The difference between First Alert's 80's smoke detectors

[Tabby266]

Wonder if it would work to transplant a sensor from a different detector into another one?

[Videophile1983]

We had one of these smoke detectors in both of the houses where I grew up. My so-called father sold the house when I was almost 6 & we took the smoke detector with us. I had 8 different episodes of a nightmare about the smoke detector. I'm so glad they don't make 'em like this anymore. I MADE my parents get one of a different design in 1997 so that my nightmares would stop, but the 8th episode was nearly 10 years after the 7th. I only had the 8th episode cuz I saw one in a group home I lived in.

[CampKohler]

As far as Rainman is concerned, it's art, not science. They call it "suspension of belief." It's like in a western when you are not supposed to notice the 747 passing overhead.

[NLind]

@CampKohler I know that. Just pointing it out.

[italianman1992]

lolz we used to have that same one (shown at 00:31) 

[coolbluelights]

do you mind if I ask, what is the music you used?

[SAIL4323]

@coolbluelights I believe it is from the game show "The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour".

[tommytryptamine]

we got version 2 of that downstairs, that mum won't replace despite being around 18-20 years old.

it seems to still work though, as if u burn toast in the kitchen it sets it off.

but dunno how well it would work to a proper fire.

needs to be replaced....

as our upstairs and loft ones are only 6 months old 10 year battery ones.

[kleblancski]

i've got the 1993 one and it still works fine

[Knight09able]

Cool Video! :)

[keoghjacob]

What would the popular model during March of 1986 be by first alert? I previously, threw away our detector, and I am looking for the model of it.

[MrMoterKid]

Do they still work properly? Like no false alarms?

[NLind]

Yep.

[MrMoterKid]

Nice!

[bait28]

hey. i will warn that any alarm of 10 years of age that is IONIZATION WILL NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY. thers a radiation called americium that makes the alarm operate. the americium is in the small metal chamber you see there. it decays after time. after ten years it doesn't release enough ions and nolonger works. therefore it cannot pick up a detection. the test button won't tell you that.

[Volfmech]

We had one of those, How ever, unknown why, Each time we turned the landing light on upstairs, it would set it off. Also flashing at it with a flashlight sets it off too. Any idea why?

[NLind]

You're talking about the Light Test model. Those were designed to be tested by waving a flashlight at them.

[Volfmech]

Aah, I see. Thank you! Have since replaced it with another unit, Which no longer responds to flashlights... But we cant seem to test it. Its quite high up and where its placed on the landing, You've got a long fall from the ladder! Any idea how to set it off? Dosnt seem to reposnd to smoke,fog,light.

[Tabby266]

There SHOULD be a test button or something on it.

[electronixTech]

@NLind I liked the light test model. I bought one in 1994 to replace a non functioning hard wired smoke detector. To test it I waved the beam of a flashlight at it very quickly and it would do a test beep. This was nice feature because with a very high ceiling you would need a ladder to get up there to push the test button on a regular smoke detector. I think they took this feature out because I haven't seen this on smoke detectors since.

[NLind]

@electronixTech Yeah they sadly stopped the Light Test units when they changed to their current design. I also found that using a strobe light set to a rapid flash can set it off also, and the Craftsman Oscilite flashlight that Sears had in around '98 or so was PERFECT for testing these, since it had a small reflector that swept back and forth rapidly. You could also use it as a regular flashlight, too.

[electronixTech]

@NLind That's interesting to know about the Craftsman flashlight. I had to leave this light test detector behind because I was living at the time in a one bedroom apartment and the landlord had paid me back for the cost of the smoke detector. Now I've got 3 smoke detectors in a house I bought that are RF linked so when one in the basement sounds they all sound up stairs. I guess I like gadgets. :-)

[totallytucker1234]

@NLind I have a smoke alarm that you test with a television remote control.

[Tabby266]

We used to have a SA76RCin our house, but it kept sounding false alarms so we eventualy replaced it.

[atx106]

i dont no if ne1 can help me, but one of our 1997 (i think) first alerts just gave me 4 chirps (faster than an alarm tone)... its not a co detector, and its not a code-3 sounder... i think this could be an end-of-life tone, but im not sure...

[Antipwnsurmum]

Replace it. It's most likely telling you that it's way too old.

[102Help]

its saing its 2 old

[TroySundt]

i hate the way the old smoke alarms turn yellow... i love it when you can find an old old smoke alarm like a GE Home Sentry and its like bright white.

[coolbluelights]

I'm looking at a 2000 model First Alert right now, the cover is totally different. I like the old design better

[wilkes85]

hehe we still have the old 1993+ detector in our kitchen... it's well past it's expiry date, but still works good... a little too good LOL

[NLind]

I totally agree. The current design looks to euro-style to me.

[catsandpowerlines]

if that guy keeps whacking the alarm with the broom he could hit the censer and then have radio active stuff all over

[Tabby266]

That stuff is so tiny it would cause no harm, like I said in my older comment. And you cant see it because its too tiny!

[CassetteMaster]

The 1993 one is in the 3rd floor room where most of my vintage audio is located! CAUTION: CONTAINS RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL. AMERICIUM 241. 1 MICROCURIE.

[Tabby266]

All of them do, but it causes no harm because it is so tiny.

[SystemSensor224]

I have one of those!

[NewAgeServer]

Is that the Windows Vista version of Windows Movie Maker?

[mysterykid200]

ah those look familiar. there were 2 in my house in the years 1990-2001 and we replaced them since they were old and the covers were missing.. also our security system is a first alert too!

[pivotous]

had these in the previous appartment. also, had these after they gave out on our Moose Z1100. we replaced 'em with 445CTs, or Moose's version. we still got the MPI-21 siren, which sounds utterly horrible!

[JME1973]

Would any of you know anything about a certain model of smoke alarms from the mid to late 1970s that had the words "Smoke Signal" on the cover in raised lettering? The had the screechy electromechincal horns and were square shaped. I dont know if the company was called smoke signal or if that was just the model of the alarm. My parents had one in their house when I was little.

[NLind]

I think I know what you're talking about. It's a Smoke Signal SS-200 (mine's labeled Universal [for Universal Security Instruments]) This ran on a 12.6v battery.

[JME1973]

Can you make a video on that alarm? How old is yours? Now come to think of it it also had the name Westclox on the cover. Not a name you would associate with smoke alarms but more watches and clocks. Does that alarm sound familiar? This alarm that my parents had ran on a 9 volt battery.

[NLind]

I could only do a slideshow since I don't have a good 12.6v battery and I don't really want to alter it to allow for, example, a 12v adapter.

[JME1973]

oh okay well thanks for trying. On the other hand does the Westclox smoke alarm sound familiar to you? Did you collect those alarms from Ebay or did you get them at garage sales or second hand stores. Im thinking of starting a collection but Im not interested in getting an Ebay account. I wished i had have kept the old alarms. My parents pitched them all when they got new ones.

[NLind]

Well its a combo of both eBay, rummage sales, thrift stores, and a local radio show where I advertise for old alarms.

[JME1973]

Okay thanks NLind, Im going to try my local thrift stores and some garage sales and hopefully I will get lucky. I will keep you posted here. I do have battery operated alarms in my apartment that are only 2 years old but Im looking for alarms that are 25 plus years old. Thanks for the help.

[pickyourpartnow]

Here's a difference that you didn't mention! There is a plastic depression on the cover where the test button is. This depression grew and grew steadily until, in 1993, it connected the center and the edge! Also, the plastic "ring" thing below the side vent slots got narrower and narrower as time went on.

Nice vid

[NewAgeServer]

What is that music?

[JME1973]

I forgot to ask do you have any First Alerts from the 1970's? When you were showing the alarm that had the smaller side vents I wasnt sure if that one was from the early 1980's as well. I'll have to watch the video again. This is very interesting stuff!

[NLind]

The one with the tinier slots is a 70's alarm (SA76RS)

[JME1973]

Okay thanks for letting me know that. Again you can still tell that is a first alert alarm. Is that 70's alarm yours? How many smoke alarms do you have?

[NLind]

All the alarms pictured (except for the one in Rain Man) are mine. I have 271 right now, some are identical, though.

[JME1973]

Wow how many years have yu been collecting them? Are most older models? Could you make a video on that 1970's First Alert. It looks like there are more vents on that one with them being smaller. Would you know anything on the Dicon alarms from the 1970's? I had them in my house while I was growing up. Talk about screechy alarms.

[JME1973]

Thanks NLind, I didn't realize that they changed over the years. big difference in the look and the sound of the early detectors. You can still tell they are First Alert detectors but I can now see where they made the changes. Especially in the smoke detector that came out around 1993. Its smaller than the previous ones. By the way I remember that part in the movie Rain Main. I felt bad for him during that part of the movie as he didn't know what was going on.

[mikemcgill23451]

they probably changed the sensor to keep bugs out.

[alarm56]

Wut do you know bout the one in my video. "smoke detectors"?