First Panel

Hi,I am thinking about getting my first panel in December and I was wondering is the adt unimode 10ud a good starter?

I don’t know anything about American District Telegraph fire alarm panels, I’d assume it’s similar to the FireLite ones, but I’m not sure about its software or if it has a backdoor.

I’d recommend taking a look at this topic: <URL url="So you want to buy a FACP... text=“viewtopic.php?f=60&t=6110”>So you want to buy a FACP...

My guess is the FireLite version would be a safer buy than the ADT one on the software side, but someone who has experience please correct me.

I actually have this panel, (but the Fire Lite Version) And it is a very good panel.

PROS:

There are 10 zones that you can program for several different things.

There’s multiple coding options.

There’s also two programmable relays and a communicator (that can be disabled).

The NAC output on mine is 3 amps and it has an AWESOME output
It
works for about 5 days on batteries alone (I tested it :lol:)

It works with virtually all 2 wire smokes

Works good with sync modules

CONS:

I dont know if this is a programming issue, But mine takes about 10 seconds to sound the NAC after an IDC is activated. Not a big deal, but its annoying.

The piezo is SUPER loud and annoying. Not even tape could fix it.

You need a LOT of resistors or the panell will go into trouble every 6 hours (Annoying)

The wiring terminals are SUPER small. It was hard for me to get the fire alarm wire in there along with the resistor lead.

The terminals are SUPER close together. Putting resistors in is a pain in the neck. You have to be very clever in the way you orient them to make sure the zones don’t cross and short, inevitably causing an alarm that is hard to pinpoint.

If you need anymore info on the panel, feel free to PM me!

You set off an NA for 5 days in your house?! Was it an SpectrAlert Advance?

The duration of the battery depends on what settings the NAs are set to, and of course how many NAs there are, i.e. an Advance on Continuous High, 115 candela will use about as much power as 5 Advances on Code 3 Low, 15 candela.

NOOOO on standby with about 8 smoke detectors and a 115 candela amber trouble strobe. Standby is said to be 60 hours on battery, but mine lasted far longer with devices included.

The A D T “Unimode” line of panels is essentially rebranded Fire-Lite equipment. The Unimode 10UD is identical to the MS-10UD hardware-wise; the circuit boards are exactly the same. Same story with the Fire-Lite MS-4, it’s identical to the Silent Knight SK-4.
I’m not positive if the MS5 or MS10 panels can be programmed via software but I know they can be programmed via the front panel (as long as you know the passcode) so it doesn’t matter who the manufacturer is. As long as you have the programming passcode, you’ll be able to access the panel’s full range of functionalities.
I also know for addressable Unimode panels, Fire-Lite addressable devices will work just fine. Even SBUS devices like the ANN-80 work fine.
The short answer: The Unimode/Fire-Lite MS-10UD is a great starter panel and will serve you will IF you read the documentation, understand the concepts, and purchase a known good panel with a known passcode.

If the fire alarm wire and the resistor are sharing a terminal at the panel, the zone isn’t being supervised properly. The EOL resistor should be on the last device of the circuit unless an unused zone is being dummied out at the panel.

While newer Unimode panels are simply Fire-Lite rebrands, it is worth noting that ADT did have its own line of Unimode panels in the 1980s.

I have dealt with small terminals like those when building my raspberry pi. I also like programming.

I might also get a ms 9050ud instead because it is cheaper.

Be careful there. Addressable panels usually require more expensive and hard to find devices, not to mention smokes pulls, and modules. Sometimes they require more programming and wiring.

Yeah I don’t have the time to supervise it properly right now.

Careful with the addressable stuff… don’t make the purchase unless you are ready for the challenge. That said, the MS-9050UD is an excellent starter, and relatively robust, but you will still require addressable devices which can get expensive. If you can find a few MMF-302 modules, they can provide an addressable interface for existing conventional zones.

I think that might be the reason why you’re getting troubles every 6 hours.

I dont have troubles any more yay!

I decided on Silent Knight SK-4!

I actually instead got a Notifier SFP-2402, it is a nice panel imo.

Yeah the 2 zone panel. It’s simple. Fire-Lite and Silent Knight has the same exact model if you ever need to swap the board out.