Oldest Panel

[binthere]

Hi to all,

I was recently called to an address which seemed familiar, when i got there i remembered that it was my first installation as an engineer. The alarm panel was a Metal ADE Logic 4 ( for the newer engineers, yes they used to make them from metal......)

To my surprise it was still going strong.. no problems at all, just needed the back up battery changing.

No matter how much i tried, the couple refused to upgrade, all this new fangled technology is not for them...

I just wondered what is the other installers first panels were???

Great forum love reading the topics ...

Very interesting, I wish I was that young the first panel I fitted was Rely a Bell panel in 1970 the actual panel was wired with anti tamper wire, all windows and door's were wired the 'old way' it was really hard work the back up battery was an Ever Ready type battery, the alarm was connected to a TYPE of dialling machine that had a specially made record placed on a turrntable which sent a message to the Police, there was also another type of Police calling device that went direct to the local 24 hour manned Police Station where we had access to test, at the Police Station there was banks of switches that activated when signalled the switch relay went down an an audible signal was heard the Police Officer then checked the numbered switch and dispatched a Police car.

Believe me this is true even I often wonder if all that really did happen after what we have now days.

hi binthere,

i'm not sure your memory serves you to well mate, especially about the 12 volt battery. rely-a-bell was 5 qs flags in the panel and 3 x 'O' cells end of line. Burgots had an EverReady HP1 as standby as it was a 12 volt system.

the PIU (Police Indicator Unit) was fitted to the local police station. a high security 'balanced' version came out later which had 8 channels and had to be 'tuned' both ends - nightmare for service in electrical storms if lightning bolt hit the manhole outside the main police station - which it did 3 times over one easter weekend at Southend - and i was on call.

the '999' you speak of which were 12 volt battery operated was called an 'RG' or 'RE' , one version had line fault sensing, a good clump on the catch side of the case used to send the arm across the record and cancel the call

servicing was a bit 'brutal' in those days B) .

regs

alan

Hi Alan

I will not say who I am for security reason's, (I changed to a Govt Dept in the 70's)but I believe we do know each other especially as you worked in Southend nick, the banks of about 10 switches in each bank they were were behind the front office had 3 set positions up middle or down as you say, they were a pain in the Harris I must admit it was a long time ago and my memory is not 100% tend to be clear about good things to remember but bad things it is easier to forget.

Do you remeber Tom Buckley

Binthere

[binthere]

Right, here goes.

One of oldest panels I worked on when I started with Moderns in 1986 was a Brocks Analyzer. It had EOL batteries in the form of flag cells with 6v lantern batts to power the panel. They sometimes had a reel to reel tape player attached, a 999 unit which had to be rewound by hand to reset. Until someone told me about a link between two terminals which would rewind it under it's own power. If the EOLs went down and you'd run out of flag cells, you could put a 6v on the end to get you out of trouble.

For about 10 minutes when it would FA as you were driving away.

The oldest had to be the S type 1. A keyswitch and toggle switch on a block with the panel containing batts mounted higher up the wall. Lacking a buzzer, this beauty would ring both internal and external bells on setting and unsetting. I'll bet the neighbours were impressed.

I remember a 74 panel connected to a boxed turntable that had to be reset by pressing a button on the deck and cueing up the record.

The start of my DJing career.

Took this out recently, and it stil worked

thats the type I refered to with the ever ready lantern battery I am truly gobsmacked to see the beast, who the hell was it signalling to !

binthere

[DAVID HINGE]

:!: Sorry but I can not let this one go!!!

The first panel we used was home made with BIG RED LIGHTS on it! and a great big key and was very very big, and the engineer that made it up rushed off into the trraffic and said to the copper on point duty ' Harry What do you think of this then?' 'Why thats bloody big and what a bonny colour I like it!'.................. That night we had an advert in the local paper front page top banner 'POLICE APROVED' !!!!!! sorry but it was fourty odd years ago and we still used drawing pins for door contacts! Oh God! hurray for the good old days.......with that I shall creep away back into the clouds of retirement)

David Hinge

[ee8mjb]

The oldest panel we look after was 32 years old this week (yep 1 customer since new, fully functional, full drawings marked up with cable routes and junction boxes). It's weird working on stuff that was fitted before I was born, and the bloke who fitted it is probably long gone (customer remembers he retired the year after is was fitted)...

Matt

[AndyAAI]

Ok.

Here goes.

I was born in 1968 so I will give you my odest panel info.

First control unt I ever installed was an A&G R52E keyswich split zone control unit. Then I moved onto a Castle CX1001. To this day, my favourite control unit was a Castle ZX1250 expandable control unit.

When I left school I joined Chubb Alarms as an apprentice, working with Gordon Taylor in West London. At that time we were fitting Guardall CA 202 and CA 210 control units.

That said, I used to work on CA 45, CA3, CA6 (bank control units - I was trained as a bank engineer ) CA5 and CA10 control unis with the odd CA100 and CA104. I don't that any of these panes still exist anywhere.. Comared with the A&G, Bon Autoation, Castle, Munford and White, Radiovisor Monive Panel (remember them?) and the Franken Systems panels all the Chubb panels were years ahead of there time.

I had the most fantastic Training at Chubb Alarms and owe an awful lot to Godon Taylor, whom I am sill in regular contact with.

He was a Burgot engineer.

He taught me how to make tube and batten frames, lace wiring And how to foil windows using lead non self adhesive foil.

Happy.....no Very Happy Days.

Andy

I remember the 'lock block and coffin' Rely-a-Bell control unis and the RG Grams (999 machines).

We were fitting Internet directly line signalling years before the WWW had ever been invented.

Over the years, I have been into loads of Central Stations. To my mid, the best Central Station I ever went to was at Clifton Street. It was over two floors, with a basement and ground floor.

[Wyatthaplo]

I think my first install was a 9800+, still a bit of a youngster myself

[Hawaii]

Ok. Here goes. I was born in 1968 so I will give you my odest panel info. First control unt I ever installed was an A&G R52E keyswich split zone control unit. Then I moved onto a Castle CX1001. To this day, my favourite control unit was a Castle ZX1250 expandable control unit. When I left school I joined Chubb Alarms as an apprentice, working with Gordon Taylor in West London. At that time we were fitting Guardall CA 202 and CA 210 control units. That said, I used to work on CA 45, CA3, CA6 (bank control units - I was trained as a bank engineer ) CA5 and CA10 control unis with the odd CA100 and CA104. I don't that any of these panes still exist anywhere.. Comared with the A&G, Bon Autoation, Castle, Munford and White, Radiovisor Monive Panel (remember them?) and the Franken Systems panels all the Chubb panels were years ahead of there time. I had the most fantastic Training at Chubb Alarms and owe an awful lot to Godon Taylor, whom I am sill in regular contact with. He was a Burgot engineer. He taught me how to make tube and batten frames, lace wiring And how to foil windows using lead non self adhesive foil. Happy.....no Very Happy Days. Andy I remember the 'lock block and coffin' Rely-a-Bell control unis and the RG Grams (999 machines). We were fitting Internet directly line signalling years before the WWW had ever been invented. Over the years, I have been into loads of Central Stations. To my mid, the best Central Station I ever went to was at Clifton Street. It was over two floors, with a basement and ground floor.

I remember the Radiovisor Monive panels we used them up till 1982 when we sold the company to Landers. We replaced one around 2000 which was made of wood, so it was pre BS 4737 1971, could have been made the year you were born. I kept it until last year when I had to get rid of lot of unused stuff as I retired to Menorca and the villas here do not have lofts to store old junk.

[9651]

We've still got a load of Logic 4's and old Bentleys out there under maintenance, got a REALLY old ADE panel in our stores, boss wont let it go, cream metal cased thing with a KS, i'll have to grab a pic!

First system I installed myself was probably an Optima!

[Able Alarm]

My first install was a diy key operated metal boxed 1 zone i bought from my elder sisters mail order catalogue when i was 16 years old. I fitted it and got paid cash, I thought this is great at the time but thirty or so years later i now cant shack off this abit.

Then went onto A & G rs panels, Hilcare multizone expander with all the switches, Securit and the first Scantronic 9100 plastic 4 zone microprocessor panel for under £20.

Reading this topic i have being reminded about just how old i am and how young most of you lot are.

[NowItsBroken]

Omicron 3000 :/ installation & user manual was like 2 pages. No programming as such and only a handful of unsupervised zones. Used to eat batteries from memory. That was the wired option and for wireless we fitted micromark. When I think back it was total **** and about as secure as a paper bag. Now I feel old