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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:18:06 PM EDT
I thought some of the electricians and building engineers would get a "charge" out of this! It is a fire alarm that is in service at the school I maintain. It is local only, meaning when it goes off, only the people there (if any) would know it. There is no automatic call-in. We really need an update, but we are a small rural district that gets little $$$.
So here is some "old school" technology installed in the '50's that is still in use. Basically nothing but relays and resistors. It handles pull stations, heat sensors and horns. It steps 220 VAC down to 12 VAC. 
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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:19:33 PM EDT
[#1]
Stuff from the 1960's is NOT antique!
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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:23:29 PM EDT
[#2]
We'll just throw on a few new multiplex devices and we'll also add an IP communicator. It'll work fine!
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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:27:10 PM EDT
[#3]
Very cool! I've seen a few of these in old schools when I've done inspections. If they still work, no reason to upgrade!
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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:48:19 PM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
Very cool! I've seen a few of these in old schools when I've done inspections. If they still work, no reason to upgrade! Local VFD recently gave the district some key safe boxes. I am supposed to find out where the chief wants them mounted and put 'em up sometime soon. |
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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:54:22 PM EDT
[#5]
Putting a communicator on that panel would not be very difficult. is there a phone line connection near by?
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Posted: 5/17/2011 5:58:09 PM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
Putting a communicator on that panel would not be very difficult. is there a phone line connection near by? Phone line is not real close, but not impossible either. What does a communicator cost roughly? I could run it by the superintendant, but IMO, as long as we pass inspection every year, it will be a non-issue. |
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Posted: 5/17/2011 8:05:55 PM EDT
[#7]
There is a reason that still works. Panels like that are near indestructible! They can take lightning strikes and not even be phased! There are older burglar alarm panels that are similar, it's real hard to blow up a coil!
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Posted: 5/17/2011 8:30:01 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
Very cool! I've seen a few of these in old schools when I've done inspections. If they still work, no reason to upgrade! yup. This is only a little older than some of the stuff i've seen. Very well kept though, still looks fairly new / well maintained Some of the shit i've seen looks a cross between a birds nest and a ball of string |
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Posted: 5/17/2011 8:33:41 PM EDT
[#9]
Quoted: Stuff from the 1960's is NOT antique! Nope. Hang around some chemical plants and refineries and check out their instrumentation sometime. |
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Posted: 5/17/2011 8:50:52 PM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
There is a reason that still works. Panels like that are near indestructible! They can take lightning strikes and not even be phased! There are older burglar alarm panels that are similar, it's real hard to blow up a coil!
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Posted: 5/17/2011 9:15:18 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
Stuff from the 1960's is NOT antique!
No; it's just retro. And retro is fashionable. |
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Posted: 5/17/2011 10:13:59 PM EDT
[#12]
A couple years ago, one of my favorite thrift stores ended up with a bunch of old wind-up spring-powered fire alarms for sale. These were completely self-contained units, like a smoke alarm - The "siren" was a steel gong that got rung when a low-melting-point metal was exposed to heat. With no batteries to replace and no electronics to corrode or dry out, they probably still worked just as well as the day they were manufactured (back in the 1930's, perhaps?).
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Posted: 5/18/2011 2:35:45 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
A couple years ago, one of my favorite thrift stores ended up with a bunch of old wind-up spring-powered fire alarms for sale. These were completely self-contained units, like a smoke alarm - The "siren" was a steel gong that got rung when a low-melting-point metal was exposed to heat. With no batteries to replace and no electronics to corrode or dry out, they probably still worked just as well as the day they were manufactured (back in the 1930's, perhaps?). My in-laws have some wind-up fire alarms (they call 'em smoke alarms) but yeah, they've got a plug that melts at a relatively low temp and releases the bell mechanism. I believe they were purchased back in the 70's. |
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Posted: 5/18/2011 3:08:20 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted: Quoted: A couple years ago, one of my favorite thrift stores ended up with a bunch of old wind-up spring-powered fire alarms for sale. These were completely self-contained units, like a smoke alarm - The "siren" was a steel gong that got rung when a low-melting-point metal was exposed to heat. With no batteries to replace and no electronics to corrode or dry out, they probably still worked just as well as the day they were manufactured (back in the 1930's, perhaps?). My in-laws have some wind-up fire alarms (they call 'em smoke alarms) but yeah, they've got a plug that melts at a relatively low temp and releases the bell mechanism. I believe they were purchased back in the 70's. I removed several of those from a home I bought. They were about 40 yrs old at the time. They still worked.....alarmed for several minutes too. Springs were still good. |
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Posted: 5/18/2011 4:25:46 AM EDT
[#15]
Actually if want to talk old, up to 10 years ago we were servicing an active ATMO system. This fire system consisted of sections of small copper tubing that was run throughout the building and back to the panel in one big loop. You then used a small pump to pressurize it. If there was a fire and the tubing burned through there would be a pressure loss and the alarm would sound. That system was in service from the early 1900's though the 1990's!
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Posted: 5/18/2011 5:02:18 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:
Actually if want to talk old, up to 10 years ago we were servicing an active ATMO system. This fire system consisted of sections of small copper tubing that was run throughout the building and back to the panel in one big loop. You then used a small pump to pressurize it. If there was a fire and the tubing burned through there would be a pressure loss and the alarm would sound. That system was in service from the early 1900's though the 1990's! Some of that stuff is pretty ingeniuos too. |
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Posted: 5/18/2011 5:19:02 AM EDT
[#17]
VERY nice,i'd never remove that!
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Posted: 5/18/2011 5:54:48 AM EDT
[#18]
That's what I do for a living and if that place gets hit by lightning on a regular basis....leave that old war dog on the wall!!!!
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Posted: 5/18/2011 6:12:13 AM EDT
[#19]
I have an old automatic fire extinguisher. It is a light bulb shaped thin glass vessel filled with carbon tetrachloride. A spring loaded striker is held back by a glob of goo that melts at a low temp.
The old school stuff is cool. Thanks for the pix. |
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Posted: 5/18/2011 6:36:23 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
Quoted:
A couple years ago, one of my favorite thrift stores ended up with a bunch of old wind-up spring-powered fire alarms for sale. These were completely self-contained units, like a smoke alarm - The "siren" was a steel gong that got rung when a low-melting-point metal was exposed to heat. With no batteries to replace and no electronics to corrode or dry out, they probably still worked just as well as the day they were manufactured (back in the 1930's, perhaps?). My in-laws have some wind-up fire alarms (they call 'em smoke alarms) but yeah, they've got a plug that melts at a relatively low temp and releases the bell mechanism. I believe they were purchased back in the 70's. 
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Posted: 5/18/2011 7:28:09 AM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
A couple years ago, one of my favorite thrift stores ended up with a bunch of old wind-up spring-powered fire alarms for sale. These were completely self-contained units, like a smoke alarm - The "siren" was a steel gong that got rung when a low-melting-point metal was exposed to heat. With no batteries to replace and no electronics to corrode or dry out, they probably still worked just as well as the day they were manufactured (back in the 1930's, perhaps?). My in-laws have some wind-up fire alarms (they call 'em smoke alarms) but yeah, they've got a plug that melts at a relatively low temp and releases the bell mechanism. I believe they were purchased back in the 70's. http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/8053/redneckfirealarm.jpg That's funny!
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