C-TEC ActiV Fire Alarm Sounder Beacon, 100dB(A) W-2.75-9 VAD, Shallow Base, Red BF433C/CC/SR

What this sounder and VAD does

This C-TEC unit from the ActiV range gives a fire alarm signal two ways, through a tone and a white flash.

That matters in places where a sound alone may not reach everyone, such as noisy areas or rooms used by people with hearing loss. It is the shallow base version of a wall unit, and the deep base is a separate product.

How it works

• Conventional wiring: on a conventional system, the panel powers a sounder circuit in an alarm and every device on it starts. No device has its own address.
• Primary and secondary tone: you choose one of the 31 primary tones. The optional secondary tone gives a second sound where the system design needs it.
• Flash setting: the flash can run at 0.5Hz or 1Hz. Set to OFF, the unit works as a sounder alone.

Where to use it

It is for walls in indoor areas only, operating at -10ºC to +55ºC. Max. 95% RH (Non-condensing).

Where VADs are needed, and how many, should come from the system design under BS 5839-1. Keep to the positions that design sets out.

What the figures mean in practice

• W-2.75-9: the W stands for a wall mounted device. This rating means a minimum of 0.4 lux over a 2.75 x 9m cuboid area, so a room larger than that needs another look.
• W-4-4: a second certified rating, with its own coverage shape. Pick the one that matches your room and record it in the design.
• Lux: a measure of how much light lands on a surface.
• 100dB(A) @ 1m: this figure is measured one metre away. The level falls with distance and through walls and doors, so check it in each room.
• Max. @ 30Vdc = 20mA: use this figure, not the typical one, when adding up the load on a sounder circuit.

Installing it

• Third-party panels: C-TEC recommends testing before use on another maker's panel, so test one unit before fitting the rest.
• Settings: use the same tone and flash rate across one site, so the alarm always looks and sounds the same.
• Handover test: run the alarm with the circuit fully loaded and confirm that every unit sounds and flashes.

Planning your system

You need a conventional panel with a sounder circuit that works within 18 to 30V DC. C-TEC's CFP, FP, MFP and EP203 panels are compatible.

The job also needs fire rated cable and an end of line device if the panel calls for one. The panel maker's instructions set those out.

Standards and ratings explained

• EN54-3 and EN54-23: the EN standards for fire alarm sounders and visual alarm devices. This unit is certified to both by the LPCB, a third-party certification body.
• IP21C: the 2 means protection against objects the size of a finger. The 1 means protection against dripping water only, which fits its indoor use.