What our experts say …
An odyssey, according to the dictionary, is a long adventurous journey.
If the Odyssey 3 outside sounder and strobe unit lives up to Texecom’s claims for reliability, its journey through life should be long but distinctly unadventurous! The accompanying five-year warranty gives a good indication of the manufacturer’s confidence in the product.
The Odyssey 3 has a hexagonal-shaped polycarbonate cover, with a clip-on strobe lens at the bottom. This results in a distinctive, aesthetically pleasing back-drop for any installer’s logo. The outward appearance is further enhanced by integrally designed screw caps, which also retain the two securing screws when the cover is removed.
A unique engineer hold-off mode is incorporated to prevent the unit from self-activating during installation and maintenance trips – a welcome relief for the installer’s ears.
Sound output from twin piezo sounders, in SAB mode, is high at 115dB at 1m (A weighting, 90 deg), but much less impressive in SCB mode since the standby battery is a mere 7.2 volt nicad. It may be necessary to use the SCB mode to avoid overloading the control panel in multi-sounder installations.
One useful feature we have not met before is the “strobe tube saver”. After one hour’s operation, the flash rate is automatically reduced from one flash/second to one flash/eight seconds. This reduces the power consumption and will extend the life of the flash tube. Flash tube life is typically quoted at approximately one million flashes, which is around 12 days at one flash/second continuous!
Three-way tamper protection is provided by a wall and lid switch and a separate cover screw switch. The wall and lid switch is mounted on a break-away base, separately secured to the wall while the switch is closed by the cover, avoiding the need for blade adjustment when installing on uneven walls.
Twin alternate flashing green LEDs, visible through the strobe lens, indicate not only that there is power present and that the unit is functioning correctly but also give intelligent signals to the engineer during installation and servicing operations. A fixed 15-minute cut-off timer is included to conform with the latest EU requirements.
The Odyssey 3 enclosure consists of a moulded polycarbonate cover, with slide-on strobe lens and base. The base moulding has been designed and manufactured with integral supports and securing latches for the twin sounders, tamper switches and PCB. The latches are very stiff, but we managed to remove and replace the components without breakage. The PCB, carrying all the internal electronic components, including the strobe flash tube and flashing LEDs, is protected by a stout plastic inner cover, which has a small, easily removable, terminal cover for access during installation. This enclosure is labelled by the manufacturer as “IP 65 sealed electronics”.
The cover does have a splendid “o” ring seal, but neither the cable entry points nor the terminal cover are sealed, thus allowing the enclosure to “breathe” during changes of ambient temperature.
Since these gaps are all at the top of the PCB enclosure, preventing air circulation, internal condensation may be a problem and, as installers, we would recommend a close check at each maintenance visit. The IP65 rating – proof against a jet of water projected from a nozzle from any direction – could only be achieved with the outer cover in place.
Seven mounting bosses have been moulded into the base, sufficiently deep to lift the edges 8mm clear of the wall. This clearance allows a high level of output from the two rear facing sounders.
The cover hangs neatly on the base and is held securely in place by two bolts into clip-nuts at the bottom. The PCB quality is up to a high standard; the quality of manufacture and finish is very good.
Initial mounting and levelling is made easier by the provision of a keyhole near the top of the base. In addition to the four recommended securing screws (provided), a further screw is needed to provide wall tamper by fixing the microswitch holder to the wall. The idea is that, should the enclosure be prised away from the wall, the holder will break free from the base causing a tamper alarm.
We noted that this particular screw position is very close to the edge of the enclosure and the screw can easily seen through the 8mm gap since it is the only unshrouded fixing screw! It could be a bit vulnerable with more discerning villains around.
The connecting terminals are easily accessed by removing the small cover which is then held close to hand by a plastic tether – a nice touch which could well avoid an extra trip down and up the ladder. A short list of different manufacturers’ control panel connection markings is given in the Installation Manual. The SAB/SCB selector is also accessed through the terminal cover.
A negative tamper return only is available, which is the normal requirement of modern control panels. We still have a number of installations (more than 10 years old) in which the control panel needs a positive tamper return signal. This merely requires an additional relay, space for which is available in the Odyssey 3, connected for “fail to alarm” operation to change the tamper return signal polarity.
The real step forward, in our experience, is the Engineer Hold-Off Mode of operation. While in this mode, the sounders and strobe are disabled. It is invoked either automatically during installation, by following the manufacturer’s installation procedure or at any subsequent time by activating and de-activating the strobe three times within 30 seconds. The easiest method is to use a short length of wire to short between 0 volts and the strobe negative terminal at the control panel.
The Hold-Off Mode is automatically cancelled two minutes after both the standby battery and control panel supplies are connected and the tamper circuit closed. At each stage of either installation or maintenance, the system state is indicated by the two green LEDs either flashing individually or alternating at different rates; so that while not being intelligent in the computer sense, they do convey intelligent information to the engineer. A summary of LED states is given in the manual.
The Odyssey 3 was connected and checked for correct operation. The strobe flash tube is in direct view behind the strobe lens and the PCB cover so that its light output is clearly visible, even during daylight. The Installation Manual includes technical specifications, mounting instructions and connection details, including a diagram for wiring multiple units to ensure correct tamper signalling to the control panel from any enclosure.
What the manufacturer says …
The Odyssey 3 is a fully-featured bell box, suitable for the most demanding of residential and commercial installations. A low profile 3mm polycarbonate construction effectively shields the electronics and sounders. Triple tamper protection consisting of wall, lid and screw tampers using high quality lever microswitches maintains maximum security.
IP65 sealed electronics prevent the ingress of any moisture, allowing the Odyssey 3 to perform in even the harshest of environmental conditions. Twin piezo sounders produce an exceptionally loud alarm, suitable for the most remote locations.
Installation, maintenance and servicing are made simple and above all safe due to a unique patented safety engineer hold-off mode.
This feature automates installation, removing the need to cut jumper links, and allows the bell box to be fitted with only one trip up the ladder required, protecting the engineer from the high decibel sounder volume and the high voltages required for flashing the strobe.
For servicing, it also allows the engineer to communicate to the sounder from the control panel, disabling the tamper protection to provide safe access to the inside of the bell box.
Attention to detail is an area where the unit excels. The screw caps are an integral part of the design, not only do they complement the exterior appearance but they also retain the screws, ensuring that the engineer cannot drop them when fitting the cover.
The terminals can be accessed through a separate cover, making removal of the inner cover unnecessary on installation yet maximising environmental protection. The terminal cover has even been tagged to the inner cover, also ensuring that it cannot be dropped.
A single piezo Odyssey 3E version is also available, designed to protect residential premises that require high security at the most cost-effective price.
A maximum security metal enclosure version Odyssey 3M will also be available soon.
Packed with installer-friendly features and built to last, the Odyssey 3 will further enhance Texecom’s reputation for combining quality, reliability and exceptional price performance ratio.
