I’ve seen that smoke detector before! it was in a friend’s house about 3 years ago. It was the model that had a square base that snaps into a mounting bracket. I believe it had the piezo horn.
That’s the one! Those special Sears models came out in 1980 I believe. My grandma used to have one too, also dated 1981. She also had the earlier (70’s) model, that was identical to the First Alert SA76RS (squealer), except had that Sears cover and labeling.
It’s funny how Sears decided to make their own smoke alarm for 1980, and not use a First Alert SA76RC (piezo) with a Sears style cover. Instead, they went for the sealed design with the square black base. It would be interesting to find the original manufacturer of these. Were they a special BRK model made for Sears?
They may have been. I don’t know of any early B.R.K./First Alert alarms that were sealed. The only square-based B.R.K.alarm I know of is the 79DCRI, which has a built-in relay.
I found a BRK 79DCRI on eBay a while ago. I didn’t buy it because I had already spent my “smoke alarm” budget on the 76RS and 1839N. It’s a cool alarm though. I believe it’s one of the first AC smoke alarms with 9V battery backup.
Sears actually had an alarm based in the 76RC platform, it had larger side vents (like the RC itself). They are VERY rare and on my wanted list.
As you can see, the design also includes the Escape Light model. I saw the cover to one (normal model) at the Salvation Army thrift store in Fort Dodge, IA but the main unit was nowhere to be found. I probably should have gotten that cover.
As for the sealed ones, they’re made by Gateway Scientific, who also made Probe, Smokescan, Smokey Stover (and for you older members, yes it was based on the old comic) amongst others.
As for the 79DCRI - it’s a totally battery powered model. I have one, but it’s horn has that problem that got BRK in trouble – bad connections to the piezo. See “Silent Alarms” on YouTube for details.
Wow! I have never seen a Sears version of the 76RC! I have only seen the Gateway Scientific version (sealed, with the square, black base), and the earlier 76RS version. I had no idea Gateway Scientific manufactured those.
Both the RS version and Gateway version were originally installed in my grandma’s house and in 2002ish, I got both of the old Sears alarms when I helped her replace them with new First Alert “remote control” test smoke detectors.
I could just slap myself silly for completely taking apart and destroying both of those old and rare Sears smoke detectors. The only remnants I have of the detectors are the Gateway Scientific version’s cover which I managed to take off, and the squealer horn from the slightly older one. That horn’s terminals have completely broken off.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen another Gateway smoke alarm. They seem to be super rare. I’ve never seen a Probe smoke detector, except for a really tiny picture I saw on the internet a long time ago.
Well, now that I have a “Smoke Alert” SA76RS, I have officially heard a squealer horn in person. Back when I was young and got the Sears version of it, I was too scared to test it cause the horn looked really loud. So, I “Frankensteined” it into other projects, completely destroying it. D’oh! The squealer horn is pretty loud and would definitely scare either numbers 1 or 2 out of me if I wasn’t expecting it. (Like your Sears BRK 3000 video Fire Alarm Fan!) But, I find it to be less piercing than a piezo. I can unplug my ears when I test a squealer, not with a piezo. (Exception: AC squealers. Those things are just bats out of hell.)
Oh, and by the way Fire Alarm Fan, I seem to remember you saying you wanted a SmokeGard 907A2. Well, I found one brand new in box.
Oh, by the way that was a really cool video. For those that would like to see it, here it is.
This video seems to be from 1999. It is yet another video showing evidence for why you don’t want to put ionization smoke alarms in your home. Alarms shown are the 83R (SA67D v2), the First Alert photoelectric models with the System Sensor 2400 style protrusion (Pittway owned both Sys. Sens. and BRK/First Alert!) and the SA90LT. This video is from Canada, so Pittway just decided to add -A to the end of the model numbers for the ULC versions.
It is tragic that this company does not inform the public that ionization alarms are FLAME alarms, not smoke alarms. Photoelectric alarms are SMOKE alarms.
There needs to be a law that all ionization alarms must be clearly marked as flame alarms, that do not effectively detect smoke and must be stamped with the same thing heat detectors are stamped with: THIS IS NOT A LIFE SAFETY DEVICE.
Ionization detectors do not “detect flame.” They detect the small particles released by combustion, which is the same thing that photoelectric detectors do. However, they react quicker to fast flaming fires, whereas photoelectric reacts quicker to smoldering fires. Ideally, both technologies should be installed in home to provide maximum protection.
Well yeah, ionization detectors don’t detect the flame itself, they detect the hot, tiny, invisible particles produced by an open flame. They are poor at detecting cooler, billowing smoke that is visible, and deadly. So, ions will warn you when the fire becomes a fire, which is usually far too late. Photoelectric alarms are optical, so they can indirectly “see” the smoke. Photoelectric alarms provide a far earlier warning from the types of fires that would likely happen in homes. Photo alarms will detect an incipient fire before it becomes a fire.
Then again, what if it is a stove, furnace, dryer, or Christmas tree fire? Those are fast flaming and could very possibly occur in a home.
Very true, I didn’t think of those. Both types do have their advantages.
The SmokeGard 907A2 is quite rare. It isn’t very common to find them on Ebay, but every once in a while, they pop up. Here’s a video of one:
As you can hear, they have a low tone mechanical horn that does a fast pulsing.
There was also a battery powered version, with the same insides as the 809A (piezo horn, ionization sensor), but with the cover of the 907A2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S49RNBBtxo (FireAlarmFan’s video)
That was an interesting video, the one you posted. I saw lots of older alarms in it.
Also, to me, I prefer to use dual-sensor alarms. I don’t have any in my house, but there are a few smoke detectors in my house that need to be replaced and I will try to replace them with dual-sensor alarms.
The alarms we installed in my house a few months ago were Kidde PI2010 dual-sensor alarms.
Nice. We have a full home fire alarm system that I put in, but there are only photoelectric detectors on it (System Sensor 2W-B’s and 4WTA-B’s for the bedrooms). There don’t seem to be any dual sensor smoke alarms available for use with these low voltage systems. We do have a standalone AC smoke alarm in the common hallway, but that one is photoelectric too. It’s a Nest by the way, and I installed it as well. I’m thinking about replacing it with an ion alarm now.
And yep… The 907A2 has the bat out of hell AC squealer horn sound. The low tone with an earsplitting rasp to it. That’s the first alarm I’ve ever heard with a 4/6 squealer horn pattern. Also, there is a really old Westclox probably from the early 70’s that did a super slow march time pattern with the DC squealer.
By the way, here’s how to embed the Youtube video in your post… Copy the video ID of the video you want. For example, here is the link to a video of the Westclox smoke alarm with a DC squealer horn that does a Very slow march time pattern.
The video ID is o2SteFG_lY8, which is the part after the “v=” in the link. So, click the Youtube button to insert Youtube brackets, then paste the video ID into those brackets. The video will appear, like so:
Ok, here’s a test:
Yay! thanks!
No problem!
I swear, on eBay I saw a 79DCRI with a pigtail wiring harness coming out the back. And, after more research, I found that it is actually a 9V battery only powered unit, and the wiring harness was for the interconnection! Very strange. You’d have to put it in a backbox unless you can somehow surface mount it with the pigtails inside the detector’s cover. For all that trouble, it would be just as easy to put in the 1789ACI (the standard 120VAC smoke alarm of the time, the early 80’s). I don’t think AC smoke alarms with battery backup came around until the 86RAC, from around maybe at the earliest 1988.
I’ve never seen a BRK 1789ACI. I have seen a 1769ACI though, they look more like commercial smoke detectors and they have the test button on the side and use a low pitched mechanical horn.
Here’s a video of one:
And i agree that the SA86RAC/86RAC was BRK/First Alert’s first home hardwired smoke detector with a battery backup. I know the 1769ACI and the SA769AC don’t have battery backups.
Well, I see that there is another sale for a BRK 79DCRI up on eBay. The buyer has some weird requirements, but after sorting through some financial details, I will buy it! And of course, make a video of it too 
Well, I have purchased the 79DCRI ! I also found a very cheap rebranded Dicon/American Sensors smoke alarm from the 80’s. NLind (Fire Alarm Fan)- You may recognize it as being very similar to your Fyr-Fyter smoke alarm! The company that rebranded it is called “Ten-Tek”. I bought this smoke alarm as well.
