DSC FSA-410AST Smoke Detectors

s I have a customer who needs his 8 smokes replaced on a DSC 5010. I was c oncerned about moving them to a PGM to allow for keypad reset, as it may no t provide enough current. I was a bit surprised to find the following:

at, and they have a chart for that... so that's fine.

er 25,000 smokes on a 300mA PGM output. This sounds like a typo to me. Pe rhaps it was supposed to be 12mA?

Standby current really is that low on many smokes not a typo problem is wh en they go in alarm and more than one does to make sure there is enough cu rrent to handle it.

as I have a customer who needs his 8 smokes replaced on a DSC 5010. I was concerned about moving them to a PGM to allow for keypad reset, as it may not provide enough current. I was a bit surprised to find the following:

g at, and they have a chart for that... so that's fine.

ower 25,000 smokes on a 300mA PGM output. This sounds like a typo to me. Perhaps it was supposed to be 12mA?

when they go in alarm and more than one does to make sure there is enough current to handle it.

Thanks Nick. I see a lot of old systems that were never planned out well e nough and end up with issues (like half a dozen 20-watt sirens trying to dr aw way more power than the panel can give). Actually, this is one of those "problem systems" in another way. There's a zone expander on the system, which is an improvement over most that I see, but the 8 smokes take up only 2 zones. I was hoping they were all home run and could be separated, but no... they were all daisy chained instead.

This is a DSC 5010, so it's capable of having two more zone expanders and r unning 32 zones. There's lots of room in the electrical room where the pan el is located to add a separate enclosure for the zone expander if needed. And to top it off, this was a prewired building (sometime in the 90's I as sume). So why not home run everything and do it properly?

- Chris

Is this a commercial building in the US?

I don't think the 5010 was ever approved for commercial fire in the USA

Doug

It's an office in BC, Canada. Around here, dedicated fire systems are rare ly required or even thought about. And no, I'm fairly sure a 5010 wouldn't cut it as a proper commercial fire system. I know DSC has/had commercial fire systems as well, which I believe was basically a Maxsys panel is a red enclosure with red keypads. If the building was being built these days, t hings may be different. I wonder if they get an insurance discount for it though?

- Chris

On Wednesday, August 21, 2013 9:25:13 PM UTC-4, Chris wrote: Actually, this is one of those "problem systems" in another way. There's a zone expander on the system, which is an improvement over most that I see, but the 8 smokes take up only 2 zones. I was hoping they were all home run and could be separated, but no... they were all daisy chained instead. This is a DSC 5010, so it's capable of having two more zone expanders and runni ng 32 zones. There's lots of room in the electrical room where the panel is located to add a separate enclosure for the zone expander if needed. And t o top it off, this was a prewired building (sometime in the 90's I assume). So why not home run everything and do it properly? - Chris

I'm assuming that these are two wire smokes.

I just thought i'd mention that you might be able to run one 4 wire to the right point ..... and break this into 4 zones with two smokes each.

a zone expander on the system, which is an improvement over most that I see , but the 8 smokes take up only 2 zones. I was hoping they were all home ru n and could be separated, but no... they were all daisy chained instead. Th is is a DSC 5010, so it's capable of having two more zone expanders and run ning 32 zones. There's lots of room in the electrical room where the panel is located to add a separate enclosure for the zone expander if needed. And to top it off, this was a prewired building (sometime in the 90's I assume ). So why not home run everything and do it properly? - Chris

e right point ..... and break this into 4 zones with two smokes each.

Nope... they're all 4-wire smokes. Some of them so old that I'd never seen them before. The generation before the old generation of DSC smokes. Mos t likely original to the building (prewired and all), and I think that buil ding has been there most of my life.

- Chris

August 21, 2013 9:25:13 PM UTC-4, Chris wrote: > > Actually, this is one o f those "problem systems" in another way. There's a zone expander on the sy stem, which is an improvement over most that I see, but the 8 smokes take u p only 2 zones. I was hoping they were all home run and could be separated, but no... they were all daisy chained instead. This is a DSC 5010, so it's capable of having two more zone expanders and running 32 zones. There's lo ts of room in the electrical room where the panel is located to add a separ ate enclosure for the zone expander if needed. And to top it off, this was a prewired building (sometime in the 90's I assume). So why not home run ev erything and do it properly? - Chris > > > > I'm assuming that these are tw o wire smokes. > > > > I just thought i'd mention that you might be able to run one 4 wire to the right point ..... and break this into 4 zones with t wo smokes each. Nope... they're all 4-wire smokes. Some of them so old that I'd never seen them before. The generation before the old generation of DS C smokes. Most likely original to the building (prewired and all), and I th ink that building has been there most of my life. - Chris

Well ...... OK then ...... TWO four wires run to the right spot.

Yeah, I think that was the 4020CF with a hokey two line adaptor.