THE G.E. 12.6 VOLT SMOKE ALARM (QUICK DEMO)

[lkfcobra]

est smoke

[YankeePat94]

I have this alarm in my basement. Not to sound dumb, but I didn't notice it until I heard it chirp.

[JoshuaMouncer]

I had one of these in my old house more than 5 years ago and it didn't sound like that, it was like a modern sound in nower-days like a "beep beep beep beep"...

[hyperbaricchicken101]

When I heard that alarm in a different video it was at a much lower pitch.

[Jibjub80]

Gamealarm, if you have the original GE 12 volt detector, (the one with the brass horns inside them), could you please take the battery out of the 8201-2 (if it is still good), and make another video of that one? It had a different sound. That one was the cooler detector.

[Heyde1979]

my house used have that model too man that thing scared the shit out of when it used to off

[Jibjub80]

Don't believe what, NLind??

[crazybeavers155]

ow damment that is loud i like it XD O.o

[crazybeavers155]

how long u had that smoke alarm

[Dansby200]

LOUD!!!

[Jibjub80]

Frogz wrote, "I want 1!!! that sound....could drive people insane!"

Yes it could. Our home used to have a GE 12-volt detector, but it was an earlier model (the 8201-101). It had a higher pitched beep, and sounded much like the Fyrenetics.

[frogz]

i want 1!!!

that sound....could drive people insane!

[CassetteMaster]

Not the very pleasant type of buzz...

[Jibjub80]

Do you know the reason that GE changed their 12-volt units from the brass horns to the black sounders? If you have the original model that I described, I'd love to see a demo on it, but this is probably the only one you have, right?

[Jibjub80]

We used to have a GE smoke alarm powered by the 12-volt battery, but the alarm sounded more like the old Intermatic in NiLind's video. The sensing chamber in the interior of the detector was also different, with multiple circular holes. We stopped using it, because this battery was close to $15 a piece, when a new smoke alarm would cost less than that. Was just curious why your alarm sounds different. Do you know why different GE models had different sounds?

[gamealarm]

GE also made their origional 12.6 model with a slightly different chamber design and a brass horn, at first.

[Jibjub80]

Yup, that's the one we had. Did any of the 9-volt units have the brass horns? When I was a kid, my grandparents had the version with the black buzzer. I used to be petrified of the sound that those made. The ones with the brass horns didn't bother me as much.

[NLind]

I don't believe so, though I recall ones using piezos (just as GE was switching from this design to their rectangular design), although it might have been a dream...

[bigbri65]

iv, C'n A rektangulr version ov that smok detekter

[gamealarm]

In the early 80's, GE changed them to a more rectangular size, with a warbling, cone-shaped piezo sounder. Black & Decker then bought out their smoke alarm line. I believe the B&D model number was SMK67D.

[Heyde1979]

my house used to have them

[EclipseWebJS]

What kind of battery is that? Whatever it is, it's definitely not rated for 12.6 volts.

[gamealarm]

This particular smoke alarm came with the origional battery (of course, dead and leaking), and is labeled Mallory Duracell - 12.6 volts - mercury battery. The battery in the video I actually found at an old hardware store in town, never opened. At the bottom of the package it says "SMOKE ALARM". They just about have to be custom made now, according to a rep from "Batteries Plus", because the origional batteries contained mercury, which actually put out a variable voltage.

[gamealarm]

Some other detectors took the same physical size battery, but in different voltages, such as 11.2, and 10.4, all d.c. of course. Origionally, they stopped using them because the replacement battery was a good $25 even back then, which was almost 1/2 price of the detector itself!

[bubby910]

I have that square one Man that is LOUD !!!!!

[JME1973]

Why did they stop using electromechanical horns. Did they totally switch to piezos in the early 1980s? Yeah I agree too that people tend to ignore the current piezo buzzers. They arent as annoying. The old electromechanical horns sure used to get my attention.

[SolitarySounds]

Do you know how many decibels the sound is rated at? Usually Smoke detectors are rated at 85db at 10 feet.

[gamealarm]

Not exactly sure about the decibal output. Minnimum has always been 85dba. This would have to be between 90-97dba.

[SolitarySounds]

Wow that's pretty loud! like an actual electro-mechanical fire alarm! But thanks for showing us what a 70s smoke detector is really like!

[Federal3t22]

Those I believe were rated 95db @ 10ft. Personally I think smoke manufactures should of kept using electromechancial horns. I bet no one would ignore them like the way some people do with the current smokes with piezo horns.

[SolitarySounds]

Yeah I hear you Dan. But I'm totally guessing that the accepted reason why a lot of companies stick to electronics is because: they're cheaper!

[willbill808]

It does sound like a lower pitched 4001 buzzer!

[Federal3t22]

wow, I forgot just how loud those were. Thanks for making this video