Eugene's DIY Den

I could use something like this maybe, depending on dimensions. The existing battery has a capacity of 170 mAh, trickle charged at 14 mA. https://www.amazon.co.uk/6V-330mAH-Ni-MH-Battery-Replacement/dp/B09C2FVP9L

So I'm going to take my external sounder down off the wall to diagnose what's wrong with it. Maybe the piezo element is failing as james.wilson suggested in another post. Are the settings stored indefinitely in non-volatile memory when I remove mains and battery power? I'm going to have to disconnect wires from the sounder, so I don't want the ends shorting out or have to put tape or whatever over them when I disconnect them. I suppose I could stick them one by one into a terminal block to keep them apart.

How does that happen? If the battery fails and vents? I think that happened with my old panel because the terminals corroded as though they got sprayed with something. Or is it due to the battery pulling too much current during the float charge and ageing the charge circuitry, while it should only be taking a trickle.

Found the instruction leaflet. It's a 6V, 170 mAh, NiMh. Are they standard, off the shelf battery packs or special HKC ones? Also does the sounder battery power the sounder, with the cable intact and the sounder getting power, or is it powered by the panel? I'm trying to establish whether a bad battery in the sounder is causing low voltage or pulling down its charging voltage. I'll put a meter on it to see what the story is.

Are they rechargeable C123s? This is a wired sounder. I'm going to open the sounder to see what the story is. My old sounder failed due to corrosion, but that was because it had a high voltage strobe and voltage tracked across the PCB due to the varnish breaking down and moisture presumably. A new sounder is €47 + VAT. Battery he says is €38 + VAT.

The sounder on my alarm sounds "scratchy" and the volume is increasing and decreasing a bit as though there's a loose connection. Or maybe a failing battery is the problem? Is this the battery that goes into these sounders? My electrical wholesaler says that the battery is nearly as expensive as a new sounder, so maybe it's better to buy a new one if e.g. corrosion on the PCB board is what's causing the sound problem. https://www.hkcsecurity.com/ie/en/products/auxiliary-equipment-wireless/extended-6v-battery-pack-rf-sabb

Mostly wired, but two wireless sensors. Can an ageing battery generate false alarms? Also the sound from my external sounder sounds "scratchy", like there a bad connection. Does that sounder run off the onboard battery and is the variable sound quality and volume likely a symptom of a failing battery?

It's an HKC SW-1070 I installed at the end of 2019. I know, it's not a DIY alarm. During a recent power cut, it ran the system for 10 hours no problem The panel isn't complaining about any issues (maybe it doesn't do this, but there's a battery test in the engineering menu. I presume that does a load test).

I've wired hundreds of these over the years, but I'm just wondering is there a knack in doing it? Firstly, should I be putting the twisted stranded wires under the screw's head or under the washer beneath the screw head, above the lead to the reed switch? Also two problems I've always had are that the wire squeezes out from under the head when tightening and also the screw head drags the wire core around in a circle, putting excess tension on the wire when it's short. Maybe it's better to take the screws out first, make an eye in the core then tighten? Alternatively I could just use small ring crimps.

I don't know. How do I check? There's no option to change it in the Devices menu. I presume the option to change it is buried in one of the other menus?

Just spent the last couple of hours interacting with the MSP for my alarm's SIM regarding login. I always seem to have this problem when I try to access my account, then I have to explain to them that I can't receive password reset codes because the SIM is in an alarm.

No, I thought about that. I'm qualified in this area, so it rules out me doing all the silly things ? Good point though.

I remember I had an issue before when it wasn't activating on bell, or there was a delay when it activated after the external sounder operated, so I must have changed those settings. Now I have to try and remember how I did this.

Ok, I'll disconnect two legs of the loop and see what results I get.

That's possible. Is 0v on this panel connected on the board to earth? (or is this the case in general for panels?)