Alarm help please?

[cable_guy]

Hi all,I have a problem with my alarm - am I allowed to ask? I noticed the alarms forum is locked to me presumably so I don't use it to learn how to disable alarms, but can I use this forum at all to ask for help with mine please?It's a Optima XL 4

 

[KevinS]

Ask the question, if its deemed an answer that can be answered on an open forum, you will be supplied with the answer.
optima panels are as common as anything so the answer shouldn't be too hard

 

[cable_guy]

OK great thank you. Wife came home from work today and after a few seconds the alarm went off, the one outside of the house. Since we've owned the house we've never armed it or touched it, but we do know the code. So we panicked a bit and pressed some buttons (don't have the manual) but it kept seeming to go "off and on" as we fiddled with the box. I won sndered if it was some sort of loose connection......so wifey looks up a web site which advises to turn it off (which is what I want now, to fully disconnect it) by disconnecting the fuse then the battery. Tried this but when I take the fuse out directly above it, the alarm goes off outside the house and on the box. So I tried the other way round, disconnecting the battery then the fuse, same thing happens. I am guessing the battery has gone but I'm now constantly worried as it's got a red light on "Tamper" but the alarm isn't sounding

 

[Guest111]

sounds like the tamper on the bell box has gone faulty,this will lock out the panel and show a tamper fault,if you dont know the codes you can reset them, if you need the manuals pm me your email address and i will send you a copy.

 

[Brendan976]

If your battery runs very low and it can do if it's old together with the cold weather, very low voltage will be deemed as if the wires have been cut. The alarm bell has stopped sounding as the internal battery has run down since you disconnected it . Try charging the alarm panel battery / check it's voltage. Manual for alarm found by a quick google http://www.security-contractors.co.uk/manuals/User%20-%20Optima%20XMXL.pdf
Ben

 

[oldtimer]

OK here is the deal you have a 20 year old panel that has never been touched for years so if you get a power dip and the battery is shot then if the battery in the outside sounder is ok it will activate independantly and you will not be able to silence it during the power cut .

If you fiddled with the either the bellbox or the panel you will get a tamper alarm so what to do well your alarm is not serviceable so you need to disconnect the battery and and the mains supply and allow the battery in the outside sounder to run down

Just to add you need to make your mind up and either you want to use it or not if you want it then either get it checked out or put a new front end in if the detection devices are ok ie panel ,battery and external sounder

 

[tazz]

The panel will need full reset to sort this out, Once you get the manual from Phil D this will show you how to complete a full power down rest (NVM reset) you can then reprogram to your requirements

 

[oldtimer]

Tazz if the panel has had a dodgy battery for years the charging side of the panel could be knackered so he needs to ensure he is getting around 13.6vdc on the battery leads. Remember the panel doubles up as a battery charger and this panel was one of the first NVM versions of the Optima family (should have a rubber membrane/buttons)

 

[tazz]

Tazz if the panel has had a dodgy battery for years the charging side of the panel could be knackered so he needs to ensure he is getting around 13.6vdc on the battery leads. Remember the panel doubles up as a battery charger and this panel was one of the first NVM versions of the Optima family (should have a rubber membrane/buttons)

Oldtimer your totally correct, but when the batteries go dry, they usually blow f2 and any glitch can lock them up still.
Idea here is get the the system cleared and backup running, then help with other issues.
As I have learnt from you posts in the past, is list the faults and make it easier for people, just didint wont to over load too much info in one go.

 

[oldtimer]

Yep see your point but remember guys like me carry spare fuse and batteries so fine I could get it up and working only thing is they have never used the system plus the age of the panel would point to a front end upgrade

 

[tazz]

Somethimes we make it too easy...one for the record and hope i dont bore you.
When we designed the optima we fitted NVM chip as you know to store settings....but being new tech then, we forgot to add a watch dog circuit, which basically keeps timing and reloading the info. so sometimes the optima can lock, it will still srore the settings but can reload them, luckly they didnt lock up to much in the field....arh well you live a learn

 

[cable_guy]

thanks for all the kind responses, it's very good of you to help

I am afraid I don't really fully understand though. It DOES sound as if a battery is gone/is going because when the alarm in the panel was going off it sounded like a robot dying. The thing is...it still says tamper, and I don't want to go to bed with it likely to go off. Is there anything I can do? I don't have a facility to charge the battery unfortunately

tO be clear - I want the alarm completely disconnected in the long term. BUT if it helps me keep it silent for now, I am happy to do some fiddling as per your expert advice, I have the code.

 

[tazz]

As Oldtimer states the only thing for now is tur power off and wait for 20 mins till bell battery has flattened

 

[telectrix]

yep.leave the mains off and the battery disconnected. once the bell module battery has run flat, you won't get another peep out of it.

 

[oldtimer]

As said you cannot charge the battery as it is knackered they only have a 5 year lifespan then they start to decay so as said isolate the mains supply and disconnect the battery outside sounder will activate for 10-20 minutes then thats it one isolated alarm
ed