Knockoff Devices

I’ll try my best not to violate the “Brand Bashing” rule that was put in place some years ago, but all of us at one time or another have seen fire alarm devices that are just complete copies/knockoffs of other companies’ products. Even so, most of them still seem to be pretty decent quality at least, they may not meet UL or other organizations’ requirements, but they’re still rather interesting if you ask me.

Some examples:
Here’s one that a lot of companies, particularly those in China, LOVE to copy, System Sensor’s Spectralert. Here’s one, made by a company called Asenware:

And another with the exact same design but made by a company called “KKMoon” instead: (going by the lack of fire alarm products on KKMoon’s website along with the nearly-identical design to Asenware’s I’m assuming they just rebranded Asenware’s version)

There’s yet another company that makes or rebrands an almost identical version called “Uhppote”. I’ve also found non-branded versions of these as well as ones with either 6 red LEDs or a white strobe and versions with black “FIRE” lettering, which usually indicates it’s the strobe version. It’s somewhat hard to keep track of all these knockoff products especially when the brand name, design, and model numbers aren’t always consistent.
Still another one that makes this version: Flexzion, this time I have a model name to go with the manufacturer name: Quick Alert (thus ripping off Simplex’s original name for the Truealert)
There’s also a white version with a colored lens branded “Logico” that I heard talked about in another topic. This version is rebranded or produced by Logico for use in CO2 alarm systems. (which is what was being talked about in the topic that mentioned this version)
https://www.logico2.com/products/horn-strobe-led-amber-glass/ (of note is that they also sell Wheelock’s MT-24MCW-NW but with a “CO2” label on the front)
And of course, the version that NewEnglandElevators owns, which looks the least like the Spectralert out of the three but is still a knockoff. Honestly don’t know who makes this thing, but much like with the above Spectralert knockoffs there isn’t much consistency with the design.
Just search around on Google, you’ll find tons of Spectralert ripoffs, most of which aren’t consistent with one another regarding design and manufacturer. (trust me if I tried listing every single Spectralert knockoff I’ve seen I’d be here all day)

Here’s another somewhat common victim of ripoffization: the BG-12. Asenware is here too:

As is Uhppote:
https://www.amazon.com/UHPPOTE-9-28VDC-Conventional-Emergency-Station/dp/B01NGYTFAS
There are probably other companies who also make knockoffs of the BG-12 or rebrand Asenware’s version but I don’t know of any at the moment.

Here’s one that I found myself that I’m surprised no one else apparently has: Potter’s SH24C ceiling mount Select-A-Horn/Strobe:

As you can see it’s VERY similar in design to your average Spectralert Classic ceiling mount horn/strobe, right down to the position of the fire lettering, the strobe in the center, and the grille around the strobe. They also made it in remote strobe, speaker, and speaker/strobe versions just like the Spectralert Classic.

If you have any knockoff devices you’d like to share, feel free to do so right here.

The movie theater we always go to has one of the those LogiCO2 alarms installed above a door leading to the storage room. Also Simplex changed the QuickAlert brand to TrueAlert because another company already trademarked the name QuickAlert . This topic sorta brand bashes (in my opinion), so I would be careful making any libelous comments about any company regardless if they knock off any other brand or product.

Only alarm I’ve ever seen that’s anything like what you described is a Potter SH-1224 refrigerate leak alarm, I know there’s at least two at a Publix up here where we live. It’s little more than a white no lettering SH-1224 mounted on a plastic box marked “REFRIGERANT LEAK ALARM DO NOT OCCUPY”

Oh yeah, that’s right, wonder if it happened to be this “Flexzion” company. (probably not because they appear to only operate in China and thus they would not consider Simplex to be competition or infringing on a trademark of theirs)

I DID technically say that despite these products being ripped-off from other companies’ products that they’re not BAD. (like I said sure there’s probably no compliance in the US for example but they still technically work for collectors) I tried to be respectful as possible while writing the first post, but there’s no denying the designs ARE ripped-off from other companies. Still, if you ask me it’s nice to know that China apparently wants their fire alarms to be like the US’s.

Sometimes Small fire alarm companies make deals with large fire alarm companies to either make, or rebrand products for them. Though sometimes the deals don’t go well, so they end up making their own alarms based off of a common alarm design, without infringing patents.

This company called locknetics must’ve made a deal with system sensor to let them use their SpectrAlert body design for a lock alarm.


I know this doesn’t count as a knockoff, but you get the idea.

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[quote=RSSAlarms post_id=87166 time=1591835454 user_id=4672]

Sometimes Small fire alarm companies make deals with large fire alarm companies to either make, or rebrand products for them. Though sometimes the deals don’t go well, so they end up making their own alarms based off of a common alarm design, without infringing patents.

This company called locknetics must’ve made a deal with system sensor to let them use their SpectrAlert body design for a lock alarm.

[/quote]

Those look like real SpectrAlerts. Do you have a link to a data sheet?

I don’t have one, but I looked online and this is what I found: https://us.allegion.com/content/dam/allegion-us-2/web-documents-2/DataSheet/Schlage_System_Accessories_Electronic_Horns_Data_Sheet_103905.pdf

http://www.mfsales.com/book02/316-317.pdf

I spotted <URL url="Fire Alarms in Buildings (2.0) - #1854 by El_Chupacabra]knockoff SpectrAlerts and BG-12s[/url] at a cruise port in Mexico a few months ago. Ironically, these devices were installed in the past year to replace real BG-12s and SpectrAlerts.

The most egregious “legitimate” (UL listed product from a major brand) knockoff I know of is the Autocall MD (here’s a closeup of the MD’s cards), which is practically identical to the Simplex 2001. According to Destin, the 2001 <URL url="Kidde/Thorn Datasheets - #9 by Destin]predates[/url] the MD. It appears that there was absolutely no attempt to distinguish the MD from the 2001. While I can’t confirm whether these panels were also released after the 2001, other honorable mentions include the Standard Electric Time SET-7080 (it even has a march time card!) and National Time 7000 (which looks like a cross between a 2001 and a Mirtone 790).

The Edwards 1526 and Mirtone 70707 also have much in common. One of these panels’ most distinctive features is the fact that the board is mounted to the door rather than to the backbox; this feature can be seen in these interior views of the 1526 and 70707. While Mirtone was acquired by General Signal in 1988 (and started rebranding Edwards products shortly thereafter), both the 70707 and 1526 appear to be from the 1970s; it is therefore unlikely that one of these panels is a rebrand of the other.

As for signals, here are a few devices with noticeable similarities:

Finally, while these are not fire alarm devices per se, the mounting plates from the Wheelock AS and Faraday 2884/Siemens U-MMT are suspiciously similar (U-MMT plate at the left, AS plate at the right):

Ah yes, I recall coming across that topic not too long ago. Sad to see what some organizations will fall for, though it all comes down to money. Of course a business or company will go with devices that cost the least, they don’t care about whether they’re of the best quality or not, they’re just concerned with saving money.

Ah, there’s that same panel NewAgeServer teased but never made a full video on. He even stated down in the description “It’s not a Simplex 2001 despite looking like one”. Even I thought that’s what it was at first!

The National Time 7000 has cards that appear to be VERY similar in design to the 2001’s.

Oh yeah, I see the similarity, most obvious are the slots in the door (albeit dual slots on the Edwards panel and single slots on the Mirtone one) protruding square-shaped lock, (on the left side on the Edwards panel and on the right on the Mirtone one) tan can color, (though that might be due to age) and the three indicator LEDs in the center of the door.

I’m sorry to say but I believe I basically exhausted all the knockoff products I know about in the first post to this topic, thus I don’t think I have any others to list here for the time being.

There’s also the Gamewell Zans-400 which looks very similar to the Pyrotronics System 3, only just mirrored.

Yep, NewAgeServer even said in Mini System Test 21: (which featured a Zans 400) “I originally thought these things were Siemens System 3 panels which were mirrored, because on the System 3 the three lights, are on this side”.

Cerberus Pyrotronics owned Gamewell in the early 1990’s.