Simplex 4050 Fire Alarm Overview/Test (Underpowered)

UPDATE 12/31/2021: I have since acquired a better transformer for this device, and sounds a lot better than this. Check it out here...
• Simplex 4050...Revisited!
Here's a 4050, believe it or not! I finally acquired a 6VAC power supply that would send the right amount of voltage to the horn. As I was anxious enough to test the device, I did not realize until last minute that it does not provide enough current. Therefore, the horn is slightly underpowered here. That does create an interesting effect in a way, it's not that loud at all! Nonetheless, it's a start, and it's here for you to enjoy!
The Simplex 4050 is the AC version of the well-known 4051. It has been known to come in a wide variety of voltages; including 6VAC, 12VAC, 24VAC, and 120VAC. Mine happens to be 6VAC. These would be placed on some sort of system that can support AC devices, most likely, a Simplex 4208 panel around this era (1970's). For visual notification, there would be a 4050-80 where the horn would mount on. That, too came in AC and DC versions.
For a fire alarm device, it's actually one of the simpler (no pun intended) devices I have. This device simply has a magnetic coil. In AC, the current is constantly switching, around 60 times a second (60HZ). Because this is constantly switching, the coil is getting rapidly activated and deactivated. As the plate is pulled whenever the coil is active, and then released when the coil is inactive, this creates noise. Having it do so 60 times a second will create a lot of noise, particularly the one we all know and love.
*If I find a better transformer, I will make a followup video showing the TRUE glory of this device. For now, enjoy the awesomeness of the fact that this is here.
DISCLAIMER:
1: It is a FELONY to pull a fire alarm in public to falsely report a fire (i.e. "Just for fun"). A fire alarm in a public building should only be pulled if there is actually a fire or other emergency. However, this is being activated in a controlled and legal environment, an enthusiast's test setup. No fire departments were called when activating the alarm.
2: I am underpowering the horn in this video with only a 300ma 6VAC power supply, when the horn requires 1.8A of current. I DO NOT recommend trying this on your own, you could do some damage. Hopefully, I didn't do any damage to my unit.
I AM NOT responsible for any legal damages done for pulling a false alarm, or for any seizures. These are your decisions, not mine!

[@tntplayzexe8909]

I got a simplex 4050 yesterday and it works.

[@CraigBaker96837]

That horn on 6VAC sounds like a quiet room with a bunch of powered fluorescent lights.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

You're right!

[@AfterAllWeAreHuman]

Craig Baker or fishtank filter

[@poppylover2586]

Sounds like my old dishwashing machine going through the draining process. My Dishwasher was an Insinkerator. It made the same hum along with spash spash noises.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

Pretty interesting...not my best work, but interesting I was able to re create the hum of the insinkerator!

[@poppylover2586]

@@NewEnglandElevatorsI Have a KitchenAid that makes a Hummm sound when it drains. What kind of Dishwasher do you have? I hope you can simulate yours!

[@poppylover2586]

@@NewEnglandElevators​​⁠​⁠​⁠You know something? My washing machine also makes that same hum! It even chug chug chugs like a train when it starts the final spin cycle! The washing machine I have is a Danby Portable Washing Machine.

[@HarleyQuinn-sj3fi]

my school has these. I got to hear the alarms. Because we had a fire drill. and I was so happy to hear them go off too.

[@Imacuser223]

Wow. Under-powered, it sounds a lot duller than the alarms that scared the sin out of me in my old school. Same horn model, though; I recognized the sound from other test videos.

[@ktg1012]

Awesome vintage horn sound

[@NewEnglandElevators]

Even if it's underpowered, it can be pretty cool. Only for me to get a much better 6VAC transformer.

[@ktg1012]

@@NewEnglandElevators well, i admit it sounds cool. It can sound even cooler if you supply 24 volts ac 60hz.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

That would be cool...unless you want to see a fireworks show from me frying my 4050 (only kidding, I would never fry a device intentionally). In all seriousness, my unit can only take 6VAC, my main problem is finding a transformer that can output 1.8A. Unfortunately, I've just been so busy with everything that I've never had the chance.

[@ktg1012]

@@NewEnglandElevators well, can you get a 24 volt ac 60hz model?

[@NewEnglandElevators]

Timofey Kozyrev It would probably produce the same sound, what other difference would a 24VAC version make? These devices are super rare too, so I cannot guarantee it in the marketplace.

[@-------1-----------9]

Sounds like the five nights at Freddy’s office ambience

[@erikthepirate8068]

I remember this Alarm when I was in Hopkinsville Middle School!

[@joeycaridi3030]

A fire alarm test video where you don't have to turn down the volume prior to when it gets set off!

[@cactusfilmsstudios6244]

Sounds like my Microwave

[@mr.tomraypaz6085]

My middle school had these.

[@basedmax9029]

Like if you remember this from the annex (north grenville district high school)

[@exoticcar5482]

This is basically a rebranded Faraday 5410

[@relevanteaglealarms109]

Remember at my school

[@Corvette1658]

My middle school that i went too had those. They system was a believe a Simplex 4208 or some other older simplex panel. But in 2009 they did a add on and did a very big remodel to the school. So i am sorry to say that those are no longer at the school. And they now have a Simplex 4100U or ES with Simplex True Alert Horn Strobes. Also my high school had some of those in some parts of the school. Like the lunchroom in the gym. And they had them on one hallway with light plates on them. They system has two panels a Simplex 4208 and a Simplex 4100. A mix with 4050's and with Simplex Horn Strobes the one with the strobes on the right side. Then they did a add in and a remodel to the school in 2007. But they kept the system and did not replaced the panels. The ad's on and new class rooms have True alerts on them. I was class of 2009. But in 2010 all of the old horns got replaced with Simplex True Alert's. So sadly the the old horns are gone now. They still have the two Simplex panels and both of them still work fine. So now they just have the Simplex Horn strobes with the strobes on the right and True Alert's.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

Interesting mix of old and new!

[@SuperWorldRailFanProductions]

So Now I have seen a 4040 (a flush mounted version), 405¹0, and a 4051 in person. However, I haven't seen a 4041 in person yet, and I've gotta say that it is quite rare these days to come across one.

[@relevanteaglealarms109]

The 4050 in a 6VAC is almost like a fluorescent broken lamp or a no battery exit sign

[@NewEnglandElevators]

The horn is meant for 6vAC, but I had a transformer that didn't quite put out enough power. I have since acquired a proper transformer, and boy is this thing loud!!! You're right, it does sound like those things that you have mentioned there. Thanks for your comment.

[@apetersenTV]

One wing of my high school has 4050-85 light plates (which has the black "FIRE" lettering and now RARE) with this same horn mounted on it, with a few variants. Two of them have a Simplex 9838 horn and 5 of them have a Simplex 9806 horn. The plates were vertical mounts mounted horizontally instead of vertically for some weird reason. This obviously does NOT meet ADA requirements, because the "FIRE" lettering was sideways instead of going down. Although, half of them were upgraded with SpectrAlert Advances. I would hardly see the 4050-80+4050's in action during fire drills because most of them I get happen near the SpectrAlert Advances. In this case, the wing is shaped almost like a 3-leaf clover from the rear of the building in satellite view. The classrooms are arranged in 3 blocks on the edges of the "3-leaf clover portion" of the building. All of the alarms in all the 3 blocks we like to call, "pods," on both floors, were upgraded with the SpectrAlert Advances that do Continuous, as well as 3 of them in the main hallways that do Temporal Code 3 and the one in the Fitness Center (I don't know if it does either Continuous or Temporal Code 3, but my guess is Temporal Code 3). The only time I saw a 4050-85+4050 in action in person was when I had a real (actually false) fire emergency at my high school. I was actually in a classroom where there were 4050-85+4050's and the SpectrAlert Advances were nearby in the hallway. There were 2 exits in that classroom. One that goes out to the "pod" and one that goes out to the main hallway. We were exiting toward where the 4050-85+4050's were, which were in the main hallway. The 4050 horns were set on Continuous rather than Temporal Code 3 and the strobes were flashing in red slowly. As soon as I exited the room, the strobe suddenly stopped flashing and the horn kept sounding until it was silenced, which... you guessed it. Does NOT meet ADA requirements! Now that's just crazy! I had NO IDEA what the designers of the building were thinking!

[@FireAlarmTech7.]

Sounds similar to the scoreboard buzzer at my school which is made by FairPlay and FairPlay, which makes scoreboards actually borrowed federal signal's vibratone 350 (simplex 4040) to use on their older scoreboard models.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

One of my schools in the past had some FairPlay scoreboards, which used the current design of the mechanical Vibratone. I haven't seen any with this type of grille, like you mentioned. Interesting to know they're out there.

[@FireAlarmTech7.]

The ones at my school actually use the same grille as the current vibratone.

[@HeadsetGuy]

I hate most vibrating horns, but I _love_ the 4050.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

I've never experienced a 4050 at full volume, but it still seems like a neat alarm.

[@HeadsetGuy]

Oh, a full volume 4050 sounds amazing.

[@wisconsinandnorthwesternra8381]

NewEnglandElevators we had these at my middle school and I'm pretty sure the volume screws were missing. Trust me they are loud af.

[@BoRoEoNoDoA]

you should do a video with the 4041,4050 & the 4051

[@jonathanryersonhotel3593]

I'm not really sure what the Transformer is for the 4050 but it does have a lower pitch than your 4051

[@Memerino-ly7yr]

sounds like a firex 1014/1020 smoke alarm

[@NewEnglandElevators]

Or the System Sensor MAEH!

[@Memerino-ly7yr]

+NewEnglandElevators yep

[@fordmustangfan8060]

I have that at my school and it is hooked to a space age light plate

[@OckGypsy]

Reminds me of an air conditioner.

[@ryanthefanguy9060]

when you put the 4050 on the 4903 9101 it would be a horn strobe

[@CraigBaker96837]

You can't do that. The 9101 is a DC-powered strobe, and the 4050 is an AC-powered horn. You would kill the strobe and/or the horn.

[@kagome122885]

You would need 2 separate transformers. One to convert AC to DC to power the strobe, and one to step down the power supply from 120v AC to 6 volts AC.

[@CraigBaker96837]

Joel Hunt While I would say that could work, you run the risk of something overheating (mainly the stepdown device or the power converter).

[@Rockman_Halo]

What's the different between 4050 and 4051

[@NewEnglandElevators]

The 4050 is AC, while the 4051 is DC.

[@beng7015]

What would happen if you put DC power into it? Would that fry it?

[@trainerred2063]

I'm sure it would make just one clack and stop, because DC isn't 60HZ like AC.

[@NewEnglandElevators]

It would not fry it, but it would not sound, either. The coil would receive the 6V. However, as the current is not constantly switching, the plate will not vibrate.

[@gravedigger9084]

I don't here it

[@leslietucker5878]

I have that 4050 and 4050-80

[@FireAlarmTech7.]

If you loosen the volume screw, it gets louder?

[@theresahart7131]

Bissell vacuum broken

[@SuperWorldRailFanProductions]

Sorry I mean't 4050

[@trainerred2063]

The high school I'm going to I assume had a whole system of these. The system now is a notifier system with NBG 12LX pulls (replacing BNG 1TS pulls from the system 2015 and prior during the HUGE district wide overhaul),Wheelock NS horn strobes from the last system, Exceders that have been added on during the update, Wheelock MT4s for some reason in one half of one of the gyms, and weatherproof MTs on the outside. However in one hall and by the gyms, some of the old 4050s are still there (obviously inactive due to the NSs right nearby.

[@vintagesimplexfirealarmsof6440]

that horn is quiet i had turn my volume up some to hear it