Testing Bell Box Battery

[paulrichards]

Hi,

I have a Optima Compact Gen4 panel that I have just installed. Everything works fine but I would like to confirm the bell box battery works is ok, how do I this.

thanks

Paul

[arfur mo]

hi Paul,

1) please don't do this at an inconciderate time to your neighbours - unless you really hate them .

disconnect the 240 mains from the panel, which should remain operative and silent, with perhaps some indications showing power is still on the panel, it is now operating in standby mode.

a crude test by engineering standards (we have special metering kit to test them efectively), but if so, then the panel battery is connected and seemingly working properly.

if you now carefuly open your panel and disconnect your panel battery, the external siren should start to sound, if not you need to have another look at the sirenc onfiguration and/or wiring.

some sirens come set up for a short run time (engineer test mode), so make sure it runs for 2+ minutes

if all is well, then reconnect the battery, shut lid, restore mains and reset the panel to silence it.

regs

alan

[paulrichards]

Thanks !!!. So basically disconnect power (mains / battery) from the control panel and then if the bell box battery is OK the bell box alarm should sound ??.

I suspect the bell box battery may be nackered as its old, I am not looking forward to replacing the bell box.

Does a new bell box come with a flat battery as otherwise it would start sounding as soon as I take the cover off to wire it up ?

thanks

Paul

[Chorlton]

Exactly, yes because it will think your Billy Burglar attacking it and it "should" do it's job of making noise.

Paul the battery would be charged but remember your not doing the test or indeed the replacment as an engineer would.

Your alarm has an engineering menu which allows service and repair without WW3 with the neighbours.

If you don't already have either the engineer code or manual we can't provide it but although you can't test/replace the bellbox quietly it is pyhsically possible the way arthur is saying.

C.

[Alarm Protection]

You could also take out the bell hold from the panel and the bell should sound.

[paulrichards]

yes I have the manual and engineering code (I changed it from the default) as I just installed the control panel.

So you saying that replacing the bell box is going to be noisy unless I get an engineer to do it who will have "inside" info on how to do it silently ?

I am not bothered about the bell box making a noise for a quick bell box battery test. however replacing the bell box is going to take more time so I dont want to be up a ladder with 115dB in my ears and bricks being thrown at me from angary neighbours.

So does engineer mode disable the bell box, if so then I am sorted

[arfur mo]

ah, more info used old bell so new panel ball game, 'di thoight you had installed both new.

if your okd bell range when yoi ripped out the old panel assuming it was poeewd up for a time, your battery may be ok.

you need to check it is receiving a charging votage at the bell incase of wiring errors.

you can prevent the panel going into tamper by entering emgineer mode, but siren may still sound when lifting the lid, depends how or if correctly wired.

new siren will have info with it

regs

alan

[paulrichards]

ok old panel was a scantronic 9548 (something like that) and it was nackered, false alarms, wouldnt set properly, so ages ago I disconnected the mains and the lead acid battery at the control panel. I never remember the bell going off (which I guess it should if the bell battery is ok), however thats not to say it didnt go off.

So the old alarm stayed disabled for some time (a year or so).

Just put in this new panel + new PIRs with the existing bell box. Now if the bell box battery is screwed then I really need to replace the bell box too.

I havent fully progammed/set up the new panel. Installed it, done a walk test, and an alarm/sounder/strobe test. Thats all ok, its just the bell battery I need to test now.

[lawandorder]

ok old panel was a scantronic 9548 (something like that) and it was nackered, false alarms, wouldnt set properly, so ages ago I disconnected the mains and the lead acid battery at the control panel. I never remember the bell going off (which I guess it should if the bell battery is ok), however thats not to say it didnt go off.

So the old alarm stayed disabled for some time (a year or so).

Just put in this new panel + new PIRs with the existing bell box. Now if the bell box battery is screwed then I really need to replace the bell box too.

I havent fully progammed/set up the new panel. Installed it, done a walk test, and an alarm/sounder/strobe test. Thats all ok, its just the bell battery I need to test now.

Yes but no need to replace the entire box, you can just replace the battery in most cases though depending on age and condition you may want to consider fitting a new box.

Most of them have a disable facility which allows you to work on the box without deafening yourself.

[paulrichards]

also when I put the panel into engineer mode and took the cover off the panel (to swap some zones) the souder went off, is this normal, i know I triggered the anti-tamper circuit (by taking the cover off) but it was in engineer mode so I thought it wouldnt do it.

If its usefull I can dig out how I wired the bell box up

Yes but no need to replace the entire box, you can just replace the battery in most cases though depending on age and condition you may want to consider fitting a new box.

Most of them have a disable facility which allows you to work on the box without deafening yourself.

yes I would replace the whole bell box, for