08/19/2021 Bell Test (EST3X)

Since Monday (08/16) we've been testing at a Jr./Sr. High School. Today we went in extra early at 6 AM to conduct the bell test. This building is unique as it was originally constructed in 1969 but was added onto multiple times throughout the years, the most time being in 2009. As such, the alarm system for the building has gone through quite a few changes. The original system was a Simplex system, most likely a 4207 or 4208. In June 1988, the 4207/4208 was replaced with a Simplex 4002 and the old signals (which were probably bells) were replaced with 2901-9838 horns on 2903-9001 light plates. The school was added onto a couple of times since then and somewhere along the way the 4002 was ripped out and replaced with an EST3X, however they kept the -9838 horns and 2903 light plates. Areas that were renovated or added onto the first time (such as the science wing seen later in the video) had Genesis horn/strobes installed. In 2009, the junior high was added onto the building and again, Genesis signals were installed, however the science wing Genesis signals are white with no "FIRE" lettering and although not seen, the 2009 era signals are red with the "FIRE" lettering. Also not seen in this video are 6" Wheelock bells in the boys' locker room and the weight room. We found two defective signals during this test, one being the Wheelock 46T-G6-24-WS bell/strobe in the boys' locker room, and the second being a -9838/2903 combo in the gym that was damaged. A couple of the 2903 light plates had failed prior and the -9838 horn was kept and the 2903 plate was replaced with a 4905-9921 plate with a 4904 ADA strobe (you can briefly see one of them at :16). I'm not sure if that's what will be installed to replace the damaged signal in the gym, but it is a possibility. As you can see at the end, some of the 4207/4208 equipment was retained and is still functional (fan shut downs). The 4002 has been gutted and is now used as a junction box and it also houses a NAC booster. Pretty unique system!

[@willscottsmith8360]

That school looks creepy in the dark, especially with the fire alarm, and that light on the alarms. Also the fact that there were no people around for most of the walk through made it creepy.

[@maiyo8518]

I kind of agree because especially when the fire alarm lights is incandescent strobe that doesn’t have silver in it

[@jackslc01]

Even without earphones or AirPods my ears felt the wave of noise

[@maiyo8518]

Ouch

[@jackslc01]

Scary type loo

[@Rod01-s2k]

Those are some healthy sounding alarms. No need to replace them

[@lorenlorenzen4309]

thats so rare to see now a days they sound so healthy and glad they were kept

[@riseandfallchannel2763]

same in my school, built around in 1963. And the alarms still sound good, None of them manage to sound raspy.

[@DaSamNudge]

Sweet! Love seeing 2903's still in service

[@abandoned2007]

Really rare yet amazing, so cool to see 2903s still in service

[@WarningSirensOfMichiana]

I must say, you have undoubtedly been putting out some of the best "from the field" content since the early days of KZbin with SimplexTech and twoplyboy. It's really refreshing to actually be able to see and hear the devices doing a full activation rather than watching a 10 minute walk test video while looking at a tile floor. Seems like you've seen a fair share of neat systems too in your time as an inspector so far. Keep up the good work man, your videos are scratching me right where I itch!

[@shelbythibodeau5506]

Ah, there is nothing as alluring as Simplex horns on 2903 light plates!

[@shelbythibodeau5506]

"BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

[@Fahrenheit4051]

Great video! The sound of -9838's echoing through a big hallway really brings me back.

[@wynter8562]

Continuous vibratone horns will always have a special place in my heart. The harmony they make in a large room is eerie in a good way too.

[@Bigcrusha16]

@Wynter it's always fascinating to see people's different reactions to 9838's. Back in elementary school, some of my classmates loved the harmony, others found it extremely annoying. I was frigging terrified of the things. It always felt to me as if what dying sounded like haha.

[@catsgame9282]

My school has 9838s silver plated with 4903 9105 strobe plates they sound amazing

[@Luke202-z8b]

They almost sound more joyful rather than a fire alarm

[@alexholbrook3903]

Seeing simplex light plates at a school is so rare

[@joannestealey4482]

Better than strobes if u ask me

[@user-ro7vf8jc6x]

The only time I saw a 2903 was when I went to a little shopping center in Boone.

[@spiritairfan]

My middle school had them

[@Goldenrod636]

I remember you! You did fire alarm videos on KZbin back when you were at UAlbany and were a mod on Ben Schumin's forum!

[@NLind]

Whoah blast from the past! I remember you from the forums! How have you been lately?

[@Goldenrod636]

@@NLind So far so good. I finally got a job. I work at a market. I really like it.

[@ModricoTV]

Simplex 2903 light plates glowing or flashing in the dark always creep me out. I've never seen a 2903 in person, but I've seen enough of them in the dark on KZbin to know they give me the creeps.

[@burnoutteamclubbtcp7283]

So, i'll review what i saw: Simplex 2901-9838's on Simplex 2903-9001 light plates EST Genesis horn/strobes EST 278's EST3X

[@islandcityelevandesc]

My school was constructed in 1967 but the current system has L Series speakers, strobes, and speaker strobes.

[@FireRescue80]

Nice video Dan.

[@lorenlorenzen4626]

There’s a nursing home in crossville that use to have a simplex 2001 with 2901-9806s on 2903-9001 light plates I believe the panel got replaced with a est3X and the pulls are BG-12s but how ever the 2903s were Kept and still there sound for future fires today

[@lorenlorenzen4626]

I know they stopped production on the 9838s in 1998 when they were installed in that school but faraday kept making them to this day

[@damaniwilliams8219]

Faraday Still makes them, Due to the Strobes Meeting ADA Requirements. I believe they are under the Name " Siemens " now. So their Devices Display that name on them

[@West_Kootenay_railfan]

I love the 2903's

[@residentgraverobber_sucks]

5:51 code 3 on control panel fire alarm

[@NLind]

Nice! Going right into my EM/Mostly EM fire Alarm Playlist

[@michaelgrahamwongacutemadness]

light plates clearly have a purpose in dark hallways like that

[@RaccoonAlarmsVosgra]

Well the lights are off

[@joeycaridi3030]

They can be used as escape lights when the building is very smoky

[@lorenlorenzen4626]

One of safetechs videos had the same thing old bells but they put 4903 in condescent light plates on them with wheelock chimes the old horns were 9838s but they gave out when lightning hit the building and only 1 2903 with a 9833 remains from the old alarms but this video is sick you can rarely find those type of 2903s anymore

[@katiekennedy9214]

Est genesis my favorite fire alarm

[@Firealarmwatcher]

I feel bad for the students thats very loud. But... Gotta do what you Gotta do😉✌

[@burnoutteamclubbtcp7283]

Whoa, Simplex alarms on an EST system.

[@cg7240]

More like est alarms on a simplex system

[@SomeDudeWithAnExitSign]

@@cg7240 well. The panel is a EST3X so it’s Simplex on a EST system. EST on a Simplex system is basically EST Genesis on a Simplex panel like a 4100ES.

[@burnoutteamclubbtcp7283]

Even on a Simplex panel, The Genesis devices would still sync with each other. but yes, it is possible for EST Panels run Non-EST Devices including older electromechanical horns. Brettman273 actually tested an EST system that had leftover Simplex 4903-9219's in it.

[@alexandersfirealarms]

what alarms are they going replacing the alarms in gym with and what where the alarms in gym why where they working in gym

[@SuperMarioJustin4]

2:36 What was that weird gargle-like noise? Sounded like a Spectralert Advance taking a massive dump!

[@demontejohnson2912]

That sir is a est genesis

[@maximmm3783]

My old school had these but with the flashing light on top, it makes some pretty spooky chords when they go off, its pretty unsettling

[@Dr_Monitor]

Just a continuous unsettling HONK.

[@firealarmsfromsouthtexas125]

Interesting how here the Genesis horn strobes go off first than the Simplex horns. My high school would be the other way around. I dunno why

[@joannestealey4482]

I hope u brought hearing protection with you

[@RaccoonAlarmsVosgra]

You can hear those horns everywhere

[@JT8D200C]

Why did the alarm stopped for a second at 2:05

[@weatherdan882002]

They're hooked up to an EST booster power supply and it periodically cuts the power briefly to keep the Genesis signals in sync. I'm not sure if the booster they're hooked up to is set for normal operation or Genesis operation.

[@geoffg8840]

Why are those alarms seem to be in a vent?

[@weatherdan882002]

The original alarms were flush-mounted bells, so when the second system was installed in 1988, they installed the horn/lights on the grates where the bells were.

[@geoffg8840]

@@weatherdan882002 ah ok makes sense. Thanks

[@TheCarson116]

I honestly will never understand why often technicians slap newer alarms onto bell grilles instead of removing the bell & grille completely, putting a huge trim plate over the hole (provided such a huge trim plate exists), & then mounting the new alarm to that (other than lazyness of course). I see that in this case they must have had to cut holes in the grilles for the 9838 horns to fit through. Good thing there's no audible signals in the stairwells with how reverberant the average stairwell can be. I have no idea why Edwards/EST makes Genesises *without* "FIRE" lettering that are meant for fire alarm applications: how do you know what it's indicating if it doesn't clearly say so on the device? I take it that there were once much larger pull stations where the current ones are going by the large trim plates behind them. Well of _course_ the 4002 was gutted, because technicians these days just plain don't have any respect for preserving fire protection history/are just plain lazy. Odd how at 2:04 that horn/light briefly stopped sounding. At 1:19 & 2:08 I hear weird buzzing sounds, any idea what that was? 4:56 Nice to see there's at least one 2903-9001 + 2901-9838 that's _not_ mounted on a bell grille.

[@weatherdan882002]

Regarding the Genesis "FIRE" lettering, the purpose of the "running man" was to illustrate it was a fire alarm. I guess either some people were still confused, or codes frequently require fire alarm signals to be labeled with "FIRE". The brief stop at 2:04 happens randomly with all EST equipment/panels. I'm not sure why. That brief pause happened 3 or 4 times during this test.

[@TheCarson116]

@@weatherdan882002 The "running stick figure" symbol however can't be seen as easily or as from far away as "FIRE" lettering though. Odd.

[@alexandersfirealarms]

@@TheCarson116 its is fine

[@weatherdan882002]

Update: the reason for the brief stop at 2:04 is because of the EST sync protocol. EST signals are so accurate that they can go minutes without becoming out of sync. The sync protocol simply interrupts the circuit once every couple of minutes to keep the EST signals in sync, and it appears these Simplex signals are hooked up to a NAC booster set up for EST sync protocol. I actually just learned about this yesterday!

[@TheCarson116]

@@weatherdan882002 Don't know why the panel would be configured for sync operation if the signals currently in use can't be synced.

[@commonfirealarmsystems1193]

Awesome video man!

[@lorenlorenzen4626]

I counted over 50 of those 9838s in the video

[@weatherdan882002]

There is far less than 50 of them in that building.

[@lorenlorenzen4626]

@@weatherdan882002 I replayed the video an counted maybe 10

[@Jenncollins_]

not 9838, These are 9833's on 2903-9002 Plates. If You look at a later point of the video(at 4:25) You can see the Grille. And 9838's have a Lower db rating, and a Higher Pitch. The 9833 have the same output sound, so others often get confused on these. Plus these are Much Louder. However there is a 9838 at the beginning on a Newer 4904-9139 Horizonal-Mount Strobe Plate

[@weatherdan882002]

@@Jenncollins_ They ARE -9838s; it may be the viewing angle, but all pictures and other signals in the vid show the -9838 grille, not a -9833 grille.

[@Jenncollins_]

@@weatherdan882002 My Apologies, I Tend to Get these Great Horns Mixed Up Due to the Sound Similarity, Must've been the Viewing angle, and Me not wearing my Glasses when Watching :) They sound a lot similar, so that's why I thought that too

[@jasonharris7665]

Do you mean June 1988? The 2903s were on my made till about 1988.

[@weatherdan882002]

Yes, 1988. Easy typo!

[@firealarmfan]

3:00 nice est genesis g1hdvm horn strobe

[@brianthetowerguy979]

NY or CT ?

[@weatherdan882002]

This is in NY

[@brianthetowerguy979]

@@weatherdan882002 Nice!

[@moparfam300c]

2:03 Short?

[@maiyo8518]

Is that a school bell behind the simplex 2903 fire alarm

[@weatherdan882002]

Odds are it's the original fire alarm bells from before the 2903s went in and they mounted the 2903s on the bell grilles.

[@maiyo8518]

@@weatherdan882002 is the school bell still there

[@alexandersfirealarms]

do any of the old classrooms and restrooms have any horn strobes and strobes and part newer of the school have Est Genesis strobes in the restrooms

[@weatherdan882002]

There are no signals in classrooms or restrooms in the old portion of the building.

[@toonmeowscles9758]

That is the one loud buzzer I don’t like.

[@alexandersfirealarms]

what was the horn strobe flashing on the wall is it a Space age AV or some kind Simplex alarm but the link does not for me or anyone

[@weatherdan882002]

It's a 4904-9139 strobe on an a/v plate with a 2901-9838 horn.

[@vintagesimplexfirealarmsof6440]

nice 2903s

[@Firealarm7420]

0:11 it doesn’t make sense to put caution tapes while bell test

[@weatherdan882002]

It wasn't for the bell test, the staff was waxing the floors.

[@Firealarm7420]

@@weatherdan882002 it doesn’t make sense too!

[@BlueThunderboltsiren]

2:03 Fire alarm Hiccup.

[@Luke202-z8b]

0:51 why is that on a speaker?

[@Luke202-z8b]

(Wait why are they all attached to them?)

[@Luke202-z8b]

(And i can tell on 2:03 there was a glitch there with the alarm)

[@weatherdan882002]

@@Luke202-z8b They're not speakers, they're flush-mount housings that presumably once contained bells. When they upgraded the system in the 80s they mounted the new horns right onto the grilles of the bell housings.

[@Luke202-z8b]

Still definitely a weird placement for the replacement fire alarms. Maybe the electricity for it is connected to right where the bell was before

[@wildman118]

It said bell not fire alarm

[@jenniferellynnscharp131vlogs]

Simplex Light Plate Horns Was Popular At Bdale The School I Got Banned From

[@abandoned2007]

What..?

[@joannestealey4482]

Seriously who does continuous anymore gosh that tone is annoying