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🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Blaze85 on August 08, 2011, 07:21:39 PM

Title: Wired Siren
Post by: Blaze85 on August 08, 2011, 07:21:39 PM
I moved into a house that had a wired Radio Shack alarm system in it. I have now replaced that system with an Active Home Pro system. The question is, I like the siren that was already in place from the Radio Shack alarm, and I am wondering if there is any way to integrate this into my Active Home system? Any Ideas?

Thanks,

Brian
Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: Blaze85 on August 24, 2011, 03:34:15 PM
No one has any ideas for this? Is it possible to wire it to a door/window sensor and somehow integrate that way?
Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: Brian H on August 24, 2011, 04:24:38 PM
You want AHP to control it or your SC1200 Console?
Do you know what voltage it runs on?

Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: Blaze85 on August 25, 2011, 10:26:15 AM
You want AHP to control it or your SC1200 Console?
Do you know what voltage it runs on?



It is a siren but is really just a speaker so it doesn't run any voltage. Not sure what the wattage is however. I guess I don't care what controls it, If AHP can do it, that would be fine. If the SC1200 Console can, that would work also. I do have a few powerhorns but thought if I could integrate this somehow, it would be nice. Thanks for the help.
Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: Brian H on August 25, 2011, 01:14:46 PM
Thanks for the clarification.
The actual siren driver electronics is in the console. Driving the speaker you would like to use.

I will see if I can think of something, before hurricane Irene gets in my way.
Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: dave w on August 25, 2011, 08:36:50 PM
I will see if I can think of something, before hurricane Irene gets in my way.
You better start batting down the hatches.

Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: dave w on August 25, 2011, 08:46:39 PM
You want AHP to control it or your SC1200 Console?
Do you know what voltage it runs on?



It is a siren but is really just a speaker so it doesn't run any voltage. Not sure what the wattage is however. I guess I don't care what controls it, If AHP can do it, that would be fine. If the SC1200 Console can, that would work also. I do have a few powerhorns but thought if I could integrate this somehow, it would be nice. Thanks for the help.
If the electronics to make the whoop-whoop is part of the Radio Shark circuit board it will be hard to incorporate it. Maybe put the Radio Shark system in permenent alarm and use X10 Appliance Module to apply power to the board when the siren is needed? Or buy a siren module from Ramsey http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=SM3 and use Appliance Module and wall wart power supply?
Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: Blaze85 on August 26, 2011, 09:20:12 AM
You want AHP to control it or your SC1200 Console?
Do you know what voltage it runs on?



It is a siren but is really just a speaker so it doesn't run any voltage. Not sure what the wattage is however. I guess I don't care what controls it, If AHP can do it, that would be fine. If the SC1200 Console can, that would work also. I do have a few powerhorns but thought if I could integrate this somehow, it would be nice. Thanks for the help.
If the electronics to make the whoop-whoop is part of the Radio Shark circuit board it will be hard to incorporate it. Maybe put the Radio Shark system in permenent alarm and use X10 Appliance Module to apply power to the board when the siren is needed? Or buy a siren module from Ramsey http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=SM3 and use Appliance Module and wall wart power supply?


I just thought of this, but am not sure if it is possible. I have 3 PowerHorns. Anyone know if it is possible to take them apart and wire my siren (speaker) to it? If the powerhorn's use a 2 cable hookup, This should work. But I am not really sure about taking apart the powerhorn just to test it.
Title: Re: Wired Siren
Post by: Brian H on August 26, 2011, 10:01:54 AM
The four parallel wired Piezo Sounders in the large Powerhorn are a high impedance low current device. Connected to the PCB by two wires.
I am not sure how the transistor drivers would handle a low impedance speaker.

If I tried it. I would at least use a non polarized electrolytic capacitor in series with one of the speaker wires. As I believe the output maybe a push pull using the + and - supply and I don't know if the DC is centered at 0 volts.

The power supply does use a power transformer. So the typical AC Line floating on the DC supply should not be a problem. Like it is with many of the X10 modules.

The older Large Powerhorns had a unpopulated area on the PCB where an optional external relay output was used.