Melcom St6100 - Rewire Or Replace Tomorrow?

[Simon K]

Hi there,

I wasn't certain which section to post this in, I chose this one but if it's not appropriate feel free to move it )

I have a Melcom ST6100 which was fitted (by someone who is no longer in the UK) when we bought our house about seven years ago. We've not used it for the last year or so because it's been a nightmare - control panel getting locked up, alarm going off without reason, tamper intermittently showing up, etc. Tomorrow a friend who is a qualified electrician is going to come over to help me with it. I am not a professional electrician, but I know quite a bit about electronics (I am a licensed radio ham and very much at home with a soldering iron). This is a very last minute thing - as you can imagine, it's hard for an electrician to know when he's going to have time free to help a friend out.

My original plan was to rip the panel out and install a new one from scratch, however I now don't have time to order one over the internet. We have noticed that the original installation is quite untidy - wires loosely wrapped up and sticking out from behind the wall box, etc. Indeed, jiggling the loose wires can set the alarm off (I have children, ok ;-)). So, assuming this *has* to be done tomorrow, two questions:

1. Do we think that simply pulling and testing all of the wires to the individual PIR's and tidying up the install would make it more reliable, and if not then

2. Is there anywhere in North-West London (Wembley/Harrow area but I have a motorbike and can travel) that I could get a decent panel tomorrow morning?

Many thanks,

-simon

[james.wilson]

i would replace the panel and rewire, but bad installation will make the best gear unreliable.

[whistle]

Skip fodder

[Simon K]

Indeed, I'd love to get rid of the panel - but where would I get a new one first thing tomorrow morning?

Maplins seem to only do a newer version of this panel. Just found out that the CPC sales counter near Bedfont doesn't exist any more. Screwfix have this:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/tate-few002-8-room-wired-alarm-kit/46749

Is that any better? I could probably get it tomorrow morning...

[Simon K]

Hrm, or this from RS looks interesting, might be able to get it from Heathrow in the morning...

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/security-intruder-alarm-panels-kits/4930882/

[Alarm Protection]

Simon, surely your spark friend could get a panel from his trade counter he uses?

If you want a basic panel I would advise you install a ADE Panel.

[Simon K]

Simon, surely your spark friend could get a panel from his trade counter he uses?

If you want a basic panel I would advise you install a ADE Panel.

The one he uses is a long way away, through traffic. I offered to go there on my bike, but he'd need to be there in person.

I went to RS in Heathrow this morning but unfortunately they don't have them in stock. I'll take it apart and fix the wiring, then we'll see...

Any thoughts on the TATE FEW002 from screwfix?

[james.wilson]

They both look like Risco eurosec cp8l panels.

[Simon K]

Well, couldn't easily get a replacement, so we took apart the 6100 and fixed the connections. It was horrible. The cables to the PIRs were solid copper cat5, but the installer had used electrical connectors in the box, and so the solid copper wires had broken and were intermittently connecting - this was leading to random activations and all sorts of other problems. We've replaced all the connections with simple splices, twisting and insulation tape. I was going to solder them but my electrician friend suggested this might be going a bit too far ;-)

Net result - we have what seems to be a stable working alarm again, with the foibles of the ST6100 still e.g. names of zones aren't remembered etc, but it works and should last for a while.

Thanks much for your help folks!

[norman]

Your electrician friend was wrong, solder them.