Menvier Ts790/ts900 Remote Lcd Keypad Disconnection?

[antony79uk]

Hello!

I'm hoping someone can help me out with my alarm....

I've split this into a short story and a long story....

Short story...

I need to remove all power from the remote LCD keypad (Menvier TSNET LCD) so I can perform a repair to the rubber keypad.

Long story...

The Remote LCD Keypad on the wall in our hall is not responding very well. When pressing the rubber buttons on the front, the press sometimes doesn't register, sometimes it does and sometimes a press registers twice! Anyway, this can be frustrating when trying to set the alarm and even more frustrating when trying to unset it.

We went on holiday a month ago and set the alarm. We asked some friends to check on the house while we were away and gave them the code to unset the alarm - warning them that the keypad doesn't respond very well. When they came round they had problems. The alarm went off and eventually a neighbour (not sure which) managed to get the alarm off (possibly with the code but not sure).

Anyway, when we returned from holiday the Keypad was completely switched off, not being powered by the internal battery. I looked at our electricity fusebox and could see that the security button was "tripped". I assumed that the neighbour had just turned off the electricity to the alarm which had turned it off (I thought that was odd as it didn't seem like a great security feature!). I left the alarm off, and decided (probably wrongly) to open the remote keypad to clean the rubber keypad points, to make it respond better. I took it apart quite easily with no problems, cleaned the rubber keypad points and put it all back together. I then switched the alarm back on at the mains and everything seemed normal - except that the keypad was still playing up.

I did some research and found some rubber keypad repair solution which can be applied to the points to restore them. I bought some of this solution and started the repair... I switched off the alarm system at the mains, but the LCD keypad didn't switch off?! It said "Mains Power Off", I then thought ok, I need to wait for the battery to run flat. I waited all day, had an internal alarm saying "battery low", used my code to silence it and went to bed. At 3am in the morning all the bells were going off, I had to reconnect the mains and enter the code to switch it off.

I'm really hoping someone can explain to me how I can turn the remote keypad off so that I can do this minor repair. I don't want to pay for an expensive engineer to come round as it will only take me 5 minutes if I can disconnect the power to the remote (like it was when I returned from holiday). (I tried to take the keypad apart when the mains were disconnected but battery still on but got a tamper alarm and had to retreat! But that's another story!)

Hopefully there's someone that can help - I'd be very grateful!

Thanks

[Rulland]

Basically whilst you were on holiday the mains was turned off to it:

The main panel battery would have held the system running for x time, when that died the external sounder would have gone off (just for 15 mins or so if it is a newish one), the main battery could well be knackered now as they're usually not to forgiving on a total discharge, also the battery in the external sounder may not be to happy!.

Problem is that you will not know just how bad the damage is until you require the various batteries to perform for real in the event of another power loss!.

My opinion, get an engineer in to service the system-which will obviously include checking the batteries, and enquire about them looking at the keypad at the same time.

[antony79uk]

Thanks for the info and advice Richard - You're probably right about getting an engineer in but I want do save a few bob.

Would I be able to do the repair while the mains is off but the panel is powered by the battery? I got a tamper alert last time but am thinking that if I silence the tamper alert (by entering the code) I can continue taking it apart to do the repair???

Best regards

[sixwheeledbeast]

Even if the mains is on, there's no mains voltage at the keypad.

On battery and on mains, the sensors and keypads will be low voltage.

This doesn't mean you won't blow a fuse or damage something!

Another option is to change the code and avoid using the faulty keys. Also try to avoid using the same digit twice.

Normally it would be better to replace the keypad. Also it sounds like the system will need a service, or at least a battery.

As your panel is now obsolete they will be getting harder and harder to get hold of.

In the long run you should consider replacing the keypad and hopefully the controls will last a good while...

...Or better still replace the controls and keypad to something modern and supported for spares.

If your not sure I would recommend calling an engineer.

[antony79uk]

Thanks sixwheeledblast. I did try and find a replacement keypad, but as you say it's now a discontinued model and I couldn't.

I think I need to get an engineer in, is it expensive to change the keypad and controls to a new model?!

In the short term though I would like another go at repairing it. Will it allow me to silence the internal tamper alarm (with the code) and continue to take the remote keypad apart without sounding the external alarm? Does it give me time before the internal alarm goes off again?! The keypad solution takes 2 hours to dry....

Thanks

[Alarm Protection]

Not sounding to be an erse but if you can afford to go on holiday then you can afford to get an alarm system installed by a pro to properly protect your house and the contents.

I would go with getting an engineer in to see if they can repair the system and if not get the company to replace the system and take their advice on what you require.

How often do you get your car serviced, heating etc and want to do a diy on an alarm system that protects your house and contents worth double triple of money?

[Troy McClure]

Hi Antony,

I've got a TS690 which I inherited when I bought my house, and have modified it extensively, including cleaning the keypad which I did with meths and a cotton bud. Yours looks very similar.

Get the installation manual from here:

www.google.com

and the User manual from here if you've not got one:

http://rikain.com/Ma...00plus_user.pdf

With the engineers code entered you can pretty much do what you like without setting off the alarm.

Now you can open up the keypad and remove the rubber membrane. Clean each of the contacts well, plus clean the circuit board. If there's a battery in there (don't think there was in mine), replace it.

If you have to replace the keypad cos it's knackered, there's one for sale here:

http://www.onlinesec...ypad-range.html

and here:

http://www.securityw...ade3-p-493.html

Change the Lead Acid battery in the alarm panel.

To change the battery in the bell box, you're going to have to set off the alarm. Wear ear defenders.... Try to find instructions for your bell box in advance. Most have a jumper inside that will disconnect the internal battery, or disable the bell box tamper or the sounder. Have a friend at the alarm control panel ready to disconnect the (probably red) wire from the H/O+ connection for the External Sounder (right hand side of circuit board, 5th up in large collection of connectors). Open the bell box which will set off the sounder. That's your friend's cue to disconnect the H/O+ while you silence the sounder with the jumper. Now you can change the battery in the bell box. I used the opportunity to remove the bell box, clean out the housing and reroute the wiring inside the house and put it all back. Similar in reverse to put it back together.

Once the cover is back on the alarm panel, press ESC a couple of times to exit Engineers Mode. 'Engineer on Site' will be displayed until you enter your user code and Escape from that.

Test the system using User Menu 1 - Option 2 (Walk test), User Menu 2 - Option 1 (View Circuits) to see that all are healthy. It's all in the manuals.

With a bit of luck all is now working and you don't need to ever get an engineer out again.

Hope this helps.

Troy.

[Troy McClure]

You can do everything described with the mains on and the internal battery in the panel connected. As long as the Engineers Code is entered you won't set off a Tamper Alarm on the panel, keypad, any of your PIRs etc. It's only if you mess with the bell box which has its own battery and tamper circuit that you're going to set off the alarm at least briefly.

You may get away with not changing any of the batteries but if they've been run flat it wouldn't be a bad idea to change them while you're it, hence having to mess with the bell box.