GE wireless smokes (TX-6010-01-1) - how to make them go off at the same time?

[Galun]

Hello! I have an Elk M1G installed about 1.5 years ago and I had been tweaking it myself for fun. My previous tweaks had mostly been automation rules and relays, but now I want to add wireless smoke detectors to the system. When I had the system installed, I had hardwired smokes for the hallways, and individual battery operated smokes for the rooms. I now want to swap out those battery operated ones with the GE wireless smokes.

I have them successfully enrolled into the system and verified that they work independently (press the test button for 20 seconds and confirmed with central station that they got signal). My question is whether I can make all smokes (hardwired and wireless) go off at the same time if one goes off?

Thanks!

 

[hagak]

I am not sure but I would guess that this can not be done. Since the wireless system is a one-way system it has no way to communicate back to the smoke.

Why not use wired smokes? If you have an attic and a smoke already on that floor you should be able to just daisy chain off of it.

 

[Galun]

I am not sure but I would guess that this can not be done. Since the wireless system is a one-way system it has no way to communicate back to the smoke.

Why not use wired smokes? If you have an attic and a smoke already on that floor you should be able to just daisy chain off of it.

It was primarily due to cost. I am comfortable with adding wireless sensors to the system by myself, but I don't want to touch any of the hard wired stuff that had been professionally installed. Having the original guy come out to install the 4 smokes would cost at least $1000, and one of the rooms would not be accessible through hard wire anyways. The wireless smokes cost me $280.

I actually wasn't aware that the alarm panel cannot communicate back to the smoke before going into this. I probably should have asked this before I bought the wireless smokes.

it's okay if it can't be done. The Elk panel taps into the whole house audio system as well, so I can write a rule to wake occupants up with whole house audio instead of the smokes. And maybe there is an added benefit of localized smokes signal to the central station so the firefighters may actually try to put out the fire instead of soak the whole house. But it sure is a lot more convenient if the smokes can do it.

 

[ecborgoyn]

I'm curious how the Elk to WHA (Whole House Audio) interface is designed. I'm working on a similar configuration. You can NOT use the WHA controller/amps directly for alarms as the unit is NOT UL listed (if you worry about such things). But more importantly, your WHA system is most likely NOT on a battery-backed P/S as the alarm system is. The Elk needs to be connected to the WHA speakers through some relay based switching arrangement.

I'm planning on having selected/strategic sets of WHA speakers connected through relays such that the M1 gets priority access. I probably will need additional 12V powered audio amps to support a few sets of speakers throughout the house.

 

[Galun]

I'm curious how the Elk to WHA (Whole House Audio) interface is designed. I'm working on a similar configuration. You can NOT use the WHA controller/amps directly for alarms as the unit is NOT UL listed (if you worry about such things). But more importantly, your WHA system is most likely NOT on a battery-backed P/S as the alarm system is. The Elk needs to be connected to the WHA speakers through some relay based switching arrangement.

I'm planning on having selected/strategic sets of WHA speakers connected through relays such that the M1 gets priority access. I probably will need additional 12V powered audio amps to support a few sets of speakers throughout the house.

Read here for my adventures into WHA. http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/18809-how-to-use-elk-relays-as-speaker-switches/page__st__0

I've got my system setup so it will turn on all speakers and broadcast a message.

 

[ecborgoyn]

Galun, Thanks for the pointer to your thread. Looks like great reading.

... Now back to our regularly scheduled thread about wireless smoke detectors.....