Cry for Help!

[Guest briankwadham]

I have inherited an Optima XM alarm with the house I moved into in December. I have no idea how long it's been there, I know nothing about alarms, never having had one before (though I am an avionics engineer), I was given no manual other than a scribbled bit of paper on how to set it, there's no service contract, and I am having all my glazing and doors replaced on Monday 26th. I tried opening up a sensor to remove it from the window frame and (of course!) all hell broke loose. I managed to reset the system using the handwritten instructions, and I have managed to download a manual in PDF format, but is there some way I can disable the thing so the window installers can do their thing? I can't see anything obvious in the manual, though there is a bit on disabling the tamper function. Or am I better contacting a professional? I tried switching off the power but there is obviously a battery in there 'cos nothing happened. I really would appreciate some advice.

[ian.cant]

Hi brian

It would be easier for you to contact a pro for sure! If you post your location no doubt one of the chaps will be able to help you out. Otherwise contact a local company from your yellow pages, independants will be cheaper and more reactive.

If you really want to have a go yourself, judging by your trade i would have thought you would be capable. Assuming you dont know the engineers code for you panel then your in a bit of a pickle. Putting the panel in engineer or programming mode generally will silence the tamper cct's, which would have been handy.

Also i am assuming the sensors on your windows are vibration sensors. By rights every lid you remove should trigger the alarm tamper cct.

If you remove all the sensors from your windows and refit the covers correctly then you should be able to reset the panel. that will sort you out for now.

Refitting these to your new windows would not really be an option (in my opinion) so maybe you would be best overall if you get someone to sort out a whole new system for you and disable the current set up pending your alterations.

[Guest briankwadham]

Thanks Ian, as you suggested I removed the covers, removed the sensors, put them back together, and reset the system. Worked like a dream! I will try to fit the system to my new windows and doors because a) my curiosity has been aroused and B) I'm not just a tight Scotsman, I'm a tight Fife Scotsman (which is really tight!). I have got an engineer code, by the way, it came in the manual I downloaded, I just didn't know what it was for. Now the immediate panic is over, I shall read the manual as one is supposed to. Thanks again for your help.

Brian

[morph]

If the code you used was the standard one in the manual, i would advise changing it for your own code ( both the engineer and user code)

Colin.

[breff]

You cant change the engineer code on an Optima XM.