Power supply - re-use DSC supply...?

Hello all,
 
I have an ELK M1 system that i've been running for years. I installed it myself as a replacement for a DSC Power 832 that was here prior.
 
Today I finally sat down and did a power budget using Elk's spreadsheet and see it recommends a secondary power supply.
 
I still have the DSC system in the original can - (all I did was add an input expander and ran it back to my Elk can)  Would it be ill advised to reconnect the DSC power supply ( with a battery) and use it to drive a few of my devices to load shed my main elk m1?
 
Darryl
 
 

You could use the DSC to provide additional power, but I guess I see it as less than ideal.  When there is a power failure, the DSC board will be consuming some of the battery capacity to power the alarm portion of the board, even though you are not using it for anything.   And, unlike a dedicated power supply, the DSC doesn't provide any status outputs, such as AC Fail and Low Battery conditions that you could monitor with the Elk.
 
If it were me, I'd remove the DSC board from the can, and install something like an Elk P624 or an Altronix AL400ULXB board.  The Altronix has the advantage of having status outputs, plus 4 Amps of current capacity. You can pick up a used Altronix on eBay for around $30.

While the above is partially true, you could use the PGM's to drive status to the M1 if supervision was paramount, however in the realm, a real power supply and appropriate batteries is a better bet.
 
Pull the 832 out (or use as a junction to feed the M1) but it's not worth retrofitting a supply into unless you like using sticky pads or a lot of extra work compared to just getting the right parts to begin with.