Siren and Strobes

[Anthony A.]

I have the omni pro 2 controller installed by a CI and he has put 1 siren in the system. I would like to add another siren indoor and an exterior one with strobe light. I know the omni only puts out 1a of power and most sirens use 0.5a so I assume I would be safe in adding 1 more interior one to the siren output on the omni with ni problem. but i have a couple questions:

1.) does the omni siren output actually output the sound and hence all i really need is a speaker connected or must it be an actual siren?
2.) if I need an actual siren (and not a speaker), then I should buy the exact one I have already installed to ensure it has the same yelp sound, correct?
3.) what do I need to add a 3rd exterior siren and strobe light and how do I connect it to the omni? any suggestions on the make/model of a good exterior unit?


thanks.

 

[edselrt]

View attachment 3378View attachment 3378View attachment 3378

I have the omni pro 2 controller installed by a CI and he has put 1 siren in the system. I would like to add another siren indoor and an exterior one with strobe light. I know the omni only puts out 1a of power and most sirens use 0.5a so I assume I would be safe in adding 1 more interior one to the siren output on the omni with ni problem. but i have a couple questions:

1.) does the omni siren output actually output the sound and hence all i really need is a speaker connected or must it be an actual siren?
2.) if I need an actual siren (and not a speaker), then I should buy the exact one I have already installed to ensure it has the same yelp sound, correct?
3.) what do I need to add a 3rd exterior siren and strobe light and how do I connect it to the omni? any suggestions on the make/model of a good exterior unit?


thanks.

1. it outputs 12vdc so you need a siren
2. Sound does not need to be the same its your choice. You can combine sirens and strobes for a total of 1 amp.
3. Most probably if you are adding a 3rd exterior siren and strobe light your total will exceed 1 amp. So you have to connect a 12vdc relay before the exterior siren and strobe.you might also need additional power supply. I added a simple diagram for connecting external siren with relay

 

[ASIHome]

It depends on whose siren and siren/strobes you use. We carry both ELK and ATW and the ATW's have a much lower current draw. Most of their units are < 200mA draw and are 107dB+.

 

[Steve]

I avoided the whole siren/power issue by using Piezo 'screamers'. I have 3 on the inside and 2 in soffit vents for outdoors. They are loud enough to make your ears bleed (well not literally, but...)

 

[Anthony A.]

It depends on whose siren and siren/strobes you use. We carry both ELK and ATW and the ATW's have a much lower current draw. Most of their units are < 200mA draw and are 107dB+.

which siren would you recommend i purchase that has less than 200ma current draw? i would be getting 2 of them plus an exterior.

thanks.

 

[ASIHome]

Take a look here: http://www.atwbrand.com/EnProduct.asp?EnBi...og%20Collection

 

[Anthony A.]

Take a look here: http://www.atwbrand.com/EnProduct.asp?EnBi...og%20Collection

what will happen exactly if i were to exceed the 1A limit? say for example the sirens add up tp 1.1A. would one of them just not sound or would it sound funny?

 

[cornutt]

I avoided the whole siren/power issue by using Piezo 'screamers'. I have 3 on the inside and 2 in soffit vents for outdoors. They are loud enough to make your ears bleed (well not literally, but...)

I use indoor piezo sirens that I got from All Electronics. They are 200 mA each. The item is described in the catalog as "painfully loud mini siren". And they're small enough to install behind the grill of an air intake, so they are invisible.

 

[pete_c]

Can I install a piezo siren and strobe on the outdoor Siren HAI circuit?

 

[cornutt]

what will happen exactly if i were to exceed the 1A limit? say for example the sirens add up tp 1.1A. would one of them just not sound or would it sound funny?

I'm not sure. On the configurable outputs, the OPII has a current sensor that will kill the power to them if the current draw exceeds 1A. However, it doesn't appear to have that on the sounder outputs. Probably the rationale there is that in the event of a fire, it's better for the horns to sound even if it damages the controller. And that may in fact be what happens if you exceed the 1A limit on the sounder outputs. So be careful.

 

[cornutt]

Can I install a piezo siren and strobe on the outdoor Siren HAI circuit?

The only possible thing I can think of is that the circuit supervision may assume that the connected device is within a certain output impedance range, and if your piezo/strobe combination wasn't in that range, it would raise a trouble indication. I don't know of any way to find out except to try it.

 

[Anthony A.]

im going to order another dsc siren (i have 1 already installed and i like the sound better than the piezo's i heard). looks like i will need to get the relay also as the 2 sirens combined are exactly 1A and i don't want to risk it for a $20 relay. plus i want to add a siren for outdoors. a couple more questions:

1.) if i install another siren in the attic near the soffit, will it be very loud outside (ie. almost as loud as if i had mounted in under the soffit exposed)?
2.) would i hear the attic siren inside the house if i were on the main floor)?
3.) i like the ATW (The Watchdog Collection >> The Pointer) strobe as it is small and sleek. anyone know of another red strobe only that is sleek that can be mounted outdoors? i don't need the piezo in the ATW, hence why im looking for a strobe only.

i realize these are very generic questions, but anyone who has done this already could chime in with their experiences.

thanks again.

 

[allen363]

im going to order another dsc siren (i have 1 already installed and i like the sound better than the piezo's i heard). looks like i will need to get the relay also as the 2 sirens combined are exactly 1A and i don't want to risk it for a $20 relay. plus i want to add a siren for outdoors. a couple more questions:

1.) if i install another siren in the attic near the soffit, will it be very loud outside (ie. almost as loud as if i had mounted in under the soffit exposed)?
2.) would i hear the attic siren inside the house if i were on the main floor)?
3.) i like the ATW (The Watchdog Collection >> The Pointer) strobe as it is small and sleek. anyone know of another red strobe only that is sleek that can be mounted outdoors? i don't need the piezo in the ATW, hence why im looking for a strobe only.

i realize these are very generic questions, but anyone who has done this already could chime in with their experiences.

thanks again.

Hi Anthony A.

ELK has a strobe only unit that I have on the exterior of my house, just under the eave and above my front door. We recently had a lightning strike that brought the fire department and they said it was a great help to identify the house on a dark night.

Good luck!