Instruction manual

Batteries of different capacities, age, or manufacturer shall not be used together.
Battery Storage
Batteries which are to be stored for an extended period of time should be given a supplement
charge monthly. Batteries should never be stored in a discharged condition.
The self-discharge rate of batteries is approximately 3% per month when the storage temperature
is maintained at 20 degrees C (68 degrees F). The self-discharge rate will vary depending upon
temperature. Cooler temperatures cause the self-discharge rate to decrease. Warmer
temperatures cause the self-discharge rate to increase.
Calculating Backup Battery Requirements
A Worksheet for assisting in calculating battery backup is available at the end of this manual.
Due to the current drain on the battery, the maximum battery size for the SAFEPATH4
Audio Booster is 12 Amp-Hours.
It is necessary to calculate the current draw for battery backup requirement, The current
requirement depends on the system configuration and the appliances connected to the Speaker
output circuits. Battery Backup current has two separate calculations that are added together.
They are Standby Current and Alarm Current.
Standby Current
The standby current consumes the largest part of the storage battery capacity. The standby
current of the SAFEPATH4 Audio Booster
panel is 0.120 Amps. If splitters are used, calculate
the amount of standby current used by the splitters and add it to the Audio Booster’s standby
current. Multiply this value by the number of standby hours required. Normally this is 24 or 60
hours. This represents the total Standby Capacity Required in Amp-Hours for the panel.
Alarm Current
The maximum alarm current for the SAFEPATH4 Audio Booster panel is 9.14 Amps (8.64 Amps
for audio, 0.50 Amps for auxiliary power).
1. Calculate strobe output current by adding the current draw of all strobes. Current draw will
be in Amps.
2. Calculate speaker output current by totaling all the speaker wattage settings. Multiply the
sum by 0.054. The result will be the current draw in Amps.
3. Add the strobe current, the speaker current and auxiliary current together. The result will be
the total alarm current in Amps.
To operate for 5 minutes of alarm on battery power, multiply Step 2 by 0.083 hrs. To operate for
15 minutes of alarm on battery power, multiply Step 3 by 0.25 hrs. The result is the total alarm
Capacity Required in Amp-Hours.
Battery Calculations
Good engineering practices recommend the total Amp-hours required for backup should
not exceed 90% of the Backup Battery capacity. The Audio Booster has been UL approved
for 12AH batteries.
1. Add the total Standby Capacity Required to the total Alarm Capacity Required.
2. Multiply Step 1 by 1.1. This is the minimum Backup Battery requirement for this panel.
3. Record results on worksheet.
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