RKI Instruments 12 VDC User Manual

12 VDC Beacon 200

Operator’s Manual

Part Number: 71-0293RK
Revision: P1
Released: 10/4/13

www.rkiinstruments.com

Product Warranty

RKI Instruments, Inc. warrants gas alarm equipment sold by us to be free
from defects in materials, workmanship, and performance for a period of
one year from date of sh ipm ent from RKI Instr uments, Inc. Any part s fo und
defective within that period will be repaired or replaced, at our option, free
of charge. This warranty does not apply to those items, which by their
nature, are subject to deterioration or consumption in normal service, and
which must be clean ed, rep aired, or replace d on a rout ine basis. Exa mples
of such items are as follows:

a) Absorbent cartridges d) Batteries
b) Pump diaphragms and valves e) Filter elements
c) Fuses

Warranty is voided by abuse including mechanical damage, alteration,
rough handling, or repair procedures not in accordance with the operator’s
manual. This warranty indicates the full extent of our liability, and we are
not responsible for removal or replacement costs, local repair costs,
transportation costs, or contingent expenses incurred without our prior
approval.

THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ANY AND ALL OTHER
WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED,
AND ALL OTHER OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES ON THE PART OF
RKI INSTRUMENTS, INC. INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL RKI INSTRUMENTS,
INC. BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF
ITS PRODUCTS OR FAILURE OF ITS PRODUCTS TO FUNCTION OR
OPERATE PROPERLY.

This warranty covers instruments and parts sold to users by authorized
distributors, de alers, and r epresenta tives as appo inted by R KI Instrument s,
Inc.

We do not assume indemn ification for any accident or damage caused by
the operation of this gas monitor, and our warranty is limited to the
replacement of parts or our complete goods.

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About the 12 VDC Beacon 200 Gas Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 2: Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

External Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Internal Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 3: Installation and Start Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mounting the 12VDC Beacon 200. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Wiring the 12 VDC Beacon 200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Starting Up the 12 VDC Beacon 200. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Chapter 4: Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Normal Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Recorder Output Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Alarm Indications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Viewing & Resetting Min/Max Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter 5: Channel Control and Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Enable/Disable Channel(s) Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Configure Channel Settings Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

View System Information Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

Chapter 6: Input Setup Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Setting up a New Channel or Changing an Existing Channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Chapter 7: Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Calibration Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Replacing the Fuses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Preventive Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Parts List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview

This chapter briefly describes the 12 VDC Beacon 200. This chapter also
describes the 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual (this document).
Table 1 at the end of this chapter lists the specifications for the 12 VDC
Beacon 200.

About the 12 VDC Beacon 200

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 is a fixed-mou nted, continuous-monitoring ga s
detection instru ment. This gas monitor is capable of detecting gas at two
locations. The display screen simultaneously displays the gas readings of
the active channel or channel s. Both dir ect connect ( internal a mplifier type)
detector heads and 4 - 20 mA transmitter (remote amplifier type) detector
heads may be used with the 12 VDC Beacon 200.

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 includes aud ibl e an d vi su al a lar m s th at warn you
of hazardous gas conditions. The alarm circuit includes two levels of gas
alarms. The fail circuit alerts you to failures in the gas detector heads or 12
VDC Beacon 200.

Three instrument programs allow you to display and change channel and
calibration settings and change channel types. They are the Channel
Control & Setu p Program and the Ca libration P rogram, and the Inp ut Setup
Program.

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

About this Manual

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 Gas Monitor Operator’s Manual uses the
following conventions for notes, cautions, and warnings.

NOTE: Describes additional or critical information.

CAUTION: Describes potential dam a ge to equ ipm en t.

WARNING: Describes potential danger that can result in injury or

Caution: refer to accompanying documentation

!

death.

~ Vac (AC voltage)

Vdc (DC voltage)

2 • 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

Specifications

Table 1 lists specifications for the 12 VDC Beacon 200.

Table 1: 12 VDC Beacon 200 Specifications

Description Specification

Input Power 10.8 - 14.5 VDC, 1.2A VDC
Construction (housing) Fiberglass/polyester with lexan window (NEMA 4X)
Controller Dimensions 10.5 in. H x 8.5 in. W x 6.25 in. D

(267 mm H x 216 mm W x 158 mm D)
Weight 8 lbs.
Environmental Conditions • -20°C to 50°C (-4°F to 122°F) max. ambient

• Maximum humidity of 80% relative

Relays • Relay contacts rated for 10A @ 115/220V~ resistive or 10A @ 30V

User Controls • Reset switch

resistive

• SPDT Form C

• Program buttons: ESCAPE, UP/YES, DOWN/NO, and ENTER

WARNING: When using the 12 VDC Beacon 200, you must follow the

instructions and warnings in this manual to assure
proper and safe operation of the 12 VDC Beacon 200 and
to minimize the risk of personal injury. Be sure to
maintain and periodically calibrate the 12 VDC Beacon
200 as described in this manual.

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Ma nual • 3

Chapter 2: Description

p

Overview

This chapter describes external and internal components of the 12 VDC
Beacon 200.

Mounting F oot, 4 X

Alarm 2

LED

Alarm

1LED

Display

Contra st

AdjustPot

Detector /

Transm itter

Terminal Strip,

Channel 1

Detector/

Transm itter

Terminal Strip,

Channel 2

ConduitHub (3X)

CH1-A1

NO NC C

CH1-A2

NO NC C

CH2- A1

NO NC C

NO NC CNO NC C

Reset
Switch

COM-A 2COM-A1CH2-A2

NO NC C

COM-FAIL
NO NC C

FACTORY
WIRED

Buzzer

MainPCB

Display PC B

Program
Button(4)

Display
Fail LED
Pilot LED

But ton
Repeater
Buzzer

DC In
Terminal
Strip

Fuses, DC
Power Switch

Controller
Terminal Stri

Relays

Alarm Terminal
Strip

Figure 1. 12 VDC Beacon 200 Component Location

4 • 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

External Description

This section describes the housing and all external components of the 12
VDC Beacon 200. For the purposes of this description, the housing door is
considered the front of the monitor.

Housing

The 12 VDC Beacon 200’s fiberglass housing is weather- and corrosion­resistant. It is suitable for installation where general purpose equipment is
in use. The housing door is hinged on the left side and is secured by two
latches on the right side. The display screen and status lights are visible
through windows in the housing door. Four mounting feet are attached to
the back of the housing (one at each corner). The mounting feet allow you
to install the housing to a vertical surface. Three conduit hubs on the
bottom of the housing are for external wiring connections.

CAUTION: To avoid electrical inte rference, do not ro ute detect or head and

power wiring through the same conduit hub.

Reset Switch

The reset switch i s on the bottom of th e ho usi ng . I t i s in front of the conduit
hubs. The reset switch serves three functions:

• Resets the alarm circuits for “latched” alarms after an alarm 1 or alarm 2
condition passes.

You can set each channel for latched or self-resetting alarms in the
Channel Control & Setup Program.

• Silences the bu zzer d ur ing an alarm 1 or ala rm 2 con di ti o n. You canno t
silence failure alarms.

• Displays and resets the minimum and maximum gas concentration
values.

Buzzer

The buzzer is on the botto m of the housi ng. It is on the far r ight. The buzze r
sounds audible alarms to warn you of gas alarms and in strument failures.

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Ma nual • 5

Internal Description

This section describes the intern al componen ts of the 12 VDC Beaco n 200.

Display Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

The display PCB is mou nted to the p ower supply mo unting plate which is in
turn mounted to t he ma in PCB. The power su pply mo unting p late an d main
PCB are described below. The display PCB includes the displ ay, the status
lights, and the program buttons.

Display

The display simultaneously indicates the channel number, current gas
reading, measuring unit, and target gas of all active channels.

The display also indicates messages, settings, and other data when you
are operating the instrument programs.

ALARM 2 Light

ALARM 1 Light

Display Contrast
Adjust Pot

Display Screen

Display Cable Connector

FAIL Light

J1

PILOT Light

Figure 2. Display Board Component Location

ESCAPE
Button

UP/YES
Button

DOWN/NO
Button

ENTER
Button

Button Repeater
Buzzer

6 • 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

Status Lights

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 incl udes four status lights that indicate the current
status of the monito r. The status lights a re to the l eft and righ t of the display
(see Figure 2).

• Pilot Light. The pilot light is on when the 12 VDC Beacon 200 is
receiving incomi ng pow er.

• Fail Light. The fail light turns on when the 12 VDC Beacon 200 is
experiencing a fa il co nd i tion. A fail condition can be caused by a failure
within the 12 VD C Be acon 200 o r d etector he ad(s) wir ed to the 12 V DC
Beacon 200. See “C ha pter 7: Maintenance” o n page 37 for instructions
to respond to a fail condition.

• Alarm 1 Light. The alarm 1 ligh t is on wh en t he 12 V DC Beaco n 200 i s
experiencing an alarm 1 gas condition.

• Alarm 2 Light. The alarm 2 ligh t is on wh en t he 12 V DC Beaco n 200 i s
experiencing an alarm 2 gas condition.

Program Buttons

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 includes four program buttons that allow you to
enter the instrument programs, navigate through the programs, update
instrument and channel settings, and save changes to the program
settings. When a program button is pressed, a buzzer located on the
display PCB beeps. The program buttons are near the right edge of the
display PCB (see Figure 2).

Table 2: 12 VDC Beacon 200 Program Button Functions

Button Function

ESCAPE • Moves back ward through the progr am menus

• Cancels changes you make in the program menus

• Enters the Channel Control and Setup program (press with the ENTER button)

UP/YES • Accepts the displayed setting and proceeds to the next setting

• Changes the displayed setting

• Enters the Calibration program (press with the ENTER button)

DOWN/NO • Allows you to update the displayed setting

• Changes the displayed setting

ENTER • Saves changes you make in the programs

• Enters the Channel Control and Setup program (press with ESCAPE button)

• Enters the Calibration program (press with the UP/YES button)

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Ma nual • 7

Main PCB

The main PCB is mounted inside the housing. The power supply mounting
plate is mounted to the main PCB with four standoffs and the display PCB
is mounted to the power supply mounting plate with four standoffs. The
main PCB includes the terminal strips, relays, fuses, and power switch.

Terminal Strips

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 includes four terminal strips for ext ernal wiring
connections. See “Wi ring the 12 VDC B eac on 20 0” on p a ge 13 for detailed
wiring procedures.

• Detector/Transmitter Terminal Strips. Two detector/transmitter
terminal strip s are locate d near the bo ttom lef t corne r of the mai n circuit
board (see Figure 1). These two 9-point terminal strips facilitate wiring
connections to the detectors or transmitters. Although each terminal
strip can accommodate several different detector head models, only
one detector h ead at a time ma y be wi red per channel . The top term inal
strip is for channel 1 and the bottom terminal strip is for channel 2.

• Alarm Terminal Strip. The alarm terminal strip is located along the
bottom edge of the main circuit board (see Figure 1). This 21-point
terminal strips facilitates wiring connections to external alarm devices
(horn, strobe, etc.). Terminals are provided for individual channels as
well as common alarm relay contacts.

• Controller T e rminal S trip. The 10-point controller terminal strip is near
the lower right edge of the main circuit board (see Figure 1). The
controller terminal strip facilitates various interna l and external wiring
connections. Table 3 lists the function of each terminal.

T able 3: Terminal Assignments for the Controller Terminal Strip

Terminal Connects to:

NOT USED (top terminal) not used
NOT USED (bottom terminal) not used
+ CH1 OUT + connection of 4 - 20 mA output, channel 1

- CH 1 OUT - connection of 4 - 20 mA output, channel 1
+ CH2 OUT + connection of 4 - 20 mA output, channel 2

- CH2 OUT - connection of 4 - 20 mA output, channel 2
RESET (2) Reset switch (factory-wired)
BUZ-/BUZ+ Internal buzzer (factory-wired)

8 • 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

• DC In T erminal S trip. The DC in terminal strip is a 3-point terminal strip

Channel 2, Alarm 2

located above the controller terminal strip (see Figure 1). It facilitates
wiring from a 12 VDC power source. Table 4 lists the function of each
terminal.

T a ble 4: Terminal Assignments for the AC In Terminal Strip

Terminal Connects to:

12 VDC + + wire from 12 VDC power source
12 VDC - - wire from 12 VDC power source

Earth ground

Relays

The 12 VDC Beacon 200 includes four channel relays (two per channel)
and three common rela ys. Both sets of rela ys are single-p ole, double-thro w
(SPDT) and are rated for 10 amps at 250 VAC (resistive).

NOTE: You can select normally energized (NE) or normally de-energized

(NDE) settings for ea ch channel in th e Channel Co ntrol and Setup
program. This section describes the default setting : normally de­energized.

The alarm 1 and alarm 2 common relays are factory-set as NDE
and the fail common relay is factory-set as NE. The alarm 1, alarm
2, and fail common relays’ NE/NDE settings are not user­adjustable.

• Channel relays. The four channel relays are above the alarm terminal
strip (see Figure 1). These relays are dedicated to specific channels
and alarm levels.

For example, the channel 1, alarm 1 relay energizes if channel 1
recognizes an alarm 1 condition. Figure 2 below illustrates the
allocation of the channel relays.

Common Alarm 1

Channel 2, Alarm 1
Channel 1, Alarm 2

Channel 1, Alarm 1

Common Alarm 2

Common Fail

K5 K6 K7

K1 K2 K3

K4

Figure 3. 12 VDC Beacon 200 Channel Relay Allocation

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Ma nual • 9

NOTE: The alarm 2 channel relays may be set to operate as individual

channel fail relays. See “Configure Channel Settings Menu” on
page 30 for instructions.

• Common relays. The three common relays , alarm 1, alarm 2, and fail,
are to the lef t of th e controlle r terminal strip (see Figu re 1). These rela ys
are common for both channels.

For example, the al arm 1 common rela y energizes if either channel 1 or
channel 2 recognizes an alarm 1 condition.

Fuses

There are two DC fuses that are used in the 12 VDC Beacon 200. They are
located directly to the left of the controller terminal strip. They cut off the
incoming DC power in the event of a short circuit or other electrical fault
which causes a high current draw in the 12 VDC Beacon 200. They are
housed in vertical fuse holders and are held in the holder by a quarter turn
cover. They are labelled as F2 (top fuse) and F3 (bottom fuse) on the PCB
silk-screen and are rated at 3 A, 250 V.

A third fuse located to the left of the power switch is labelled F1. This fuse
is not used in this version of the Beacon 200.

Power Switch

The power switch is located above the relays and to the left of the DC fuses
(see Figure 1). The power switch turns the incoming DC power source on
and off at the 12 VDC Beacon 200. When the switch is up, the power
switch is on.

Power Converter

The power converter is mounted to the power supply mounting plate with
standoffs. The power supply mounting plate is located behind the display
PCB and is mounted to the main PCB with fo ur standoffs. The power
converter takes 12 VDC voltage supplied to the 12 VDC Beacon 200 and
converts it to 24 VDC which is used to run the 12 VDC Beacon 200.

10 • 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual

Chapter 3: Installation and Start Up

Overview

This chapter de scribes proced ures to mount the 1 2 VDC Beacon 200,
make wiring connections to the monitor, and start up the monitor.

WARNING: Perform all installation and start-up procedures in a

“fresh air” environment (known to be free of combustible
gas, toxic gas, and of normal oxygen content). The 12
VDC Beacon 200 is not in operation as a gas monitoring
system until the start-up procedure is complete.

Mounting the 12 VDC Beacon 200

Perform the following procedure to install the 12 VDC Beacon 200 at the
mounting site.

12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual • 11

X

.41

8.50

6.00

Mounting
Feet, 4X

Ø.31x.50slot, 4

FAIL

10.50

PILOT

10.94

Buzzer

3/4 ConduitHubs (4X)

6.45

ALARM 2

ALARM 1

BEACON 200

Reset Switch

GAS MONITOR

RESET

Figure 4. 12 VDC Beacon 200 Outline and Mounting Dimensions

1. Select the mounting site. When you select the mounting site consider

the following factors:

• Is a 12 VDC power source availa ble?

• Is there enough room to open the housing door and make wiring

connections through the conduit hubs at the bottom of the housing?

• Are the display screen and status lights visible?

2. Close and latch the housing door.

3. Position t he monitor on a vertical surface at e ye level (4 1/2 to 5 feet

from the floor).

4. The 12 VDC Beacon 200 is shipped with the mounting feet positioned

behind the housing. Loosen the screws that se cure the feet to the
housing, rotate the feet to their mounting position (as shown in
Figure 4), then tighten the screws.

5. Insert 1/4 in. or 5/16 in. screws through the slot s in the mounting fe et at

each corner of the housing to secure the housing to the mounting
surface (see Figure 4).

12 • 12 VDC Beacon 200 Operator’s Manual