First Alert ONELINK CM2837 Instruction Manual

Page 1 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

Bridge Unit

120V AC Hardwired

Smoke Alarm

SA520B

Battery Smoke/CO

Combination Alarm

with Voice

SCO500B

Battery

Smoke Alarm

with Voice

SA511B

Battery Carbon

Monoxide Alarm

with Voice

CO511B

WIRELESS

First Alert®OneLink®is a line of wirelessly interconnectable alarms designed to meet the

needs of contractors that retrofit or remodel existing properties. First Alert®

OneLink® offers the same interconnected functionality as hardwired alarms,

without the wires. Because there are no wires to pull through existing walls,

First Alert® OneLink® offers a very cost effective way to bring existing

properties up to code. Using First Alert® OneLink® provides faster job

turnaround vs. hardwire retrofitting applications. Up to 4X more jobs completed

means increased profits and customer satisfaction.

The product line consists of mostly battery operated alarms making installation fast and easy.

A hardwired bridge unit is used to connect existing hardwired alarms to the new First Alert®

OneLink® enabled alarms providing a complete system, old and new. With exclusive features

like Voice Warning with Location™, Optipath 360 Technology™ and Spread Spectrum Horn

Tone, First Alert has the most complete lineup of wireless smoke and CO products:

Page 2 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

WIRELESS

Competitive Dip Switches

Question: What is Voice Warning with Location?

Answer: This is an exclusive First Alert® feature that

verbally identifies not only the danger

detected, i.e. Smoke or Carbon Monoxide, but

also indicates the location of the initiating

alarm. There are up to 11 pre-programmed

locations stored in the alarm’s memory. Included are Basement, Kitchen, Child’s

Bedroom, Living Room, Dining Room, Master Bedroom, Family Room, Guest

Bedroom, Office, Hallway, Utility Room and No Location. For example when the

alarm sounds, if programmed for “Basement”, it will say “Warning, Evacuate,

Smoke in Basement” or “Warning, Evacuate, Carbon Monoxide in Basement”. If

other First Alert® OneLink® alarms are located throughout the house they will

also announce the same warning even though they were programmed with

another location. This is a safety feature no one else has. When seconds count in

an emergency it provides an audible indication of the possible threatened area

and more importantly what area to investigate or avoid.

Question: How do the First Alert® OneLink® alarms communicate with each other?

Answer: The alarms interconnect via reliable and secure radio frequency (RF)

communication. They operate on the 915MHz frequency

bandwidth and employ 3 channel frequency hopping vs. 433MHz

non frequency hopping with the competition. If for some reason

one channel is blocked or being used by another device in the

home it automatically switches to one of three frequencies

increasing the chance that the signal will be received. This

“hopping” to the next frequency to complete the signal vs.

waiting for the next send cycle saves precious time. Seconds

count in an emergency as a home fire doubles in size every 30 seconds.

Question: How do the First Alert® OneLink® alarms link with each other?

Answer: The linking is automatic through the software with 65,000

security code combinations. This eliminates manual dip

switch programming as on the competitive product with only

255 combinations. This saves confusion, time and money on

Page 3 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

installation. With First Alert® OneLink® there is an extremely small chance of a

duplicate code programmed in an adjacent apartment’s units as with the

competition. No trying to remember dip switch locations for each apartment’s

units. Easier programming means a more cost effective installation.

Question: What is a “Mesh Network” and how does it work?

Answer: First Alert® OneLink® alarms operate on a “mesh network”. All of the First

Alert® OneLink® alarms send, receive and resend the initiating alarm’s signal.

The competition only sends and receives or is a one-way communication. It does

not resend. Why is this important? In the following illustration, the initiating

alarm is in the basement. Let’s say the signal is blocked from reaching the

Master Bedroom alarm either by distance or some obstruction in the home. With

First Alert® OneLink®, the mesh network of alarms re-routes and resends the

signal via the other alarms, providing a greater chance all alarms will receive the

signal. With the competition, only the initiating alarm is sending a signal.

Therefore, the Master Bedroom never receives a signal and is deadly silent. The

“mesh network” is a more reliable means of wireless communication. Again,

seconds count in an emergency.

Page 4 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

Question: How do I program and link the alarms?

Answer: TO PROGRAM FIRST ALARM:

1. Insert batteries (2, AA batteries).

Alarm Will Say: “Welcome, First Alert

Smoke Alarm.” “No location

programmed” if first time or

“[Location, example: “Basement”]

location programmed” when changing

batteries. “To select location, press

and hold test button now.”

2. Press & Hold Test Button if you

would like to program the location or

change the location of the Alarm.

Release button after Alarm responds. Alarm Will Say: “To save location, press

and hold test button after location is heard.” Alarm will speak list of locations.

3. After you hear the location of where you are placing the Alarm, Press & Hold

the Test Button. Alarm Will Say: “[Location, example: “Basement”] location

saved.” If no location is chosen: “No location saved.”

Your Alarm has now been programmed for the location of your choice.

ADDING AND LINKING ADDITIONAL ONELINK® ALARMS

NOTE: Steps 1 through 3 below need to be completed within two minutes. If

more than two minutes pass, the Green power LED will stop blinking. Simply

open the battery drawer of the second Alarm and repeat steps 1 through 3.

1. Insert the batteries into the battery drawer of the next Alarm. DO NOT CLOSE

THE DRAWER.

2. Press and hold the test button and then close the battery drawer.

3. Once you hear the unit chirp, release the test button. The Green power LED

will start to blink indicating the ONELINK® Alarm is waiting for program data

from one of the other existing setup ONELINK® Alarms.

4. Press and hold the test button on the first Alarm, until the second Alarm

chirps and its Green power LED stops blinking. Then release the test button.

5. You will now be prompted to set the Alarm's location. Follow the directions

given by the Alarm.

6. Repeat steps 1-6 for additional ONELINK® Alarms.

You have now successfully linked your new ONELINK® Alarms. To add additional

Alarms at a later time, follow steps 1 through 6.

Page 5 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

Question: What is the Spread Spectrum Horn Tone?

Answer: The Spread Spectrum Horn Tone

is a lower and varying horn

frequency that sweeps through

the 2200 – 3400 Hz range. As we

age we lose the capability of

hearing higher frequencies. This

lower frequency and sweeping

tone make it easier for the

elderly with normal age related

hearing loss to better hear the

horn as compared to a standard

horn. This is an important

feature to discuss with

customers as the overall

population is getting older as the

Baby Boomer’s population segment moves into their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The first

US Baby Boomers will turn 65 in 2011. (The baby boom refers to people born in

the post-World War II period from 1946 through 1964). This market potential is

already being targeted by builders as evidenced by the increase in the

development of more “Over 55” communities. American’s 55 and older will head

40% of the nation’s households by 2012. No other alarm manufacturer has

recognized this potential and has this feature to date.

Question: How can First Alert® OneLink® alarms be relevant for contractors who have

existing home additions projects?

Answer: When dealing with new construction for existing home additions, the First Alert®

OneLink® “Bridge” unit (SA520B) is a perfect solution. It is often difficult to

connect to the existing alarm circuit when dealing with home additions.

Concrete, steel, laminated beams, etc. are blocking easy access. Building codes

state that the alarms must be hardwired for power, but do not have to be

hardwired for interconnect. Therefore, the SA520B can be used in the new

addition, where power can be obtained locally from a lighting or outlet circuit.

In the existing part of the home, just replace one of the existing hardwired units

with the SA520. Link the two alarms to “bridge” the old and the new sections.

Page 6 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

Now all alarms will be interconnected, including other existing hardwired alarms

that were interconnected in the old section. First Alert® OneLink® smoke alarms

will interconnect with most competitive smoke alarms, so retrofitting will not

require replacement of existing competitive alarms. (Note: this is not true for

competitive carbon monoxide alarms). In the new section, additional 9120B’s can

be used and in the old section, other First Alert® OneLink® battery operated

alarms can be used to bring the bedrooms, hallways, etc. up to code. First

Alert® OneLink® alarms are a cost effective solution to renovation and

remodeling.

Question: How can Property Owners and Facility Managers benefit from installing First

Alert® OneLink® alarms?

Answer: Property Owners and Facility Managers of existing buildings can save an average

of $150 - $200 per alarm on installation when compared to hardwired alarms,

when they do not have pay for the retrofitting costs of time, material and labor

to connect to an existing alarm circuit and incur drywall repairs, painting, etc.

This does not account for special cases requiring conduit (in some parts of the

country), wire mold, concrete drilling, etc. Turnaround time is much faster. Case

in point, Penn State University in State College, PA accepted First Alert®

OneLink® alarms as a viable alternative to hardwiring alarms in existing off-

campus housing. Code officials are recognizing the benefits of First Alert®

OneLink® alarms.

Question: How can Electrical Contractors benefit from installing First Alert® OneLink®

alarms?

Answer: Electrical Contractors can benefit from installing First Alert® OneLink® alarms

when they have remodeling projects. When new construction is down, Electrical

Contractors are looking for jobs to maintain sales and keep their crews busy.

Using First Alert® OneLink® alarms provides a solution for a faster job

turnaround and cleaner installation – 4X more or greater than retrofitting with

hardwired alarms. Their customers are happier because of the speed the job is

completed and they do not have to hire drywall installers and painters after they

are gone. The point is that even a contractor that makes his living primarily on

electrical installations can benefit from installing battery operated alarms.

Page 7 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

Question: What are the latching features on the First Alert® OneLink® alarms?

Answer: There are two latching features on these alarms: Alarm Latch and Low Battery

Latch. The latching features are an easy way to see what unit initiated an alarm

or what unit is in low battery condition. Alarm Latch is activated after an Alarm

is exposed to alarm levels of smoke or CO. After smoke or CO levels drop below

alarm levels, the Red LED will begin to flash On for 2 seconds/Off for 2 seconds.

It will continue to flash or “latch” for about 15 minutes, to give time to

determine which unit initiated the alarm. Low Battery Latch is activated when

the Alarm is in the "low battery condition". When this occurs, the Power LED

flashes Green On for 2 seconds/Off for 2 seconds for about 15 minutes. This

feature is designed to help you identify which Alarm needs to have the battery

replaced. Although, the alarm will sound the low battery chirp approximately

once every minute, sometimes during the initial stages of "low battery", the

alarm will chirp in greater intervals than once per minute, sometimes up to

several hours, until the battery reaches a steady low battery level. This

innovative feature eliminates the frustration of waiting for and/or identifying

which unit is chirping.

Question: What is Optipath 360 Technology™?

Answer: Optipath 360 Technology™ is an exclusive patented feature that

provides 360° of direct access to the smoke chamber. The

Photoelectric sensor actually is mounted on the bottom of the

circuit board so that when the alarm is installed the sensor points

towards the ceiling. The sensor has virtually an unobstructed path

to smoke that enters through the slots on the bottom of the alarm.

Question: Are First Alert® OneLink® alarms listed to ANSI/UL Standards?

Answer: Yes. All First Alert® OneLink® alarms are listed by ETL,

an accredited NRTL (nationally recognized testing lab) to

ANSI/UL 217 Standard for smoke alarms and ANSI/UL 2034

Standard for carbon monoxide alarms.

Page 8 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

Question: How many First Alert® OneLink® alarms can be interconnected together?

Answer: As with hardwired units, NFPA states that up to 18 total units can be

interconnected (RF or hardwired) with a maximum of 12 of those being smoke

alarms.

Question: How long will the batteries last on First Alert® OneLink® alarms?

Answer: As required by the ANSI/UL standards, a battery operated alarm must have the

batteries last for at least one year. First Alert® OneLink® battery operated

alarms meet these requirements.

Question: What other features do the First Alert® OneLink® alarms have?

Answer: First Alert® OneLink® alarms other key features include:

•A photoelectric smoke sensor. The competition uses ionization sensors.

Photoelectric sensor technology is nuisance resistant around kitchens and

bathrooms, which traditionally are more prone to nuisance alarms from

cooking smoke and steam from showers. Nuisance issues with tenants is time

consuming and costly. Some areas of the country require photoelectric alarms

near high nuisance areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

•Requires only 2 “AA” batteries vs. 3 AA batteries with the competition. This

saves 33% in annual battery replacement costs. For large apartment

complexes, this can add up to thousands in savings per year.

•Two Silence features: Alarm Silence can quiet nuisance alarms for several

minutes. Low Battery Silence can temporarily silence the low battery chirp

for up to eight hours before replacing the battery. This is a key feature when

the low battery chirp begins in the middle of the night and you do not have

any replacement batteries. You can quiet the chirp and then replace the

batteries when it’s more convenient.

•Perfect Mount mounting bracket allows for adjustments to the alarm

orientation without it disconnecting from the mounting bracket. This allows

for a cleaner installation.

•Tamper resistant pins to lock the battery drawer and alarm to mounting

bracket. This is a requirement in many multi-family installations.

Page 9 of 9 CM2837

**Interconnected alarms provide added

warning as compared to single alarms.

•Pull out battery drawer makes it easier to replace the batteries. No need to

remove from wall or ceiling. The competition’s battery access on the back of

the unit.

•The SA520B hardwired alarm has the same contractor preferred features like

a AC power quick connector, large opening in mounting bracket for easy

access to wiring, keyhole slots in the bracket to eliminate the need to

completely remove the electrical box screws to install the bracket and a

universal bracket that fits any standard electrical box up to 4” in size.

•All smoke alarms have a 10-year limited warranty and CO’s or Smoke/CO

combos have a 5-year limited warranty.

First Alert®OneLink®Competitive Comparison Summary

Feature Competitive Wireless

SKU Lineup Smoke and CO alarms

(4 SKUS) Smoke alarms only

(2 SKUS)

Smoke-Sensing Technology Photoelectric Ionization

Patented Optipath 360™ Smoke

Technology Yes No

Electrochemical CO Sensor Yes No CO Alarm

Pullout Battery Drawer Yes No

Voice With Programmable

Location Yes (First Alert Exclusive) No Voice

CO Peak-Level Memory Recall Yes No CO Alarm

Battery 2 AA batteries 9V and 3 AA batteries

Unique House Code Automatic Software-programmed

65,000 unique codes 255-location 8 position dip switch

(manual)

Frequency 915MHz with 3-channel frequency

hopping 433 MHz w/o frequency hopping

Silence Feature Nuisance and low battery silence

for up to 8 hours Nuisance only

Mesh Network Yes No

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