PDA

View Full Version : Alarm system volume



Mudderoy
06-24-2014, 10:10 AM
I bet this is a repeat post, if so sorry...

I have an alarm system on my Jeep. A few months back the "alarm", you know the noisy part, stopped working. Everything was fine.

I ordered a replacement alarm from Amazon, hooked it up and back to normal! Well almost. The sound coming from this alarm had much less volume than the original.

So easy enough I just bought a louder one. Now it still low in volume and sounds funny, like it isn't the right alarm for my unit.

My assumption is that the alarm system doesn't actually send audio to the think that looks like a PA speaker, that it only sends a signal to it. All the "alarm" noises come from the alarm (pa speaker thingy) itself.

If this is the case then could it simply be that it isn't getting enough voltage from my alarm system? Should I install a relay and install a 12 volt lead to the PDC?

4.3LXJ
06-24-2014, 10:35 AM
It is all Greek to me Tony. Check the ground to the speaker maybe?

Mudderoy
06-24-2014, 10:42 AM
It is all Greek to me Tony. Check the ground to the speaker maybe?

Thanks Steve. I thought about that as well, but it's grounded the same place and way the original one was. Still could be a bad ground I guess. Maybe I'll run a ground wire to the battery for testing just to be sure.

4.3LXJ
06-24-2014, 10:43 AM
Maybe it just needs speaker vitamins :D

NW99XJ
06-24-2014, 11:44 AM
The siren outputs of most alarm systems is just a few miliamp trigger supplying positive voltage to the siren itself.
The siren is the amp, the speaker, and contains the circuitry for what ever sound pattern is generated.
Most sirens have a mediocre output at best, especially nowadays. The sirens are typically smaller:
http://www.deiproducts.com/media/00/a20791712f28f7a3924894_m.JPG

These work well when used as "pain generators" INSIDE the vehicle, but dont carry a large punch in the open air.
They also aren't as big, and in my opinion, aren't made as well as the ones from 10 or 15 years ago....
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTC5AVb0BNlg18tH-VIospLmeMwaWZE4bA3guDp8a9UICdZuUUSSw

I recently ADDED a second siren to an alarm I installed on a buddys XJ just a few weeks ago. Someone had tampered with his jeep, and the alarm did its job, and chirped at the would-be thief, and scared them away.... the problem was... he didnt even know it happened until the next morning, when he got in, fired the jeep up, and the LED was blinking at him to let him know something had happened since it had been armed.

The addition of a second siren changed the tonal dynamics of the alarm drastically.
Mainly because it was one out of my personal stash of "old generation" sirens....

The other option that SOME alarms have built in, is an optional "Horn honk output" wire.... this wire supplies a small amperage (usually positive) pulsed trigger for firing a relay to trigger the horn when the alarm sounds. Often times the sound of the horn will carry much farther than the sound of a siren.
This is the route I would go if I was in your shoes.
If your alarm does not have a "horn honk output" ...then you can "T" off of the siren output and wire in a relay, just make sure you identify the polarity of the horn honk circuit before tying into it.

Mudderoy
06-24-2014, 12:35 PM
The siren outputs of most alarm systems is just a few miliamp trigger supplying positive voltage to the siren itself.
The siren is the amp, the speaker, and contains the circuitry for what ever sound pattern is generated.
Most sirens have a mediocre output at best, especially nowadays. The sirens are typically smaller:
http://www.deiproducts.com/media/00/a20791712f28f7a3924894_m.JPG

These work well when used as "pain generators" INSIDE the vehicle, but dont carry a large punch in the open air.
They also aren't as big, and in my opinion, aren't made as well as the ones from 10 or 15 years ago....
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTC5AVb0BNlg18tH-VIospLmeMwaWZE4bA3guDp8a9UICdZuUUSSw

I recently ADDED a second siren to an alarm I installed on a buddys XJ just a few weeks ago. Someone had tampered with his jeep, and the alarm did its job, and chirped at the would-be thief, and scared them away.... the problem was... he didnt even know it happened until the next morning, when he got in, fired the jeep up, and the LED was blinking at him to let him know something had happened since it had been armed.

The addition of a second siren changed the tonal dynamics of the alarm drastically.
Mainly because it was one out of my personal stash of "old generation" sirens....

The other option that SOME alarms have built in, is an optional "Horn honk output" wire.... this wire supplies a small amperage (usually positive) pulsed trigger for firing a relay to trigger the horn when the alarm sounds. Often times the sound of the horn will carry much farther than the sound of a siren.
This is the route I would go if I was in your shoes.
If your alarm does not have a "horn honk output" ...then you can "T" off of the siren output and wire in a relay, just make sure you identify the polarity of the horn honk circuit before tying into it.

So the signal wire is also the 12volt supply wire as well. I think this is my problem. I don't think the alarm system is supplying enough voltage to the on board alarm generator inside the "speaker"

oderdene
06-24-2014, 06:19 PM
Is old siren tested with new alarm module? Maybe there power/wattage difference

Mudderoy
06-24-2014, 07:07 PM
Is old siren tested with new alarm module? Maybe there power/wattage difference

It's been awhile since I replaced it, but I believe I read and ordered something as a replacement that was same wattage. I picked a high decibel for the replacement. I don't believe that information was available at the time of order.

Basically I think I have the correct replacement.

NW99XJ
06-25-2014, 08:35 AM
You can always hook the siren directly to the battery (minding polarity) to test its function/loudness.
If it sounds the same as when it;s hooked up to the alarm, then you know its a siren issue.
More often times than not, either the siren output wire of the alarm works or it doesn't.
Low voltage output on this wire is not out of the realm of possibilities , but its unlikely.

Mudderoy
06-26-2014, 05:25 AM
You can always hook the siren directly to the battery (minding polarity) to test its function/loudness.
If it sounds the same as when it;s hooked up to the alarm, then you know its a siren issue.
More often times than not, either the siren output wire of the alarm works or it doesn't.
Low voltage output on this wire is not out of the realm of possibilities , but its unlikely.

It only dawned on me when I was typing the message, but I need to throw the volt ohm meter on the alarm system output and make sure it really is 12volts. I mean it makes sense, but maybe it's 5 volts or something silly.