sure to tell them about it. Also, I saw there was a recall back in 2014 on these models, so hopefully that will convince them that it needs replacement.
Here’s an oddball I recovered from my aunt’s former rental home, while she was moving out. For the 10+ years she lived there, I was suspicious as to what it initially was. Only until she moved out, I realized it was indeed a vintage smoke detector. At first, I thought it would have been a hardwired detector, but after removing it from where it was previously mounted, I was surprised that it was a battery operated model.
What’s really odd is the Sears sticker complete with a model, but one guy on Instagram pointed out it’s an ESL, possibly missing its front cover too.
Hey guys well I finally got my First Alert SA76RS tested with candle smoke last weekend. I did it wall mounted and cover off and it sounded within about 2 seconds. Also had the candle lit a few seconds before I blew it out and oh yes it worked and it sounds a bit louder smoke tested then tested via push button, the video is on youtube if you want to watch. Another great thing is last Saturday I FINALLY got my Nortron TR88 to sound, I went to a workshop that the woman who I rent my basement apartment from told me about. Below are pics of what was done to it but the sound is the low vibratory buzz of the AC smokes of that era and although there is no date on the detector the guess the guy made was late 1970s to about 1981. My friend upstairs from me said she had the same unit growing up in her old house but it made the high pitch squeal so it was definitely the TR77 she had and that must have been the unit featured in the Guinea Pig episode of Littlest Hobo from 1980. One thing though because the age of this detector the incandescent bulb that is supposed to activate when the alarm sounds (on both models) no longer works. However when plugged in and powered the LED goes on and the unit has a hum to it. You can see the LED powered off towards the bottom of the unit and the sensor on the left side of the unit. The horn which isn’t very visable is almost adjacent to but slightly higher to the right of it. This unit was so powerful security came to see what the noise was. LOL! Both videos are on youtube so if you see them let me know what you think. All 4 of my alarms in my collection work. Next mission is to located the TR77. Also Merry Christmas and all the best for 2019!
One more mention that third wire that is not hooked up was the line cord that could hook up to 20 units (yes 20 and back then that would have been something) so that if one went off so would all the others. I know I couldn’t sleep through that. I also found the AC sound way more powerful than the DC squealer.
Got a SUPER rare unit today from my parents, a BRK 3000. Has a modified 77R PCB with both ionization and photoelectric sensors with interconnect. Regular tiered test button is for the ionization sensor (strangely there’s an LED underneath it, the 77R didn’t have an LED) and the black crayon tip button is for the photoelectric sensor. Regular Kobishi CLB-27 brass squealer. The ionization sensor is the regular coffin-shaped one but it only has 1uCi instead of 5 like they always had. First Alert had a version called the SA300 and Sears rebranded these as well.
Hi, I am a newbie here. I stumbled on this thread while researching for Entronics Corp, to figure out what happened to them. It turns out they got bought out in the late 70s and they disappeared. However my aunt has lived in her house since approx 1978 and still has the original smoke detector/alarm made by Entronics, a Z-100 model. It is still hard wired in the circuit and has the little red ready light visible. We will need to upgrade to a current smoke detector, so this one will be “retired”. This one still has the factory sticker inside the cover and the little red “Test Weekly” sticker stuck on the outside of the cover. Anyone had any experience with these early detectors?
Welcome to the forum, those older detectors in my opinion were much better than the ones of today. The older ones had the louder electromechanical or squealers horns as opposed to piezos used today. The older horns were much louder and more effective but with a detector that old is not to have it in use but just as a collectors item if you are into that stuff. I used to be terrified of the noise these ones made (I was born in 1973) but now I am actually fascinated with them as collectors items. If you have no interest in keeping it I will take if off your hands even though it is hard wired. I acquired my First Alert SA76RS from someone else here in the forum. He was not a collector and I am. I also have a Nortron TR88 hardwired (AC) model that I was able to get working from a Tool Workshop in the city were I live. If you want feel free to PM me here. I have a small collection of detectors but I hope to get more eventually. Since I don’t have an ebay account I try this forum or second hand stores., That is how I found the detectors/bell I have now.
Hi, I am a newbie here. I stumbled on this thread while researching for Entronics Corp, to figure out what happened to them. It turns out they got bought out in the late 70s and they disappeared. However my aunt has lived in her house since approx 1978 and still has the original smoke detector/alarm made by Entronics, a Z-100 model. It is still hard wired in the circuit and has the little red ready light visible. We will need to upgrade to a current smoke detector, so this one will be “retired”. This one still has the factory sticker inside the cover and the little red “Test Weekly” sticker stuck on the outside of the cover. Anyone had any experience with these early detectors?
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Welcome!
I have some experience with Entronic Vigilante units, I used to have a Z-700, similar in appearance to the Z-100 but took a 12.6 volt Mercury battery instead of being hardwired. These always used Radium 226 instead of Americium, the sensor was quite unique and consisted of a small chamber and a “target”, and they all had Kobishi CLB-27 squealer horns (hardwired one used a transformer). Vigilante’s are quite rare these so I’d definitely hold on to it.
I’m posting here because this topic is the only place where Google found a mention of the Fyrnetics Lifesaver 1245 – and that was just someone’s off-hand comment that maybe he could find one someday! (See p. 53 of this thread.)
I have two of them. I just moved into a new (to me) apartment, and noticed the smoke alarms looked pretty old. Opening them up, there’s no manufacture or install date. This is an old building that was converted from commercial to apartments in the 1980s; my best guess is that these smoke alarms date to around then. The batteries expired in 2012, so whatever their exact vintage, these alarms are definitely past their use-by date. I’ve just replaced them with new units.
But I’m curious about the old ones. Does anyone here know anything more about these alarms? Do they have any value to a collector? They’re both intact, including the cover, base plate, and what looks like a few decades of dust. I have no idea how well they still work, if at all, but the little red light comes on when they’re connected to 120V.
Not sure if anyone would be interested in a First Alert SA150LT, I was trying to Google if this unit really requires two 9-volt batteries or if one was a “spare” when I got a hit on page 16 of this forum of Rare Smoke Detectors. I can upload photos if anyone is interested. I don’t know the year it was made, but it does say “Replace detector by the year 2003”. Based on quick Google’ing it looks like the whole detector unit should be replaced every 10 years, which would put a loose manufacture date of 1993.
I’ll hold on to it for a couple of weeks to see if anyone is interested.
Here is one I got from a friend, a 1988 Cerberus Guinard ionization smoke detector, it is somewhat rare because my country banned the use of ionization smoke detectors.
There is also the Cerberus R716 which is the photoelectric version of this smoke detector (they share the same Z74 base).
I have a few pictures of it (but for some reason can only attach 3 per post… Argh), I’ll make another post with the last picture and maybe more information that I have about it.
2 months ago I’ve discovered something EXTREMELY RARE while browsing eBay I have found a Westclox Portable Smoke Alarm new in box, the model number was #83090. This alarm had a rectangular design with a switch to decide whether you wanted it off, wanted to test it, or wanted it on, It had a Kobishi squealer horn and to put a battery in you have to open the alarm up with a small Flathead screwdriver it also had the normal westclox sensor. The other contents in the package was the manual, screws, the mounting bracket for the door, the original battery (just a regular Mallory (Duracell) 9-volt battery, and a document signed by the fire marshal of Colorado in 1979.
[quote=willbill808 post_id=58363 time=1400441303 usell sThe detectors are numbered from bottom to top.
Detector #1 is a 120VAC (probably hardwired) ion alarm with a squealer. It might be a GE. It makes a sound like it’s running on FWR power. It makes the high DC squealer tone, but is heavily modulated at 60Hz.
Detector #2 could be an ESL. It is a 120VAC wall cord Photo alarm. It has a squealer, but it makes the sound of a full DC squealer.
Detector #3 is COOL. It is a battery powered Ion alarm. This is the one I thought was a “Probe”. It looks like a First Alert 76RC/RS, but has a piezo horn, and the test button is not in the rings, but in the little circle near the center of the cover!
Detector #4 is the 2nd Gen rectangular GE alarm. Not much to say on this one. It’s more common.
Detector #5 is a battery powered photo A*T alarm, with the same black Star buzzer in the old GE alarms.
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I have a firex fxw-1 from 1981, but it doesnt have the connector built into the back; rather, its on a wire that comes out of the back. Is this a rare version?
