altronix al600upb

[kaohao]

What detectors are compatible with this device? Pretty much anything? It lists smokes that are compatible but I purchased it to hook up to the COSMOD4W interface module and its associated loop of detectors.

 

[RAL]

I think you have a typo in the model number of your AL600.  AL600ULB, maybe?  Or perhaps AL600ULPD4 or 8?
 
Anyway, you can use it to power your smoke detectors.  But you might find it easier to power the smokes from the switched 12V output of your Omni Pro II.  Smoke detectors require an interruption of the 12V power in order to reset them after an alarm. 
 
If you decide to power the COSMOD4W and the smokes from the AL600, you'll need to provide a separate way to reset the power to the smokes.  One way to do this would be to use a relay that is powered from the OP2's switched 12V output, and use the relay's contacts to interrupt the AL600's 12V output to the COSMOD4W.

 

[kaohao]

Yeah it's al600ulpd8

 

[Del91574]

There's generally a suffix to the flavor of the AL600 board, if it's a 0V cutover unit or generic.....that's a determination as to what the power supply really can be used for. If the unit doesn't have a 0V drop on battery feature, I would shy away from using it for any bus device on the M1.

 

[RAL]

There's generally a suffix to the flavor of the AL600 board, if it's a 0V cutover unit or generic.....that's a determination as to what the power supply really can be used for. If the unit doesn't have a 0V drop on battery feature, I would shy away from using it for any bus device on the M1.

 
From the AL600ULX series installation instructions (which includes the AL600ULPD8):
 
 • Zero voltage drop when switched over to battery backup.

 

[kaohao]

It's the ULPD8. What are the usual applications for this device? Did I get the wrong thing? I just picked it up because this is a big house. There's 8 consoles, 6 thermostats, about 30 smokes/COSMOs, a dozen glass breaks and motion detectors, about 50 pressure sensors, and we haven't even gotten around to cameras nstuff.

 

[RAL]

It's the ULPD8. What are the usual applications for this device? Did I get the wrong thing?

 
The AL600ULX series is UL listed for use with burglar alarms, fire alarms, and access control systems.  You didn't get the wrong thing. 

 

[kaohao]

What about fused vs. PTC? Frankly I don't really know what that means. I was just reading another thread and it seemed like fused was better.

 

[kaohao]

This is an omnipro 2 based system btw.

 

[RAL]

What about fused vs. PTC? Frankly I don't really know what that means. I was just reading another thread and it seemed like fused was better.

 
 
PTCs are sort of like self-resetting fuses.   When too much current is drawn, they heat up and that causes them to change from a low resistance to high resistance, which limits the current through them.  When the short or whatever is causing the high current is removed, they cool down and change back to a low resistance. But they don't really cut off all power the way a true fuse would, they just greatly reduce the current. In some cases, that could be a problem.  And sometimes they won't reset unless all power is removed for a time.
 
For most things with an alarm panel, a fuse is fine.  Since they shouldn't blow under normal circumstances, the inconvenience of having to replace them is usually small. 

 

[Del91574]

From the AL600ULX series installation instructions (which includes the AL600ULPD8):
 
 • Zero voltage drop when switched over to battery backup.

RAL,
Trust me, you need to pay VERY close attention and get specific UPC/models to get that feature with a AL600. If the PS has the LB/AC loss relays and terminals, there's a pretty good chance it's a ULX board.
 
Had a job that was specified in the RFP's with specifics and we had the wrong ones shipped from Altronix themselves (a few pallets worth).

 

[Del91574]

PTCs are sort of like self-resetting fuses.   When too much current is drawn, they heat up and that causes them to change from a low resistance to high resistance, which limits the current through them.  When the short or whatever is causing the high current is removed, they cool down and change back to a low resistance. But they don't really cut off all power the way a true fuse would, they just greatly reduce the current. In some cases, that could be a problem.  And sometimes they won't reset unless all power is removed for a time.
 
For most things with an alarm panel, a fuse is fine.  Since they shouldn't blow under normal circumstances, the inconvenience of having to replace them is usually small. 

Not arguing the point, but clarification.
 
PTC's are OK for most applications that aren't voltage sensitive.....items like cameras or sensitive electronics, you're better off going fused if overvolt is a possibility. The trip will be an absolute and complete. Many times we've had PTC's only partially trip and it becomes a nightmare to really determine what's going on. Our experience became a technote for Bosch when using transformers for AC power with integral PTC's. They'd be sized accordingly, but when the panel did it's battery test and came back, the charge circuit would typically end up kicking out the XFRMR PTC for the full current but let enough through that the panel would run undervolt and not really charge the battery.

 

[kaohao]

Hi guys...what is the safest way to de-energize this unit? I seem to be blowing fuses left and right when I hook up devices and/or try to de-energize the altronix. I wanted to put an on/
off switch in the ac line supplying the altronix but the boss is against that. Is simply disconnecting the common to the altronix the safest thing to do? 

 

[RAL]

Hi guys...what is the safest way to de-energize this unit? I seem to be blowing fuses left and right when I hook up devices and/or try to de-energize the altronix. I wanted to put an on/
off switch in the ac line supplying the altronix but the boss is against that. Is simply disconnecting the common to the altronix the safest thing to do? 

 
I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "disconnecting the common."  If you mean the white neutral wire on the AC input, no, that's not safe.  You will still have the live "hot" (black) wire connected.
 
If you have the AL600 wired directly to the 120VAC line, the safe way to de-energize it is to turn off the breaker in the electrical panel.
 
If you are constantly blowing fuses on the PD8 board, you probably have some shorts in the wiring to your 12V devices, or something is miswired.  The fuses are 3.5A, so they shouldn't be blowing under normal loads.

 

[kaohao]

Yeah I just turned off the breaker. We'll see what happens when I power everything back up...I think I have it right this time