Two types of California Code

So, we all know that this is California code, right?

Then, I dug this up:

We all know Simplex had slightly different signal codes back in the 4001/4002 era, but this is a huge difference.

That is very odd to say the least. I recall Simplex had normal California code afterwards, but I think that was not until the 4003/4004/4005 series were introduced.

Huh. And here I thought that all codes for all companies had to be the same as each other.

That’s odd, I’ll have to see what my 4002 does on California code. I know the 4002 has 3 options for it though as seen on the DIP switch chart I have linked.


Sorry if image is huge, can’t edit on my phone.

Will see what my panel does some time tomorrow.

Old Simplex panels also did an odd version of Code 3, with longer pauses.

Does that mean it sounds continuously for 5 minutes?

Some of the older 4100 Classic and 4120 Classic panels did this as well. My high school is an example.

Was originally going to make this Test 2 so its in that format, but it took too long and I wasn’t going to cut up the clips.

The different time options make minimal if any difference, but it does to that pulse pattern.

Very interesting, this video gives lots of insight on this. If I recall however there was a YouTube video which a school utilizing a 2001 series system with 2901-9806’s (the description states they are 9838’s but they are most definitely not since the 2001 was discontinued shortly after or before that series debuted, could be 9833’s but sounded more like -9806’s to me) on 2903-9101’s was in California Code, or at least what the 2001 thought it was. It sounded a lot more like the traditional code than what the 4001 and 4002 utilized which makes me curious as to why they would make this more improper especially on a panel that debuted to replace the 2001 series. A glitch in that particular system? Perhaps? But it didn’t sound like it. Link to the video in question is below (I had to do some digging to find it as it was uploaded several years ago):

Video is not mine, of course.

It was intentional. Simplex was probably taking some creative license. They had a different code 3 during that era, too.

But those are -9838’s. They sound different because they’re on FWR power due to the filtering capacitor wearing out (a common problem on the 2001). If they were -9833’s, you’d see more black in the grille, and if they were -9806’s, they would sound like this: