SteveInNorCal
Active Member
I installed an Altronix eFlow4N8 auxiliary power supply to power my energy hogs: Uplink 4800 GSM radio and strobe.
I'm stumped on how to properly monitoring the eFlow with the Elk M1 Gold. Can you help?
The M1 G has built-in self monitoring of AC Power (SR01) and Low Battery (SR11) which report to my alarm monitoring company CS.
The eFlow unit provides power supervision via two Form "C" relays:
I wired the two eFlow relays to two input zones on the Elk M1 G and set them up with Zone Definition #13, "Auxiliary 1 24 hr." Elk says "This zone can trip anytime (armed or disarmed) and send a communicator report, but there is no audible alarm output or keypad indication provided. It is displayed in the event log. A Whenever/And/Then rule can be written from the RP software to do other things with this zone type. Resets upon restoral."
Zone Definition #32, "Power Supervisory 24 hr: says "For supervising an external power supply which provides alarm/trouble contacts. Wire the power supply contacts to open the zone in a Low Battery event and short the zone in an AC Failure event."
Questions:
What do you experts think?
I'm stumped on how to properly monitoring the eFlow with the Elk M1 Gold. Can you help?
The M1 G has built-in self monitoring of AC Power (SR01) and Low Battery (SR11) which report to my alarm monitoring company CS.
The eFlow unit provides power supervision via two Form "C" relays:
- AC fail supervision. Form “C” contacts (NC, C, NO). Indicates loss of AC power. Relay normally energized when AC power is present.
- Battery fail & presence supervision. Form “C” contacts (NC, C, NO). Indicates low battery condition. Designed to connect to an alarm panel. Relay normally energized when DC power is present. A removed battery is reported within 5 minutes and battery reconnection is reported within 1 minute.
Low power shutdown. Shuts down DC output terminals if battery voltage drops below 71-73% for 12V units and 70-75% for 24V units (depending on the power supply). Prevents deep battery discharge.
I wired the two eFlow relays to two input zones on the Elk M1 G and set them up with Zone Definition #13, "Auxiliary 1 24 hr." Elk says "This zone can trip anytime (armed or disarmed) and send a communicator report, but there is no audible alarm output or keypad indication provided. It is displayed in the event log. A Whenever/And/Then rule can be written from the RP software to do other things with this zone type. Resets upon restoral."
Zone Definition #32, "Power Supervisory 24 hr: says "For supervising an external power supply which provides alarm/trouble contacts. Wire the power supply contacts to open the zone in a Low Battery event and short the zone in an AC Failure event."
Questions:
- It seems like overkill to monitor AC Fail on BOTH the Elk and the Altronix because both are connected to the same unswitched circuit (both cans are about 6 inches apart and the same AC feeds both of them). So I presume I can rely on the Elk M1 G AC Fail monitoring and reporting to the CS. That will free up one input zone on the Elk.
- The Elk M1 G provides its own battery monitoring, but I DO need to monitor the Altronix battery. I conclude I should use the Altronix Battery Fail & Presence Supervision relay output, connect it to an Elk input zone, and use Zone Definition #32.
What do you experts think?