I am a sound designer at a local live theater that’s fairly new. It is a Siemens addressable system (I think). They have re-branded Wheelock ZNS’s with Siemens dual action pull stations. They have modules all over the place (NOTE: I am not sure what exactly they are but I didn’t open them up). I have looked in every storage/electrical closet possible and cannot find the panel!! The only thing I have discovered is this panel in the picture. Can anyone tell me if the system is addressable for sure. I still am on the hunt for that panel!
That is a Siemens PAD-3, which is a Notification Appliance Circuit Extender. Basically, it is an extra power supply to boost the power capacity for horns and strobes. It is not linked directly to any model of panel, so it could be used with either their smaller panels like the and SXL-EX, or their larger addressable systems like the MXL-IQ. There appears to be a monitor module next to the panel, I assume for the trouble contact, so that a fault in the PAD-3’s wiring can be reported to the main panel. If it is indeed an addressable module, and you said you have seen others, it is an addressable system.
By the way, it is NEVER a good idea to open up or tamper with life safety equipment that is actually installed. I’m not sure if you had permission or were being supervised by a person having authority within the building, so I’ll leave it at that, but be careful.
Well, that there is your “Fire Safety Distributed Power Module NAC Expander”. Someone apparently has too much time with the p-touch… That is an addressable module there next to the PAD panel, so yeah, an addressable system. The main panel is probably tucked away in an electrical or mechanical room somewhere. Word of caution, stay away from opening things up, too easy to cause a fault or worst yet a false alarm and have the FD dispatched - unless you are authorized to work on the equipment. You could also cause issues with the warranty if the equipment is new.
Those are pad-3’s, NAC power supplies. The power supplies are dumb panels, but it’s an addressable system, the white plate next to the panel with the address “2-038” (or something to that effect) is the address of the module that activates/monitors the NAC power supply. If you removed that plate (don’t recommend it) you’d see the module.
the SXL-EX is a small conventional panel from the 90’s, and the MXL-IQ was a small 120 point addressable system that was discontinued in 2005 or 6 or a long time ago… so I doubt it’s that panel.
edit: Look in the lobbies for an annunciator and take a picture, it’ll be a giveaway for what type of panel it is.
I have permission to the electrical room, the key was in the panel, and I didn’t tamper with it. Thanks for the info though, I think you are right about the trouble contact though, I could here a relay click inside a few times.
Again I would never tamper with the equipment. AND LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE P-TOUCH. I swear that they had some professional full time guy come in with a labeler, every…single thing in this theater is labeled. The outlets, switches, lights, cords, you name it (In fact I’m quite surprised they didn’t label the restroom toilets!!)
EDIT: I also have helped the facilities maintenance with a lot of electrical in the building, so I have been granted keys to all of the electrical rooms (So yes i do have permission)
The panel could be in a security office somewhere, or even in the lobby. It will probably be black like that NAC panel so you might have missed it.
Sounds like a decent electrical installed everything if it’s all labeled so well.
It’s not in the lobby, also this is connected to a very old building which is where the new panel could be Im assuming. Would it be near the main sprinkler room too, i have been in there as well and saw nothing.
Not to doubt the information you provide, but my SXL-EX was manufactured in 2008.
Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying. I can tell you from personal experience that simply opening up a panel can cause undesired operation. I was working at a senior living facility and I simply opened the door to the panel to get the account number off the inside of the panel door and “something happened” and the dialer clicked. The panel was a rats nest so who knows! Two minutes later there was an engine truck out front. Totally wasn’t my fault and the firefighters understood, and lucky for me my helper was an ex firefighter for that department so it was like a reunion for those guys. I’ve also seen tamper switches inside cabinets (yes rare, but I had a system on Friday that had tampers) so as soon as you open the cabinet it sends a supervisory signal. Some places an accidental dispatch can be a $500 fine, and fire marshalls aren’t very forgiving if you’ve ever had to deal with them. Especially the ones with some power! If you are authorized to open the panels that’s fine, make sure you put the system on test before you do. Not trying to be harsh about it, just want to make sure you understand what can happen.
So quick question, being the sound designer, voice evac? Got the audio shunt trip wire in?
Don’t get me wrong, they still make the SXL’s new for some reason (the MXL’s have all been discontinued). But it’s a very old conventional panel they’ve made forever for some niche market and you very rarely see installed anywhere. Where did you find yours at?
I figured it may have been something like that, I suppose they could be handy for a quick replacement. I got mine new from eBay last year. Extremely pleased with its performance.
No offense taken at all, I actually appreciate the concern if anything and will be more careful the next time as well.
I’m not sure what you mean by that, it doesn’t have voice evac. There is an intercom system hooked up throughout used for general announcements that I have access to.
What I didn’t mention is that this is connected to a high school. It’s hard to explain but the high school uses it for plays and it is open for rentals to come in and use it for whatever they want (as long as they pay). So the school recieves profit but it is a professional theater, with its own separate building. Which makes me wonder that the panel could be in the school building…that was a big curve ball that I forgot to tell everyone.
I would bet it’s connected to the high school especially if it shares hallways, entrances, doors, or even just walls with the school. Does the school have similar devices/a similar looking setup?
That would also explain the NAC extender. Such a device in a small theater alone would be excessive.
Interesting… Obviously, codes are different jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but around here if the theater was built or remodeled within the last 20 years, it would have voice evac. And when you have voice evac, you have to shut down the a/v system in the theater to give the fire alarm speakers priority over everything else. When you don’t have voice evac and your notification consists of horn/strobes, a/v shutdown is not required but oftentimes is there anyway.
You can have a building with partial voice evac. Good example is a school. You will have standard horn/strobes throughout the entire school EXCEPT for the areas of the building considered “places of assembly”. The auditorium, gym, cafeteria, and library would be the only areas of the school where the voice evac system would be required.
One of the more interesting setups was in a fire station banquet hall. They had the voice evac system for the banquet hall (the other areas of the building were not voice evac and just horn/strobes). When the fire alarm was activated, all of the receptacles on the stage shut off by shunt tripping the circuit breakers, the in house PA system shut down via a relay module, and all the chandeliers in the banquet hall turned on at 100% brightness.
The NA’s and pulls are completely different. I’m going there today so I will try to figure it out if I have some free time on my hands.
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AND LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE P-TOUCH. I swear that they had some professional full time guy come in with a labeler, every...single thing in this theater is labeled. The outlets, switches, lights, cords, you name it (In fact I'm quite surprised they didn't label the restroom toilets!!)
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:lol: I want some picture if you can! XD