Safety & Security

At 15 years old, the first fire alarm board I built was the largest project I had done at that point, both physically and logically. It posed a new set of challenges for me to overcome, requiring me to learn a number of new skills.

It was my first time building something out of wood, and was large enough that I had to plan out the logistics of bringing it to my room from the garage, where it was built! Ultimately, the whole thing was more constrained by the size of my narrow, curved staircase than my imagination. Though I had to disassemble it a few years ago, the experience I gained was vital for my next attempt.

My new board, which is integrated with my Home Assistant smart home

While I was drawn into this hobby by fire alarms, I quickly learned that security systems provided a far greater set of features. While their fire protection features are more limited, they have a suite of interesting connections to other technologies, both literal and metaphorical. The best example would have to be home automation. Even a basic system from the 80s is a kind of home automation system, allowing parts of the house to respond to input automatically. Things like leak, freeze, shock sensors, and chime mode allowed for expanded monitoring of the home environment. Higher end systems could control lights and appliances with relays or X10, be controlled from a phone, monitor and change thermostats, even provide an intercom between rooms, the front door, or gate! Of course, these functions also integrated with the security features, creating a comprehensive home automation system, especially for the time.

I say all this because it helps to illustrate the ways that security systems introduced me to a slew of other hobbies. I’ve learned a lot of useful skills by working on / with fire alarms, security systems, and all the systems and devices they interact with. My hobby has been a gateway to a number of other fields, including building systems and automation, electronics, telephony, computer networking, home automation, even irrigation!

The equipment rack is the next piece of the puzzle. Over time, I gathered a lot of unruly equipment that was really designed to be in a rack, rather than on a desk or shoved sideways between bedroom furniture. The largest of which being the Sur Gard MLR2 and Ademco 685 receivers, which take center stage. These, along with the Home Assistant server, Norstar phone system, Asterisk PBX, and Cisco IP + Voice gateway, all work in concert to… DO COOL STUFF!!! Other than Home Assistant, which helps out throughout the home, all of this purely exists for no other purpose than to exhibit their interesting functionality and help their rackmates do the same.

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