alarm system - residential

[curious]

I installed an alarm system some time ago with the SAB unit in the bellbox wired in. The problem I face is that if I remove all power in order to carry out work on the unit or the wiring then the SAB will activate the siren to the annoyance of all the neighbours. My control panel is an Accenta G3 and the bellbox is a Vortex YS 09 which has SAB and SCB functions. I need to alter the wiring to disable the SAB unit but I am too old to be shinning up ladders and removing covers. I think that there ought to be a method of changing the wiring at the Control Panel to cut out the SAB. I know that it reduces the security aspect of the SAB but I think that that would be a price worth paying to prevent being "sent to Coventry" by neighbours. Can anyone give me a suggestion. Regards, Curious

[Sparks]

Okay, this is fairly easy to do... You should have the following wires up to your bell box...

0v +12v (Permanent) Tamper Alarm Strobe

I don't have my alarm manuals to hand, so can't look up the terminals on your panel right now.

You just need to make sure the 0v and +12v are kept powered up somehow. If you can accept a bit of noise for 30 seconds or so, just disconnect the wires, then connected them to the battery while you work on the panel (This is what I usually do)

If you are planning on playing with the panel frequently, then just wire some kind of plug/socket on these wires so you can disconnect them from the panel, then quickly connect them to the battery - but this is probably not required!

the only other way would to have a spare pair of wires to the bell box, cut the + wire on the internal battery in the bell box and connect these two wires to the two ends - then on the other end, wire in a switch - but that does means going up the ladder :-)

Sparks...

[Sparks]

Just re-read your message - you can't disable the SAB from the panel, as it is a feature of the bellbox it's self - When the power is removed to the box, the internal battery in the bell box activates the siren for 20 minutes - The only thing you can do is as I suggested before, or cut the battery out totally (some bell boxes have a jumper to disconnect the battery for servicing) whatever you decide, to permanently disable the SAB, you, or someone, needs to go up the ladder! - If it is just for this one time, then I would just connect the 0v and +12v to the battery while the work is completed.

Sparks...

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

I suppose an alarm installer would just shimmy up the ladder first to disable it before working on the unit, but manufacturers could start implementing a remote control device whereby it could disable the SAB via a hand set. Bearing in mind this would have to be a key coded device relevant to the same code on the panel

[Sparks]

Okay, here are your terminal numbers (to the left of the three fuses under the keypad)...

A - 0v D - +12v (Permanent) T - Tamper B - Alarm

So on your panel, connect the wire in terminal A to the negative on the battery, and the terminal D to the positive This will stop the siren from sounding as long as the battery is charged (probably weeks depending on the battery size and condition!)

Sparks...

[Mindwipe]

just a quicky reply from me i'm sure others here are more informed than me however when i changed my control panel after i moved into my current house (old one was duff) i simply used a pp3 9v battery and connected it to the pos and neg feed out to the sab and it stayed quiet while i carried out the replacement connection was rough and ready i pulled out the wires and stuck them to the batt terminals with blutack although i believe you can get a snap connector from maplins for just over

10p HTH

[curious]

Thanks, Sparks. I haven't tried it yet since I will have to forage a way to the control panel first. What I really wanted to do was to re-wire the Control Panel so as to disable the SAB permanently rather than as a one-off. I could call an installer but he is going to charge me =A350 or so as a call out charge for 5 minutes up a ladder and I baulk at that. Anyway - Many thanks and I'll either give it a go or chicken out. Eric

[curious]

Hi Sparks - see previous message - Regards Eric

[curious]

Dead right - but I don't fancy paying an installer =A350 - =A380 just for

5 minutes up a ladder. Thanks for the reply.

[curious]

Thanks, Sparks. This sounds more like it. There are a couple of problems here. Firstly there isn't a keypad on this Control Panel but I'm sure that I could still find the lettered terminals. The second problem is that if the rechargeable battery in the SAB remains charged then if the wiring is disturbed or disconnected as could happen with feet when one is trying to crawl around in a tight loft then the SAB would still activate if they became disconnected. Ideally I need to deactivate it, remove any possibility of recharging and allow the SAB batteries to leak their charge away by decay.

[curious]

Sounds very rough and ready but if it works then that's good enough. You suggest a pp3 9v battery to replace the whole contol panel - others suggest using the 12v battery within the control panel itself if the panel isn't being replaced. Sounds like the same idea - many thanks.

[Sparks]

Then you either need to go up the ladder, or disconnect the 0v wire (terminal A) permanently (which will result in the box sounding for 20 minutes) then it should remain silent forevermore (Unless the alarm goes off of course - but do test this if this is the case!)

The +12v must stay connected, or the box will not sound ever again (when the alarm goes off, a negative is applied to terminal B, using terminal D as the

+12v)

Sparks...

[curious]

Sparks - This sounds just what I want, I could pick my time for the 20 min. sounding, warn neighbours and then that should be it - thanks.

[Sparks]

There is a chance this may not work as I described though - you will need to test the alarm when it has finished sounding, to make sure it still sounds in an alarm condition.

This may not work, or it may result in the alarm sounding for 20 minutes again, even if you unset the alarm - you won't know until you try it I am afraid!

If you can avoid sounding the alarm, then please do so, if people hear it go off in the future, they may just ignore it to the tune of "That BLOODY alarm is going off again!"

Also, it may sound for more than 20 minutes if the bell box is old - by law it should only sound for 20 minutes though! if it is old, then it will probably sound for less, as the battery may be knackered anyway!

Sparks...