Twinflex Panel

[luggsey]

My beef with Rafiki kit is its quality.

We have reluctantly taken over maints on a dozen or so Twinflex systems. these are a regular source of call outs, (usually smoke chambers failing).

The theory is great,but in practice there are lots of faults, one hotel with an 8 zone panel has had 2 replacement main PCBs (system only 14 months old), last week one of the zones failed (panel fault again), circuit has been moved to next zone up and old zone left in fault. Client now wants us to replace whole system with one of a different make.

We use Kentec 2 wire with Hochiki detectors and squashni sounders for our conventional installs, this kit is excellent. (just to show that I am not anti 2 wire systems!).

Rafiki support is very helpful, but you cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear!

Round here, most sparkies are fitting this kit as its the cheapest they can get, and then leaving the likes of us to pick up the pieces when it goes wrong.

QFA on the Raffiki comments, I have had lots of equipment failures with their kit. I had a faulty detector once that took out a panel, I only found out it was the detector when I powered up the new panel! Ouch.

[John]

QFA on the Raffiki comments, I have had lots of equipment failures with their kit. I had a faulty detector once that took out a panel, I only found out it was the detector when I powered up the new panel! Ouch.

How did you work out which detector was the duff un?

[luggsey]

How did you work out which detector was the duff un?

I think it was the sounder function that got fried from memory, I just went around looking for the heartbeat LED and found one that was dead, that was the faulty one. Another new PCB and detector and all was ok untill about a month later when the pins on the bases start oxidising causing faults again!

[Guest G.J.M]

i have so far managed to have never installed a twin wire system.

[John]

I am very impressed with the Kentec Sigma twin wire panels, very well made, high quality.

We use them with Savwire bases and standard Hochiki detectors.

You can use any standard sounder or bell (we use mostly Squashni ceiling base sounders). i.e. the only non standard ancillary is the detector base.

[Number2]

Just a question, were all experienced engineers and i think Rafiki have had enough bad press on this site.

Have you come across any other manufacturers thats a bit hit or miss?

Ill have to say Ziton hasnt really rocked my boat with multiple device failures on initial power up and useless design flaws with the older kit(ever tried wiring a sounder), the new aint much better with the fast fix bases differing from one device to another and terminations and settings that require a PHd in Dil switching to get the system running right.

We called this kit Shiite-on, as thats how we felt trying to install it. Good when it works, nightmare when it goes wrong!

[John]

Cheap smoke detectors by ESP - high rate of failures.

[Number2]

Cheap smoke detectors by ESP - high rate of failures.

Hi John, is that Hochiki ESP devices, ive never liked the soft address idea and thank god i never deal with ESP kit. Conventional Hochiki stuff is great though.

[John]

Hi John, is that Hochiki ESP devices, ive never liked the soft address idea and thank god i never deal with ESP kit. Conventional Hochiki stuff is great though.

No, its Bulgarian stuff sold by Elite Security Products (panels are ok for cheapies tho).

Hochiki ESP addressable kit - we use it all the time in preference to apollo, its just fine, easy to use, 127 sensors per loop plus 127 sounders on same loop. The only downside is the godawful call points turned out by KAC (cack).

Soft addressing is just fine, a lot quicker than dil switches.

Sounders are adjustable.

Sensors are adjustable

We use it on Kentec panels and would be very reluctant to change from either.

[JohnCunningham]

I like the theory of twinflex. I like the sounders on each detector and the flashing sequences on the pods. great for HMO installation. However they do not seem as robust as a conventional system. I look after a few twinflex systems and detectors do go down with alarming regularity compared to conventional items. maybe it is the fancy electronics , perhaps small detectors in the units, therefore susceptible to smaller bits of grease and dust. I do tend to groan a bit when I see one, but at least the systems are new ish.

I am looking at a service contract at the moment with 30 odd buildings all with rafiki twin flex... Bigger groan. But at least I'll be in the rafiki zone by the time I've finished them.