Elk M1 Siren

[Guy669]

Hi everybody,

Today for the first time I heard my alarm from outside my house. The siren sounds weird. It doesn't sound like a regular home siren. I almost feel like saying it sounds muffled. Any ideas why?

Thanks

 

[Del91574]

Care to elaborate about your installation details, such as how mounted, what make/model of unit, where it it connected on the M1, programming within the M1....?

 

[Guy669]

I have two sirens. One in my attic and one in my basement. The siren comes from my previous alarm system. They are connected to output 2. The siren is a DSC, SD 20watts, two tone siren, 12 VDC, 20W max.

Any idea what can be causing this?

 

[Del91574]

How is the M1 programmed for out 2? Voltage or driver?
 
Did you do a current calc for the total draw of the sirens?
 
Do they sound correct disconnected from the system and connected to the system battery (no alarm panel connected)?

 

[Guy669]

Option 2 is set to "siren output".  What I will say next will sound stupid but here goes, how do I check for the total draw of the siren? Do I need to check with a voltage meter? When you ask if they sound correct connected to the system battery do you mean unplugging the M1 and using only the system battery?
 
I'm not an electronic savvy so hope I'm not annoying people with my issue

 

[Del91574]

Change to voltage output. Only one installed?

 

[Guy669]

I have two installed

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I have two sirens. One in my attic and one in my basement. The siren comes from my previous alarm system. They are connected to output 2. The siren is a DSC, SD 20watts, two tone siren, 12 VDC, 20W max.

Any idea what can be causing this?

I'm guessing you are drawing to much current off of output 2 with both sirens activated.  A quick test would be to just run one at a time and see if the sound changes.
 
From the specs above you are drawing over 1.6 amps per siren max and you should really keep output 2 under 2 amps or so (I can't remember the max value, but look in the Elk manual).
 
If you are attached with those sirens most likely you will need an external relay and an additional power supply.  If it were me, I would just get some piezos.

 

[tmbrown97]

Well I think he had the wrong output type as well - speaker instead of voltage.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Well I think he had the wrong output type as well - speaker instead of voltage.

Ah, yea, good point. 

 

[Del91574]

BSR,
 
The sirens draw 7000 mA each, so he's capped at 1.4A total load on the output when set for voltage, not over 1.6 A.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

BSR,
 
The sirens draw 7000 mA each, so he's capped at 1.4A total load on the output when set for voltage, not over 1.6 A.

I somehow missed that, where is it listed (the 7000 mA draw)?

 

[Del91574]

Oops, extra 0, but they're 700 mA each.
 
Can't seem to find them via Tyco or DSC, so they might have gotten out of the business of making them.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Look again at Post #3 where the OP states:
 

The siren is a DSC, SD 20watts, two tone siren, 12 VDC, 20W max.

 

[Del91574]

BSR:
 
2 will not be above 1.6 A. If you were doing pure Ohm's law, sure, but the 20W only comes into play for the speaker driver rating, not a power consumption. I can put a 30 watt speaker on a siren driver and it won't change the load compared to a 10 watt speaker. It's not indicative of the load on the driver or system...in the case of DSC, it's putting a buzzword number that is misleading into their spec and on the box.
 
SD20's specs
 
Sound Level: 110db Tone: Yelp & Steady Power: 20W Voltage: 6-12 VDC Current: 700ma Dimensions: 5.25" x 5.75''L.