AboutJohn E. Pecore Power Quality Engineer Expertise Power Quality and Lightning protection for Burgs, Fire, CCTV, and Gate access systems. I also want to hear about Back up Generator issues effecting your electronic equipment. I know all 24 manufactures of fire alarm panels. If you ask me I will tell you who I think is the best, and who is the worst. A lot has changed in 30 years, and many consumers have no idea what they are buying, and what they should expect for reliability for their systems. The question is, why are you paying for so many repairs? In the South, re-occurring revenue is extremely important. Do you fall in that category?
Experience 18 years trouble shooting every name brand in after market lightning issues.
Organizations Stormin Protection Products Inc.
Publications Wrote a book in 1992, The Conspiracy of Electronics and you pay for it. Copyright 1993, by Terra Publishing, Salamanca NY.
Education/Credentials BSEE, MSM
Awards and Honors Inventor of many surge suppression and Power Guards used here in the USA
Past/Present Clients All 23 manufactures of fire alarm panels, several gate access mfg, Hard Rock Casino,
Question QUESTION: My system is about 17 yrs old and includes 3 door and 2 motion sensors. It is unmonitored but I still use it. I'm remodeling my basement. Needed to disconnect the basement motion detector to re-route the wire. Made notes re: to which terminal the red, black, green, and yellow wires went. Upon re-connecting, not only did the motion sensor not work: the entire panel is dead. No trouble light, no lights at all, no response to keying * or # w/ or without a number. I have current coming into the battery in the main control board box. What have I done? How can I get the system back up?
ANSWER: 1. 17 years is one clue.
2. Turning off the system for a while while doing
construction..is another clue.
This is all I have to work with if, and only if you say you have marked everything as you say you did, and re-attached everything the same way.
I have to assume this. If your power has been off for an extended period of time for what ever reason, and your battery is still attached to the PC board, you ran your battery dry....and I suspect it is an old battery, and it will never reach it's full potential, the system has a safety switch in it if the battery is beyond drained. The other possibility is, Ohms law, if the voltage drops as you drain the battery, the current rises and you might have burned up the power chip on the first stage. (I am guessing here)
I recommend to turn off the system because you will never fill up your battery and you will burn up the inverter in the power supply, if not already.
Install a fresh battery first. Try again. This is as far as I can go.
Now you have an old panel, 17 years old, that will be next to impossible to get parts if your worst nightmare is revealed.
Final clue: if it is your worst nightmare, find a local security company, not a ADT or Major chain, rather a small Mom and Pop security company with a mature technician and maybe they have some parts stashed in the back room somewhere. It could happen even if he has to blow the dust off the board. Otherwise, you have to start over.
I am a Power Quality Engineer in the Burglar/Fire Alarm, CCTV, and Gate Access industry. I usually trouble shoot all around the system looking for ground loops, and lightning or surge damage issues. Some questions I can answer...which make logical sense especially in this case. Regarding software or component failure, wiring layout and other hook up issues I would tend to recommend a local technician. If you get this panel working, and you hope to keep it a while longer, might I recommend a PMM117 power monitor (see attached picture) and surge suppression unit. It would cost you $39.00 plus shipping, but might be a good investment. A battery, might cost you $30.00 and I believe you need a 12V-7 Amphr battery. I have both if you think it is a good idea. If you get the PMM117, you will buy more life out of your burg panel. In the mean time, thank you for your confidence. IMAGE: PMM117, Power Monitor/Surge Suppression
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QUESTION: Thanks, John;
I don't think it's the battery: I'd replaced it in 2002 and overnight the voltage drops only from 13.59 to 12.86. Not healthy perhaps, but it wouldn't have gone flat in the ~20' I had the power off.
Your thought re: my burning up the power chip got me thinking. I didn't de-power the circuit or insulate the wire ends I disconnected from the motion sensor before pulling them through a wall, so I must have shorted. Bad me. Got looking in the control box and behold, 1 of 4 fuses was blown. This one is 1A 250V 225 2AG. Others are 5A fuses.
After trying Radio Shack and a variety of electrical supply, marine electrical supply, hardware, and guitar amplifier shops, I went looking on the internet and think I've found what I need. We shall see.
Thanks again; Will
Answer I have a correction relating to using the term of Ohm's Law. It is a poor choice or a cop-out using this term, because mathematically it is incorrect. On the other hand. I do remember, but I don't remember the formula that if the impedance of the equipment is the same, but the voltage drops, the current will increase which causes the the fuse as you described to blow because you are starving for voltage and the increase of current is the compensation. It was pointed out to me by a private dialogue, and he was correct, but his diagnoses was incorrect, yet I was still right based on this dialog you sent back to me.
Interesting! I am still right, even when I am wrong.
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