# Simplex FA system with annunciator - wiring requirements?



## quarky2001 (May 29, 2014)

I've got a new building with a Simplex 4100ES FACP located in the electrical room, along with a 3-bay annunciator near the front entrance. Both panels contain a firefighter's handset (which I assume consist of a master handset in the main panel, and a remote master handset in the annunciator), as well as a handheld microphone. The rest of the system consists of 6 firefighter's phones located throughout the building, and a large number of addressable strobes and non-addressable speakers. The initiating devices are all on a single IDNet 2 loop.

The mystery is this: The FACP shipped with both an Extended Power Supply (EPS) to power the main CPU, as well as an Expansion Power Supply (XPS) located in the same bay as two digital audio NAC controllers. The annunciator, however, is very bare bones - a "Remote Command Center", along with a firefighter's handset in the second bay and a microphone in the 3rd. None of the modules have any sort of power supply in them. Simplex shipped us 6 batteries, and each panel can fit only 2. Since the FACP is only capable of containing 2 batteries, and is also the only panel with the equipment to charge batteries, that seems to mean that we have 4 extra batteries, or missing parts, but I'm bothered since I've never received an incomplete system from Simplex so far.

My problem is this: how the hell is the annunciator panel supposed to be powered? There are 24V inputs on all of its modules, which makes it seem like I'm just supposed to run some low-voltage wiring between the panels so they can share the power supply and batteries, but I have serious doubts the batteries could maintain supervisory power for 24 hrs if that is done; the building contains a total of 60 addressable strobes, as well as about 110 speakers, 1/2 W each. 

Has anyone seen this sort of system before, and do you remember what was done in terms of powering the thing?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

whenever you have a FA system to install, whether it is engineered design or a basic system, you should have complete plan, termination plans, and instructions. contact the supplier and they should provide or provide link with full documentation. That may sound trivial, but when you start getting into complex designs and systems, RFIs to the engineering firm or manufacturer/designer can save you liability when things go south, so you need that original documentation and clear specs and terminations to CYA not only for the installation, but for your protection in the future should their design fail to save someone's life.

if I wasn't so lazy, i would read the manuals and figure out what you need, but you are getting paid to do it.
https://www.tycosafetyproducts-anz.com/public/Manuals/LT0394.pdf


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