What our experts say…
Q. How many installers could not recognise the noise made by a Kinetic Sound Bomb?</I>
A. None. Does that mean it is a good product? Probably.
Kinetic’s most famous and enduring sounder has launched a thousand headaches in its time. While never the prettiest kid on the block, the Sound Bomb is almost what you would call a design classic. It is hard to imagine the Aztech ever becoming as widely known, or shifting as many units, as the Sound Bomb. That is because the Aztech is simply an identikit low profile curvy sounder loosely based on all the other low profile curvy sounders. However, what it does it does well, and certainly for a very keen price.
The Aztech 3000 is a vertically aligned external SAB driving a single piezo head at 115dB, with an integral flashing strobe light and twin oscillating green comfort LEDs. The rechargeable 6.0 v NiCad battery, rated at 280 mAHr, is supplied pre-mounted to the PC board as standard, and the electronics are enclosed in a weather proof (IP44), screw driver proof, clear plastic enclosure.
The unit is manufactured in the UK in Middleton, Manchester under an ISO 9002 QA system, and is very competitively priced, at around GB pound 20 plus VAT from the electrical wholesalers, City Electrical Factors, and security equipment distributor Gardiner Security Ltd. Be aware however, that both the suppliers currently only supply the Aztech on special order, and then as a minimum order of 12 units.
Kinetic provides a two-year guarantee from date of manufacture, and a decoy version is also available, the Aztech 1000, comprising a matching cover and back fixing plate only.
The back plate and front cover are constructed from 3mm ABS plastic – giving adequate rigidity and strength – the test product being white with a blue strobe lens cover. The cover is also available in red or yellow, with interchangeable amber, clear or red strobe lenses.
Kinetic has provided every assistance to installers when fixing the unit to the wall. The backplate is thoughtfully designed with a flat top edge to enable a small spirit level to be located when mounting to the wall. Three fixing screws are also provided with suitable plugs, together with a mounting template that is printed on the rear of the cardboard box packaging.
Two on-board link selectors are included to program bell ring time (nine or 15 minutes) and SAB/SCB activation types. The PCB also has an in-built five second test timer upon first connection of the rechargeable NiCad battery. This is very useful for installation engineers, needing only one ladder climb to mount, connect and secure the cover even if the control panel hold-off supply is not available. The internal surface wiring is very neat and tidy, and each component part can easily be removed and replaced if necessary.
Anti tamper detection is provided by a single swing arm microswitch that is compressed by the front cover and the rear-mounting surface via an aperture in the backplate. The negative return tamper output goes open circuit should either the cover be opened or the backplate removed from the mounting surface. The cover retaining bolt is aligned from the underside of the cover in the six o’clock position and is supplied with a white plastic cover cap. The overall look is commensurate with the current design trend for sleek, curvy, very low profile plastic sounders.
The current consumption (power sourced from the control panel) for a full alarm condition in an SAB mode including flashing strobe light, was found to be 340mA, including the quiescent ‘hold-off’ current at 22mA. These figures are more or less as stated in Kinetic’s own technical specification.
In the SCB mode, when the system power comes from the onboard NiCad, the quiescent current consumption remained at 22mA during the alarm condition – ideal when using more than one sounder in a system. We measured the NiCad battery alarm current output in this mode at around 60mA, so by calculation the sounder should theoretically give a maximum SCB alarm condition of around four hours, allowing for a 10 per cent inefficiency within the NiCad battery.
The noise created by the piezo is said by Kinetic to be rated at 115dB, which will be loud enough for most applications. It is possible to increase the volume output by fitting an additional piezo head within the enclosure, and a knock-out mounting is available for that purpose.
The twin oscillating green comfort LEDs are mounted inside the SAB module enclosure, and are visible to an acceptable level when viewed through the supplied blue lens. The flashing strobe light is well positioned within the enclosure to give good daytime visibility during an alarm condition, at a rate of 2Hz, or 120 flashes per minute.
The technical support telephone number is not shown on any of the installation literature, nor on the product packaging. Installers will have to request support via the Kinetic telephone switchboard, on 0161 654 9595. The support technician was busy when we first telephoned, but he promptly returned the call and was knowledgeable about the product specification and its development.
The instructions supplied were in the form of an A5 booklet with diagrams and a control panel wiring matrix for all the major manufacturers. But frankly installers are very unlikely to look at the booklet at all since the set-up is so simple and self-explanatory.
It might be churlish to mention this, but the wiring diagram for connection to a Menvier control panel was incorrect, showing a reversed bell tamper return/SAB trigger connection.
What the manufacturer says…
Aztech External Sounders are rapidly establishing themselves as some of the most popular on the market. These fully featured sounders combine ultra low profile attractive design with extremely competitive pricing and are backed by Kinetic’s own ISO9002 quality certification. The Aztech 3000 is a comprehensively featured external sound unit suitable for residential or commercial installations. 3mm polycarbonate construction throughout provides robust protection for the sounder and the electronics, in line with BS4737. Front and rear tamper via levered microswitch affords effective and reliable tamper protection even where mounting surfaces may be uneven. Sealed electronics combined with a conformal coated PCB prevent moisture ingress, ensuring effective performance even in the harshest of environments. The sounder is exceptionally loud, generating more than 115dB, while the high intensity xenon strobe flasher and twin comfort LEDs ensure this unit demands attention! A selectable ‘cut-off’ timer coupled with SAB/SCB battery back-up complete the comprehensive specification.
Installation, maintenance and servicing are simplified using our engineer ‘hold-off’ mode ensuring the sounder remains silent while installation is in progress. The hinged PCB protective cover affords the engineer easy access to the electronic circuitry without having to completely detach the cover to work on the unit. The Aztech range is available in several product specifications to suit installer requirements and budget. Each model is offered in a range of colour options for bodies and lenses, together with a screen printing service for installer logos. Our user-friendly installation manual provides wiring instructions for all popular control panels while our technical helpline is available for further advice where required.
