Guardtec 300 A Little Help Please?

[storah]

Hi,

I’m after some advice please? I currently have a Guardtec 300 series alarm that I’ve inherited with my current house. I’ve having a few problems with it in that the last couple of mornings when I’ve set it shortly after 30 mins ish it has gone off. We have lived in the house for 6 years and had the PIR at the top of the stairs changed about 4 years ago for a pet sensor when we got a couple of cats. Not had any problems with it in that time other than recently. I’m not sure if it’s the PIR upstairs that’s setting the alarm off but the last few nights when we set the alarm for night mode (same as day but without the PIR on) it hasn’t gone off so I’m wondering if it is the PIR, I’ve downloaded the manual off the net but it’s not much use to be honest. I can’t seem to work out what has set the alarm off going into the menus.

So the few questions I’d really like the answers to are. Firstly is it possible to change the keypad type thing (the bit you enter the code into that the flashes SE) for one in English? At the moment it doesn’t show any information on what has caused the alarm to go off. Secondly how easy is it to add another PIR to the system? As I’d like my garage adding.

Am I better off getting it all ripped out and a new system installed? If so what should I go for? I don’t want some cheap cr4ppy thing that is going to drive me up the wall I’d like something that is easy to add and remove zones off. At the moment we have Vipers on all downstairs windows and external doors and I’d like to keep it like that, but also to allow for future expansion as we’re planning an extension in the future.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

[RichL]

Pressing NO when the keypad displays AL will give the zone number or reason for the last activation.

Other than that, the most recent activity will be in the log.

There are better panels around now if you do want to change it although bear in mind a panel change on its own is not likely to cure the fault - the panel you have although basic is generally very reliable.

[storah]

Pressing NO when the keypad displays AL will give the zone number or reason for the last activation.

Other than that, the most recent activity will be in the log.

There are better panels around now if you do want to change it although bear in mind a panel change on its own is not likely to cure the fault - the panel you have although basic is generally very reliable.

Hi many thanks for the quick reply, I understand that a new panel won't fix the error but I'm asuming that it would indicate which area has a fault better? so out of intrest if it is say zone 1 how do I find out what zone 1 is? is there an easy way? to find out where and what each zone is?

Thanks

[RichL]

The easiest way would be to enter code +yes and have some one go around opening zones, then note which numbers are shown. If you cant find all the detectors quickly enough then put the system in walk test - code NO NO YES then 0 0 when you are done.

Yours sound like a Gardtec 370, user manual here will explain walk testing in more detail:

http://www.sentrysecurity.co.uk/security_user_downloads.htm

[arfur mo]

no available LCD upgrade for this panel unfortunately, while it is an old basic panel, as said above very reliable as a rule, if not been serviced most likely the battery is dead by now, though if avtivating a short while after setting this is not the current problem..

a fairly common problem, especially at this time of year with a warm house and cold weather, as you leave you cause a draft of cold air to swirl up the stairs, alarm arms then cold air reaches and trip's the landing detector a short while after.

depends how long the xit timer is set to, what you could try is to wait say 5 - 10 seconds with the door too, before actually fully closing the front door tight and see if that 'cures' it, or set and remain inside.

you say you have many vibration sensors, ideally these would be one per zone (so you know which has activated). that would likely require some additional cabling and/or a remote zone expander..

many panels available that can replace it, later Gardec models have VoCom voice dialler built in, which can call you if the alrm activates.

you would be wise to get at least a few free quotes to discuss and see whats available to better match your needs, things have moved on at a pace in the alarm industry as others in the last 8 years,

Arfur

[storah]

Many thanks for all the help guys. just been having a play and discovered that today it was the pet PIR on the landing. can't beleive the cats are now setting it off all of a sudden, what should I try? is it worth blanking out the pir with a bit of paper for now and see if it's okay tomorrow and if needs be I can replace the PIR? it's a Rokonet iWise Pet PIR and I've found them anything from £20.40 inc VAT on the net to over £60 on the net this seems like a huge price difference anyone tell me why this is? or is it just as most things different people charging different prices? it just seemes like such a vast difference!

Thanks again.

[arfur mo]

Have to ask, do you make sure all windows are closed, even night lights and I mean closed totally shut?

If you leave internal landing doors left open, a bad idea for fire spread, but if so best to wedge them with a chock or heavy book.

A moving door in a draft can act like a mirror to a pir, as it moves heat sources like rads are uncovered or masked and being sensed from different area's, appears to be moving to the pir.

Without testing, I'd swap out the battery before the the pir to illuminate it as a cause, no harm done if not the reason where as swap the pir and still have prons would be a yad annoying.

Your advised to use a competent person to open the panel to reduce the risk of shock from lethal mains, confidence is not competence!

Arfur

[Guest Oxo]

Your idea of masking the detector is the easiset thing to do first so try that first.

Normally the circuit would be tested and if thats ok then it would be put on a soak test, using the paper miminc this.

Then it is either the detector or the cable.

Next stage would be swapping with another detector. Then if the fault show, depening on where of course will mean you have not had to open the panel.

Has it ever shown BF, if not its probably not the battery yet, but we do recconmend they are changed every 5 years.

[storah]

Hi Oxo,

Thanks for the info, I masked out the PIR with some paper last night and had the alarm set and unset several times and it never went off. I've set it again this morning and left the house and it's not gone off. so it must be the PIR I've ordered a replacement but am unable to find the same one as I currently have so I'm going to try a different one, I was wondering if anyone knew the difference between Rokonet RK410PT Zodiac Pro Pet Immune PIR Detector at £12 ish and the Rokonet iWISE RK811DTPT Pet Tolerant Anti Cloak Anti Mask PIR Detector at £40 ish other than the price? I'm sure one must be better than the other but am unable to find a clear definitive explanation as to the difference and would love to know?

Thanks

[arfur mo]

the dearer £40 one is a Dual-Tec, i.e. uses two different motion technologies to avoid issues that each is more prone to, as both need to trigger before an alarm is created.

has other more exotic features required for high risk or hostile enviorments like garage locations, as mantioned the anti-mask feature which would be the paper you masked it off with, so would have detected that and not set. this stops empyee's from putting stock in front of it for instance.

replacing with the cheaper one should be fine, i've used hundreds of them, and a very good detector they are to

and i'd still fit a new battery .

Arfur