Cant Stop Siren

[JohnInStockie]

Hello everyone

I would be grateful if someone could offer some advice please.

I have just replaced my Optima XM with a Sterling Compact, and replaced all of the sensors with some pet friendly NEXT ones, all going swimmingly until I got to the Bell Box (external sounder).

I planned to use the existing sounder as it always worked fine, and is nice and high on the building, close to the roofline.

When I came to wiring it up though I have encountered a problem, no matter how I seem to wire it, the siren activates whenever I reconnect the battery and doesnt stop when I enter the usercode (even though the system goes into unlocked mode)

I had expected to see 6 core cable coming from the sounder, but there is only 4 core (red, black, blue and yellow)

I therefore assumed that the : -

-red is 12V (B+)

-black is 0V (B-)

-blue is BA (as all of the PIR sensors had had blue as NC+)

-yellow is BT (as all of the PIR sensors had had yellow as NC-)

The connections on the panel are : -

BA

B+

B-

BT

STB

I also noticed that the siren activates even if there is only power going to it, and the BA is not connected (or is this what it should do?)

Can anyone offer any advice on how the wiring options I could try please?

Thanks very much for any advice.

John

[lawandorder]

Hello everyone

I would be grateful if someone could offer some advice please.

I have just replaced my Optima XM with a Sterling Compact, and replaced all of the sensors with some pet friendly NEXT ones, all going swimmingly until I got to the Bell Box (external sounder).

I planned to use the existing sounder as it always worked fine, and is nice and high on the building, close to the roofline.

When I came to wiring it up though I have encountered a problem, no matter how I seem to wire it, the siren activates whenever I reconnect the battery and doesnt stop when I enter the usercode (even though the system goes into unlocked mode)

I had expected to see 6 core cable coming from the sounder, but there is only 4 core (red, black, blue and yellow)

I therefore assumed that the : -

-red is 12V (B+)

-black is 0V (B-)

-blue is BA (as all of the PIR sensors had had blue as NC+)

-yellow is BT (as all of the PIR sensors had had yellow as NC-)

The connections on the panel are : -

BA

B+

B-

BT

STB

I also noticed that the siren activates even if there is only power going to it, and the BA is not connected (or is this what it should do?)

Can anyone offer any advice on how the wiring options I could try please?

Thanks very much for any advice.

John

Did you make a note of which colours were connected to which terminals in the old XM?

I am assuming that you have BA and B- reversed.

Never assume anyting with alarm wiring, there is no standard and we all have our favourite colours!

[A-G]

we all have our favourite colours!

Mine's blue

[SUBS]

Mine's blue

You mean that nice dark colour like the parcels on your avatar ..........Hmmmm.

Strikes me that it might be just a bell (sounder), not an sab or scb.

in which case I'd connect the bell between the +ve and the bell trigger. the others are eithe for strobe or tamper.

then again I could be talking complete rubbish.

[JohnInStockie]

Did you make a note of which colours were connected to which terminals in the old XM?

I am assuming that you have BA and B- reversed.

Never assume anyting with alarm wiring, there is no standard and we all have our favourite colours!

Hi and thanks for the response

The old XM was a bit differently wired.

-It had a jumper across the TSCBA connector (note the T is above the S and the A is above the B so you see "T A" with "SCB" directly below it).

-The strobe +ve goes into a "Beeper" with the black from the beeper returning to the Bell -ve

-Only the power going out to the Bell it seems (red and black).

-None of the sensors used their tamper connections.

For reference, each of the sensors had only 1 wire connected (on the +ve terminal) so I assume that the mass junction box under the stair carpet (which I dont want to raise) must be sharing the power and return -ve back to the 12V feed -ve terminal.

Does that help?

Thanks very much

John

Strikes me that it might be just a bell (sounder), not an sab or scb.

in which case I'd connect the bell between the +ve and the bell trigger. the others are eithe for strobe or tamper.

then again I could be talking complete rubbish.

Hi Subs

OK, I'll give it a try.

I've connected the red wire and tested the voltage drop with the multimeter through the bell, there's only a 12V voltage drop returning through the black cable, nothing at all through either the blue or yellow.

Does that signal anything?

Thanks

John

[Alarm Protection]

Sounds like there was no tamper protection on the last bellbox.

[JohnInStockie]

OK, I tried just using the connections between the B+ and BA just using the red and black wires, and nothing, as in yes the alarm didnt go off, but it didnt go off when it should have either!!

This is a conundrum

Thanks for your help guys

John

Ive tried connecting the blue to the +ve (B+) terminal on the panel, it didnt make any difference, and still no drop to the yellow either in any mode, so it looks like the blue and yellow arent doing anything, except the alarm didnt go off in any mode when only connecting between B+ and BA???

Hmmm

John

Sounds like there was no tamper protection on the last bellbox.

I that case am I best placing a jumper between BT and B- on the panel?

Thanks very much

John

Doing some more testing, when the alarm is UNSET,

the voltage drop (battery only) between B+ and B- is 10.93V,

the voltage drop between BA and B+ is 0.00V,

the voltage drop between BA and B- is 0.01V,

Additionally I cannot see any change in the voltage between set and unset between BA and B- at all.

Any ideas anyone?

John

[lawandorder]

OK, I tried just using the connections between the B+ and BA just using the red and black wires, and nothing, as in yes the alarm didnt go off, but it didnt go off when it should have either!!

This is a conundrum

Thanks for your help guys

John

Ive tried connecting the blue to the +ve (B+) terminal on the panel, it didnt make any difference, and still no drop to the yellow either in any mode, so it looks like the blue and yellow arent doing anything, except the alarm didnt go off in any mode when only connecting between B+ and BA???

Hmmm

John

I that case am I best placing a jumper between BT and B- on the panel?

Thanks very much

John

Doing some more testing, when the alarm is UNSET,

the voltage drop (battery only) between B+ and B- is 10.93V,

the voltage drop between BA and B+ is 0.00V,

the voltage drop between BA and B- is 0.01V,

Additionally I cannot see any change in the voltage between set and unset between BA and B- at all.

Any ideas anyone?

John

This post is getting a little confusing (to me at least), if you can answers the following questions I'm confident that either me or somebody will be able to help.

What make of external sounder do you have?

Does the 4 core cable run directly from the sounder to the panel?

When you refer to voltage drop do you actually mean the measured voltage (not the same thing as voltage drop)?

If the 4 core does run from sounder to panel can you tell us which core is connected to which terminal in the sounder?

[JohnInStockie]

This post is getting a little confusing (to me at least), if you can answers the following questions I'm confident that either me or somebody will be able to help.

What make of external sounder do you have?

Does the 4 core cable run directly from the sounder to the panel?

When you refer to voltage drop do you actually mean the measured voltage (not the same thing as voltage drop)?

If the 4 core does run from sounder to panel can you tell us which core is connected to which terminal in the sounder?

Hi and sorry for the confusion.

I have bought a new panel and new sensors, all of which are fine, but I am attempting to use the old sounder, that was fitted on the Optima XM.

I have changed the position of the panel in the house from under the stairs to another wall and placed new runs for the cabling.

For the sounder, I cut the original and still attached cable at a point which gave me enough to reach the panel, and have used that cable, direct from the sounder to the panel.

Q1 - I have no idea what make of sounder it is, and although it is old, the metalwork looks in very good condition, and it has worked faultlessly for the last 10 years I have lived here.

Q2 - Yes the 4 core runs directly from the sounder to the panel now (previously it ran to a bit of wiring spagetti underneath the stair carpet).

Q3 - Yes, sorry, measured voltage.

Q4 - No, I was hoping to be able to figure that out (by only running the live through and measuring the voltage on the other wires) as I dont have the ladders to reach it (its very close to the roofline).

Thanks for any help you can give.

John

[lawandorder]

Hi and sorry for the confusion.

I have bought a new panel and new sensors, all of which are fine, but I am attempting to use the old sounder, that was fitted on the Optima XM.

I have changed the position of the panel in the house from under the stairs to another wall and placed new runs for the cabling.

For the sounder, I cut the original and still attached cable at a point which gave me enough to reach the panel, and have used that cable, direct from the sounder to the panel.

Q1 - I have no idea what make of sounder it is, and although it is old, the metalwork looks in very good condition, and it has worked faultlessly for the last 10 years I have lived here.

Q2 - Yes the 4 core runs directly from the sounder to the panel now (previously it ran to a bit of wiring spagetti underneath the stair carpet).

Q3 - Yes, sorry, measured voltage.

Q4 - No, I was hoping to be able to figure that out (by only running the live through and measuring the voltage on the other wires) as I dont have the ladders to reach it (its very close to the roofline).

Thanks for any help you can give.

John

OK I think from what you have said that the red is positive and black is switched negative, in other words if you apply 12 volts across red and black the sonder activates, test this theory by applying 12 volts directly from the battery.

If the sounder works when you do this then connect red to B+ and the black to BA.

Using your multimeter test resistance across blue and yellow and report back!