ADE sonade bell box current?

[Guest SJR]

Dear All,

I've been trying to find out what current the sonade alarm box draws from the panel.

ADE have said themselves that it works on 450mA, but that it get most of it from it's own battery so you don't have to include all of it in the max 1A capacity for components!

Well, that does not really answer the question as I have only the 1A total that the panel can handle. And, if I am to use the features of the panel, light controller, sounders, fire alarms (thanks for the posts on detectors folks) then I am getting pretty close to the limit and the odd 100mA here or there would make all the difference.

To be honest I was thinking of using mains inter connected fire alarms and separate light controlling and just leaving the panel for the intruder side of things. I have posted asking of peoples opinions no the past but no one answered that part. On the one hand I think that the integration should be used to its advantage, and the other, that even though separates would be wasting the panels circuit possibilities, at least I'd would not have all my eggs in one basket as it were. Any opinions on this would be appreciated.

Read ya soon I hope

Steve

[Guest dale]

Well Steve, I have in my house a Texecom 816 panel (with 8 outputs) and a LCD RKP. And I must admit, its nice to intergrate things into the system. At the moment my study is set as a seperate partition on the system with a door strike controlling entry, when my study is armed the doors are locked! and vice versa. All the fire sensors throuthout the house are linked to the panel as are the external lighting systems. I found when I was running out of power to supply all my little gadgets and accessories I just purchased an extra power supply, ie a texecom PSU from the wholesalers.

Personally, if features are built into the system im all for using them, and if features arent built into the system... you can retro-fit it, although I did kill my scantronic 9600 doing this.

Dale - the technofile

[Guest SJR]

Thanks alot guys.

I'm glad you like integration because I think it makes sense, and judging by your reply, there would be plenty of other replacement panels with the same features should the ADE go wrong in the future.

Just to confirm, in terms of wiring in the added power. I take it that I just wire whatever components (sounders say) powerwise to the new one, but wire the signal part of the components to the panel as normal. That it's ok to do this in the one alarm cable.

I have not look for those units, but I presume that they need and have a battery back up to match the panel also. I'm just off to take a look on the net.

Also, I was intending the use the light controller for internal hallway lighting (energy saving + convenience(weak arms!!not)) presuming that this could use the same PIR's (I have three halls/zones) and would operate in 'daytime' mode. However I have not had any joy trying to get any information on the light controller. I wanted to check about whether there is a dusk sensor and the on time setting issue.

Any advice on this function - am I reading it ok?

Does anyone know have/know where I can get the information (tried ADE! they missed this bit). I'll see whether the wholesalers will fax me a copy next if no one replies.

I am also going to put in manual overide switches and a dimming mode for nightime use(saving sore eyes and waking). Plus some sort of security timer for random type operation whilst away. (These will be effectively shorting the relay switching)

Thanks once again for your advice.

.

Steve

PS. In terms of protocol, should I carry on the conversations? Or should I create a new post asking the new questions, as it were?

[Guest dale]

Well Steve...

In terms of protocol... there isnt one as such, so just keep replying in this forum part until you get bored.

As for the lighting controller, with my system the ouput is switched negative, so what I have done is purchased a relay from RS components and wired it into the switched negative output and the positive AUX supply, so now when the output is activated the negative is switched and the relay is activated. The relay is connected to the outdoor garden floodlighting, so what happens is when someone comes into the garden the PIR will pick up the person, this is connected to the alarm system which (if after a set time of day (set by global timer)) will switch the output, and thus turn on the outdoor lighting! (Also mine has a sounder output which comes on with the outdoor lighting).

Im not aware of a lighting controller that simply fits straight into the alarm system (well not for the Texecom systems).

As for the dusk issue, I got around that by using one of the global timers. But im sure if you put one of those plug-on dusk sensors above your light bulb that would do the job! I think the dusk sensors are 240v so not really suitable as an alarm input, although if you look at RS they may have a 12v varient.

As for the PSU, I would leave the sounder output where it is... and instead move some of the sensors to the new PSU. Most alarm panels have a seperate fused output for the sounder so that if there is a fault with the sounder is doesnt take out the rest of the AUX supply.

And yes all you will do is wire the sensors up as normal but put the power into the new PSU.

Hope this clears most things up...

Dale

[Guest SJR]

Thanks Dale,

Boring, no never! I hope no one else gets bored either! This is a great site.

Any way, as far as I knew the light controller for the accenta 8 plugs straight in and channels are allocated to zones via the keypad. I think (now thought) it is that simple, but I shall now have to answer that question! anyone!. I would have gone out and bought everything just to get the (poor) leaflets tech info, but as noted previously I was considerng separate components.

I'll check out the dusk sensors, but I reckoned on doing that at the 240 side, like the manual switching, if I have to get a separate sensor. I suppose it would be more elegant to stop the relays responding to the PIRs via the controller, (which is why I wanted the info, I think I'll try ADE again) for the sake of the relay life.

I have not had any luck finding a PSU supplier yet, no search on the texe site, and it's a bit of a maze. (I think I'll go with the exodus smoke as you advised, on another post. So five of those to cover two main rooms and all hallways are needed.)

Incidentially, the additional sounders on the accenta can also be fed off the extension speakers, and if the hi lo variety is speced they cover the exit tones and loud. I wonder whether these could be supplied? They probably have two special outputs for the two different modes, but are these separated by a signal line or just a change in the power? Maybe I'll stick to powering the pirs and smokes off the extra PSU.

see ya later....

Steve