Ademco 5140-MPS Pull Stations are we looking at anothe recall similar to Firelite BG-10

A few  year ago the Fire Lite BG10 Pull stations  where recalled

Due to the plunger which actuates when station is pulled freezing in place 

Well now after testing some Ademco / Honeywell 5140MPS stations I am getting same issues

 Did an apartment buildings fire alarm inspection today and both pull stations in the cold corridors  stuck and would not actuate. and the plunger switch being used is very similar to the BG-10 that was recalled  for repairs or replacement .

 The problem with Pull stations other than the occasional sometimes  yearly testing they sit  and are not activated allowing them to s=get stuck.

The newer Designed BG -12 made by Fire Lite is far superior because it uses a toggle switch which is much better design.

So now I have to notify Honeywell an CPSC to possible issues for a possible recall. 

Improper install of Antennas on 2 Way AES Radio units leads to many problems and Fustrations for Building Owners

 I recently was called to look at and take over seven (7 )Buildings Fire Alarm Systems after they experienced constant problems with their Two  (2 ) Way AES Radio Systems which report an active Fire Alarm Signal to a Central Station.

AES makes an excellent supervised wireless radio system that runs on its own UHF Channels and are deployed world wide. but the problems at these buildings was the radios where not properly installed particularly the Antenna set ups and when you live in a city full of Hills and Valleys like Pittsburgh Pa. that's important .

I replaced all the AES Radios with Napco Starlink Cellular Radios as I am not an AES dealer and you need to set up an entire network for it to work so only larger alarm company's can usually afford these systems.

 There are very specific specifications which must be met so these units will operate at peak efficiency and this was not done .

From the AES Manual 

AES 7788 Series RF Subscriber Unit ─ Installation and Operation Manual
AES Corporation 11 40-7788, Rev 6, August 30, 2016
1.11 Coaxial Cable and Antenna Installation Tips
· Avoid using 25’ of coax length if a 10’ will be sufficient.
· Never use more than 25’ of RG-58 cable in any antenna installation
· Always use shortest length of coax possible. Longer than necessary coax lengths
translates into greater signal loss.
· Always use the straightest most direct routing possible in any coax installation.
Unnecessary and tight bends adds to potential signal loss.
· Use 50 Ohm impedance coax only. Do not use 75 Ohm coax for the connection of
remote antenna. RG-8, 9913, LMR-400, LMR-600 and RG-58 are among a list of
acceptable 50 Ohm coax.
RG-59 and RG-6 are 75 Ohm and NOT to be used.
· Use the proper coaxial connectors and crimp tool for the coax selected. Incorrect or
poorly installed connectors can have a significant effect of the performance of the RF 

 The reason for this is when you couple an antenna to a radio you must maintain as close as possible a SWR of 1:1   anything past a 1:3 and problems will occur including burning out the transmitter

SWR  stands for Standing Wave Ratio 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_wave_ratio

 

Clearly these installers failed to follow the instructions and as a result management was getting called for Radio trouble signals at all hours of the day   and when they called for service and techs would come out to service the system they did nothing to fix it and charged the customer big bucks so you can understand the situation and why they called me. 

Take the following pictures as some of the bad practices I saw 

 As you can see in this picture install instructions where violated when a section of coax was added to a system  which is not allowed and then where it is coupled together a poorly sealed connector with tape is allowing water to get into it .

This building in particular the local fire Marshal thanked me for taking over because he was so upset with the company who installed and serviced the radios due to all the calls they would get from tenants when the systems would start beeping in trouble all times of the day.  

This was all 100% avoidable.

Had they hired someone like me who is familiar with Two( 2) way and Amateur ( Ham ) Radio Equipment  to scope out and test  for best placement of the antennas instead of  just do what you have to to get a signal .

Needless to say i will be picking up more of these buildings from this customer because they have had it with the current alarm provider. 

 

antenna shoved thru hole in ceiling

antenna shoved thru drilled hole in soffit

 

 

Missing /stolen Reward 25 caliber Mauser Pistol

A man my wife knew Jeff  who who did some  wood  work on our house about 20 years ago and did gun smithing as a hobby and lived on School Street in Penn Hills Pa and is now deceased . He  either lost ,sold or was otherwise stolen from him a Mauser 1910  25 caliber 6.25 mm  hand gun which I had given him to repair . aprox. 20 years ago . It was Reported Stolen  to Penn Hills Police  and not seen since.
  Serial number # 213979

Not a particularly expensive  or historic gun made during  war and millions where made and many Germans carried them for personnel protection.

Though the gun was well made it had one fatal flaw and that was the flat springs in the gun which would frequently break and which Jeff was going to fix for me. Well he never did and kept putting me off finally admitted to me lost it in his house.   I immediately called Penn Hills  Police who took a report .

You can still buy these guns at any gun show for around $150-$500 depending on condition and certain models could go much higher if you had case etc.  mine was closer to the $150.00 dollar  more of a family heirloom than a practical gun to carry and I would like to get it back so I can pass it down .

This is a problem with these old guns  they are still applicable to all state and federal firearms laws Just like a brand new gun and if you bought , found or where given  one and did not run a back round check on it and  if are found in possession of one of the many stolen guns like mine you will be charged with a felony and can face 5-10 years in prison  weather you knew it was stolen or not  If you inherent or buy or other wise find an old gun and decide to keep it run it thru the local police and or gun shop and make sure it is not stolen or prepare to face the consequences. Better to turn in a gun with no consequences than face legal and jail time .