Recommended Auxiliary Power Supply

[johngalt]

With motion, glass break, keypads, water sensors, etc. I am pushing the limit of what the M1 can handle from a power perspective.  When I throw in a WSV2, cellular uplink, extra sounders/strobes, etc. I definitely need an auxiliary power supply.
 
I could use some help picking one out.  I think 4 amps will give me enough breathing room with the WSV2 and the cell uplink.
 
The Elk P412 looks nice, but Altronix seems like a lot cheaper option.  Altronix seems to have dozens of model numbers and I am not sure which one to get.
 
Is this one that is recommended?  AL400ULPD4CB 
 
And if I am just looking for a deal on eBay what are the features I should be looking for?  PTC vs fuse?  Low battery supervision?  Battery presence supervision? etc.
 
 
Thanks!

 

[mikefamig]

I have an Elk p212s here that is sitting on teh shelf because I had problems with it. I installed an Altronix 4amp supply with a 4 outlet distribution board and all is well. I will say to buy morethan you need, the 6 amp supply doesn't take any more space than the 4 amp and doesn't cost that much more if you shop ebay.
 
I understand that you want the elk control panel to run out of battery back-up before your attached devices run out. Otherwise it gets messy when the control starts seeing input and output expanders and keypads and all start disappearing. One way to avoid this is to unload all of your devices onto a 4 -6 amp Altronix and let the Elk power only the control board. Then put a much larger back-up battery on the Altronix than on the control panel and your control panel will run out of back-up battery before the Altronix and shut down gracefully.
 
Mike.

 

[cheezit73]

I second the Altronix. I did a lot of question asking on here and ended up with an AL400ULX. I got mine off eBay new in box for $50.00.
 
Here is a link to an example. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Altronix-AL400ulx-Power-Supply-Battery-Charger-/111292560964?hash=item19e98db644
 
There are two versions one requires a transformer the other like I linked has a built in transformer and all you need is a properly rated AC cord.  This model has all the stuff you need for the ELK like supervision and no voltage drop on switch over to battery.
 
Hope this helps!

 

[RAL]

I would go with an Altronix.  Not that there is anything wrong with the Elk power supply, but you can probably pick up an Altronix on eBay at a significant savings over the Elk.
 
An Altronix AL400ULX  supply provides 4 Amps.  An AL600ULX provides 6 Amps.  These models have a single output from the power supply.  
 
Models like the AL400ULPD4, PD8 or PD16 include fuse-protected 4, 8 or 16 output power distribution board(s).
 
If there is a CB after the PD4 or PD8, then it is PTC protected rather than fuse protected.
 
An R on the end of any of the model numbers means it has a red enclosure rather than gray.
 
The current models of the boards in these power supplies connect directly to the AC power line.  You''l find some older models on eBay (like this one) that have a step down transformer instead.  That reduces efficiency a bit, though you'd probably never notice.
 
The Altronix power supplies do not include a low-battery cutoff, like some of the Elk power supplies have.  I'd recommend adding an Altronix LPD to provide that capability.

 

[cheezit73]

Yes I should have added that I got an LPD like RAL recommends and I used 2 ELK PD9HC's to distribute the power!

 

[johngalt]

Thanks for all the information and suggestions.
 
It looks like Altronix on eBay is the way to go.  I will try to get a new model AL400ULX or AL600ULX.  I have a 28inch Elk can so I would like to do all power distribution in there.  So I think I will not get PTC or fuses with Altronix and use something in the Elk can.
 
I will get a LPD and try to size the batteries correctly so the panel will run out of juice before the auxiliary power supply.
 
Thanks!

 

[Del91574]

You can't just throw any power supply on the M1 itself, especially if you're running bus devices on them. Not all supplies are rated the same, even though the amperage and output voltage may be the same.
 
You need to ensure the supply has a 0V loss on DC cutover. Some Altronix units have it, some don't. If you're only powering peripherals, then it's a moot point, but any bus devices on the M1 do not like dropping below 12V.
 
Most supplies that aren't a 0V loss rated will lose around a volt on switching over, so that's a problem with a 12VDC battery running 12.5-13V nominal.

 

[mikefamig]

You can't just throw any power supply on the M1 itself, especially if you're running bus devices on them. Not all supplies are rated the same, even though the amperage and output voltage may be the same.
 
You need to ensure the supply has a 0V loss on DC cutover. Some Altronix units have it, some don't. If you're only powering peripherals, then it's a moot point, but any bus devices on the M1 do not like dropping below 12V.
 
Most supplies that aren't a 0V loss rated will lose around a volt on switching over, so that's a problem with a 12VDC battery running 12.5-13V nominal.

 
When I was researching power supplies I could not find anywhere in documentation that states that the Elk p212s is a zero voltage drop supply. The altronix that I use does state it explicitly in the owner manual.
 
When  inquired at Elk about whether the p212s was tested for zero voltage drop the reply and I quote:
 
"In the case of AC power outage or dip the voltage would only drop to the voltage of the connected battery. Technically a good charged battery will hold the voltage at the supply’s ~13.8V."
 
You say that you need zero voltage loss on cutover. Do you also mean zero fluctuation in voltage? Will a fluctuation in voltage cause a problem even if it does not drop below battery voltage as described by elk?
 
Mike.

 

[Del91574]

That spells it out right there.
 
0 volt drop going to DC. It runs at whatever the battery voltage is.
 
Many other supplies lose a volt or so from the battery float voltage. As I said, I have an account up the street from me that I learned that way with the M1, the LBC and Altronix supply. Elk has a white paper now on the LBC and Altronix supplies. 4 hours on the phone to determine what was going on, which necessitated me replacing the supply and installing a pair of 12V/7's in the remote can (as well as correct my temperature offset on the battery).