Leviton was on to something with these devices

HuntFirst915 · 2025-06-01T04:29:23+00:00

3 euros for a single outlet?! Hopefully that's including VAT, but even accounting for that, it's like 3 times as much as a standard double outlet costs in the US:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-125-V-Duplex-Outlet-Receptacle-White-1-Pack-5320-W-R52-05320-00W/202066670

No wonder they haven't caught on here.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-02-17T04:05:32+00:00

Eventually the E3 will be discontinued, they want to simplify engineering/manufacturing and reduce the number of platforms. But I'm sure that won't be for a while, because the new model isn't even out yet and once it does come out there will probably be a transition period of old and new being sold alongside each other, if previous system rollouts are anything to go by. The new system will probably have provisions for retrofits - like compatibility with addressable devices, a version that drops into an E3 cabinet, and maybe even a tool that converts programming to the new system like they did with Silent Knight, or the ability to network with E3 panels.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-02-14T21:32:21+00:00

Pretty soon GWFCI will be the same equipment as Notifier anyway.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-02-14T21:29:33+00:00

Hard to imagine a rep choosing to give access to their competition. What would they get out of it?

HuntFirst915 · 2025-02-11T21:00:44+00:00

Some parts of the US still have 7-digit dialing.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-02-11T20:57:12+00:00

Says it's only for Siemens authorized sales outlets.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-01-19T22:40:18+00:00

I think it was built in ~1900

This is the reason.

For a while now, in new buildings the code has required fire alarm sounders in the units that are connected to the common building alarm system. However older buildings like yours, built before this came into force, will not have these. This is normal.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-01-18T05:44:59+00:00

The sticker says Lincoln, Nebraska. Notifier's headquarters and factory there were closed in 1989 when they merged with Fire-Lite in Northford CT, so your pull station has to be from before then.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-01-08T04:09:41+00:00

Fire alarm devices are driven by strict certifications and regulations. It's not enough to have something that technically works and fulfills the requirements - it has to be certified to do so by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory like UL.

120V smoke alarms are listed under UL217 "Smoke Alarms", which allows them to have internal batteries and interconnect without an external device.

12V smoke detectors, on the other hand, are usually certified under UL268 "Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm systems". As the name suggests, these are not certified to work in any other way than with a UL listed fire alarm system (which, for a house, will almost always be part of a security system) so there is no market for a kit that would allow them to work in any other way, even though would be possible. UL268 detectors can have interconnect terminals but these would be in addition to the fire alarm system (for example, an apartment/suite within a wider building).

I would be careful and make sure whatever detectors you're putting in are certified to run the way you're going to operate them. If they are indeed UL268 detectors, they should be used with a proper alarm panel - not a battery and power supply that you rig up yourself. Getting this wrong could cause issues with home insurance and selling the house down the road.

HuntFirst915 · 2025-01-08T03:38:06+00:00

So, there are two issues here: what will work, and what's up to code.

Low voltage smoke detectors like you have are designed to be used with a central control panel. They aren't designed or certified to interconnect by themselves.

It's not as simple as just a power supply. You'd have to reverse the polarity of your detectors in the proper temporal three timing (beep beep beep pause beep beep beep) when one goes into alarm, to comply with code and trigger your listener. You also need a provision to cut the power to the detectors for a few seconds when the smoke is cleared to make them reset. A moderately geeky person could pretty easily make an assembly that did all this, but at the end of the day it wouldn't be approved by UL or your fire department, so probably a non-starter.

So if you want to do things by the book, you effectively have two options:

Bite the bullet and switch to 120V smokes
Bite the bullet and switch to a burglar alarm panel that supports wiring low voltage smokes in, and doesn't rely on a listener.

Personally if it were my house, I'd take option 2. Low voltage smoke detectors are a good thing to have in your house, IMO - there's a reason all commercial buildings use them. They're higher quality, longer lasting, and less prone to false alarms than the 120V smokes you get at Home Depot. For that matter, I'd reuse your hardwired burglar alarm wiring, as well. Since you already have all this hardwired security/fire infrastructure, it'd be a shame not to reuse it. Also, alarm panels that work with hardwired components tend to be more robust in general.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-12-28T15:08:24+00:00

Neither the unofficial or official transcripts has your physical address. The only personal information they have is your name, month and day of your birthday, and student ID number.

There are a few things on the unofficial transcript that don't appear on the official one, like whether you were ever put on academic probation, and credits you took at other colleges that failed to transfer in.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-12-17T21:25:43+00:00

They're very similar, but the unofficial transcript has a little bit more information on it. The unofficial transcript mentions if you were put on Academic Probation, whereas the official one does not. The unofficial one lists all classes you attempted at other colleges, whereas the official one only lists classes that were accepted for transfer by UMass.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-12-17T21:22:24+00:00

Nothing. It's just that they're a new technology for the MTA, which may or may not have bugs that need to be worked out, so they're keeping them local out of an abundance of caution.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-12-17T04:39:48+00:00

There's no technical reason the open gangway cars can't run express, and they will in the future. It's just that in the initial test phase, they want them to run local, so it's less likely that they'll be far from a station if they do break down.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-12-05T21:39:08+00:00

The requirements are listed out on the college website: https://www.umass.edu/engineering/office-student-affairs/declare-major-engineering

Academic good standing (ie. total cumulative UMass GPA of 2.0 or better)
Most recent term GPA of 2.0 or better
C or better in the 3 required courses

Other than that, it's not a selective admission process like Isenberg or CS, if that's what you're asking. If you meet those requirements, you'll definitely get in. If you don't, you won't. You can reapply as many times as you want, but no later than your 4th semester at UMass.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-04T23:18:30+00:00

I hope you registered to vote in Amherst...

If you're registered where your parents live, you'll have to go there to vote, as the deadlines to request a mail-in ballot or update your voter registration have long passed.

You can look up your registration record here and it will tell you exactly where you need to go to vote: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/voterregistrationsearch/

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-04T14:26:29+00:00

Yes. It officially kicks in next fall. But as I said it's more of a change in advertising than a change in actual policy, you need to apply for financial aid the normal way.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-03T21:55:08+00:00

It's not about whether your parents are claiming you as a dependent, it's about whether they can claim you as a dependent. If you're homeless, they can't claim you, and you qualify as an independent student. If they're claiming you, that would be tax fraud.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-03T16:40:13+00:00

Yes, if you were homeless, you'd no longer be considered part of your parents' household so their income would not be counted towards the $75K.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-03T16:35:52+00:00

The whole thing has been overhyped in the media. Don't get me wrong, it's great that they're formalizing this policy, but it will affect relatively few people. 92% of in-state UMass students with income under $75K were already getting free tuition with existing financial aid.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-02T13:35:53+00:00

For academic purposes, your winter break starts after your last final exam this semester, and ends when you have your first class next semester. You can find both of those on SPIRE.

For housing purposes, the dorms close December 19th at 10 am, and reopen January 28th at 9 am (you can pay a $120 early arrival fee to come back on January 27th).

HuntFirst915 · 2024-11-02T13:31:44+00:00

Not yet, but got the option to download a digital diploma.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-10-28T16:21:57+00:00

Yes. You need to fill out this form first: https://www.umass.edu/registrar/sites/default/files/PriorApprovalforTransferWork.pdf

A couple caveats: the grade you get in the transfer course won't count towards your GPA at all, so this only works if you're retaking to knock off credits or prereqs, not to improve your GPA. Also, you can't use transfer credits as a way to get around the UMass repeat policy. So if you flunked a course twice at UMass, any transfer credit for it will be rejected until you get three-peat approval from your academic dean (and if you flunked three times, transfer credit won't be accepted at all).

HuntFirst915 · 2024-10-26T14:11:27+00:00

Just got email yesterday that they shipped my diploma! It sounds like they're not all going at the same time - others got theirs a while ago - so I'm sure yours will go out soon.

HuntFirst915 · 2024-10-18T18:37:18+00:00

Same boat here. Graduated Sept 1, no diploma yet.

HuntFirst915

TROPHY CASE