Anyone here a fire alarm enthusiast, cause I'am. I know every fire alarm companies, like Wheelock, EST (Edwards Systems Technologies), Fire-Lite Alarms, and Notifier and such.

Do you know which company would have produced early fire alarms for commercial/institutional buildings that would use non-standard voltage on bells (6V?) and a completely mechanical control panel ? The one I'm thinking about was installed in part of my university, and has since been replaced. The control panel was a quite thick cabinet and had several rows of switches, which consisted of a weighted lever held up with an electromagnet. When a tripping device operated, it cut the power to the magnet and the lever fell onto a contact rod, which energized the bells. To reset, after the tripping device was reset (such as resetting a pull station) you lifted the lever up to the magnet, which stopped the bells and rearmed that circuit. The control panel cabinet was a very dark red, almost burgundy, and had a flat key lock. I don't remember the manufacturer, but I think maybe it was Gamewell. Internet searches have turned up nothing. The pull stations were a later addition and were unadressed Edwards, so they could have been made to operate just fine with any primitive fire alarm system. This whole system did interface with a newer Edwards system, however.

The former head of maintenance thinks it might have been brought here from France by some French priests who, at the time of installation, were the administrators of the university. I doubt that theory, but it could be possible.

Sorry for the long post, but I have remained curious about this for a long time.

I'm not exactly an enthusiast but I have been thinking about installing security alarm system, which would also include fire alarm as well.

World seems to be full of wireless solutions nowadays but I'm little skeptical about them. So I think I go with one that has wiring. This is a budged project and I'm not planning to buy any ready set.

I already found the main unit which would be AEI HA-863 http://www.aei-secucom.com/en/product_show.asp?ID=54&CateID=6

I have to see if I can replace the locks (which seems to be cheap and poor) of it with Abloy locks, I could have them keyed alike with the key I use for my other equipment cabinets.

I've been thinking that arming/disarming would be done with either override key switch (hopefully also abloy) or with stand alone code lock.

Local alarm would use my pa system as it has tone generator for firealarm which also override room volume control while remote alarm would be sms handled by auxilary system.

Intrusion detectors are piece of cake, but for smoke detectors I will have to do some serious studying. There seems to be lots of different kind of systems with different kinds of ways how they are supposed to be connected. I would like to use Esmi fire detector s as those are one's you see in wide use on public buildings (probably expensive).

@sol

If your talking about the one with the meters and the code wheel, that would be an Autocall panel, and that would be a 120v system, not 12, or 24v like the ones today. If those bells your talking about, they also were 120v, due to the Autocall panel take 120v in and out, and for that, mechanical heat detectors had to be on the system as well.

They weren't coded as far as I know. All the levers were numbered and there was a legend somewhere that identified the circuits. This panel did not communicate with anything save for sounding the bells in the adjacent building that had an Edwards system. Each time it tripped, it had to be manually reset at that panel.

They weren't coded as far as I know. All the levers were numbered and there was a legend somewhere that identified the circuits. This panel did not communicate with anything save for sounding the bells in the adjacent building that had an Edwards system. Each time it tripped, it had to be manually reset at that panel.

Well thats why we now have annuncaitors for todays fire alarm panels, and systems as well, due to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) codes.

I like bells... and i like flashy lights... but i dont actually own any firebells of strobe lights... if i ever find one in an abandoned building i will be sure to take it though...

Not a collector, but I did find it entertaining to use one of those large red 12 inch bells and stick it under the kids bed to wake them up, and those small piezo units with a strobe on them are much easier to hide...

Not a collector, but I did find it entertaining to use one of those large red 12 inch bells and stick it under the kids bed to wake them up, and those small piezo units with a strobe on them are much easier to hide...

the bell would be funnier though lmao.... i'd likely piss myself if i woke up to that LEL

I was terrified of fire alarms when i was little.  Especially the loud buzzer style.  while in elementary school, they would have to come get me before they would do fire drills because of how terrified I was.  I was known to run away and they would have to spend the rest of the day trying to find me.  

These things I hate the most.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFaRFHjWT7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66R79v8SCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrg_ToDP1c

I was terrified of fire alarms when i was little.  Especially the loud buzzer style.  while in elementary school, they would have to come get me before they would do fire drills because of how terrified I was.  I was known to run away and they would have to spend the rest of the day trying to find me.  

These things I hate the most.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFaRFHjWT7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66R79v8SCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrg_ToDP1c

I actually really like that federal signal with the cone mounted to it... i want one... the only ones i've seen around here are only the square buzzer without the cone.

The one I hate the most is the System Sensor SpecrAlert Advance. They are ear shredders. I'm glad they're not making those anymore, well except, now, they're making the L series, which is basically a mash up of a SpecrAlert Advance, and Classic.

http://www.tclifesafety.com/assets/images/productimages/bk-p2rl.jpg 
System Sensor P2RL

Anyone here a fire alarm enthusiast, cause I'am. I know every fire alarm companies, like Wheelock, EST (Edwards Systems Technologies), Fire-Lite Alarms, and Notifier and such.

I am. Although I don't actively collect them. I have a couple though of my favorites. They're my favorites probably because they are what my middle school and my high school used. I don't have them in front of me but one is the EST 757? And the other is the System Sensor SpectrAlert. I don't know much about fire alarm systems though but I would like to put a system in my future house one day using these models. Unfortunately I don't think either are made anymore. If you know a lot about fire alarm systems i would love to learn more. Especially these models i mentioned above. I have no idea what a system would cost.

I just got into fire alarms a month ago. I don't have any in my collection yet.

I'm glad someone started this thread as I find them very interesting.
As as electrician I don't work with the actual alarms and horns but sometimes I run the conduit for them.
I might have some pictures of some old horns I'll look and see.
In the meantime I was hoping to find out who made those LOUD BUZZER alarms installed in my elementary and middle schools in the 70s maybe early 80s??
These things buzzed so loud every fire department in the county could hear them.
1 type was square with a grid on the front of maybe half inch squares. Beyond the grid there wasn't much to it other than some kind of nut and bolt in the center of the alarm.
For some reason I keep wanting to say Simplex.
The other kind had 2 triangular horns on their sides that faced away from each other.
I may have a picture of this one.
Any help sure would be appreciated!