Nowadays, using the telephone is the most obvious way to transmit alarm signals and messages, as virtually all houses have a telephone line installed or can have one routed to them easily. When developing the first security systems and with on-site alarm transmission not always loud enough to be heard, there was already a desire to be able to call the respective emergency services automatically in the event of an incident – such as police for burglaries or the fire brigade for fires. Securiton has now developed two options here: The Signaphon transmits Morse-like alarm signals, while the Telealarm transmits voice messages. The Signaphon and Telealarm are thus extremely versatile in use and are also of great economic importance – the costs of an alarm system are disproportionately low compared to the ever-increasing value of the assets protected by it.
People have always tried to call for help in emergencies, including by using horns, bells, drums and bonfires. With the advancement of technology, we now have completely different means at our disposal here – above all the telephone. Nowadays, using the telephone is the most obvious way to transmit alarm signals and messages, as virtually all houses have a telephone line installed or can have one routed to them easily. When developing the first security systems and with on-site alarm transmission not always loud enough to be heard, there was already a desire to be able to call the respective emergency services automatically in the event of an incident – such as police for burglaries or the fire brigade for fires.
As a result, a device was developed that can transmit signals via telephone line – the Signaphon. It is usually used in connection with an audible alarm system. In the event of an alarm, the Signaphon is automatically switched on. However, it can also be used independently – i.e. without connection to an audible alarm – which is particularly useful in monitoring systems for apparatus and machinery and where a silent alarm is desired. In the event of an alarm, the Signaphon dials the predetermined numbers one after the other using a toothed dialling disc, similar to the manually operated dialling disc on a telephone. This then notifies the corresponding standby service. When the caller picks up the receiver, a Morse-like signal is heard which provides them with the necessary information and enables them to take action. A maximum of two points can be called with the Signaphon. The device is switched off by dialling the telephone number assigned to it from the office called. The fully electric Signaphon is connected to a battery, and a press of the reset button is all that is needed to restore operational readiness. Where conditions do not allow power from a battery, another type with a spring motor can be used and is wound to bring it back into operation.
In addition to the use of the Signaphon as an alarm transmission device, it can also be used as a monitoring device. By means of a special circuit, the Signaphon indicates whether all doors and windows are closed, the oil heating is switched on, the cooling system is in operation, and so on. To perform all these checks, the number of the Signaphon is called and the desired information received via the corresponding audible signals.
The fact that the Signaphon can only reproduce a text via signals led to the further development of the Telealarm, a device that can transmit spoken text. Like the Signaphon, the Telealarm is connected to both the alarm system and to the telephone. Instead of a toothed disc, the message is transmitted by a tape. The pulses of the numbers for the points to be called and the alarm text are magnetised on it. This text reads as follows, for example: “Attention, this is the automatic alarm transmitter, intrusion alarm Bijouterie Edelstein AG, Silberstrasse 27, Goldau. End of message.” The maximum running time of the tape is 10 minutes. This is sufficient to call and send the message to eight subscribers. Depending on requirements, the device can transmit different messages to different numbers. The application possibilities of the Signaphon and Telealarm are thus practically unlimited. The specialist must then decide which device and which programme is to be used in individual cases.