New home, old alarm

[datadiffusion]

Looks like a slightly newer model TS700 (not the one with trafo embedded slightly awkwardly into the PCB...)

 

Battery doesn't say 'MADE IN UK' so at least it's been changed once in a lifetime

 

OP it's very old, would recommend an upgrade. Now, depends how handy you are.

 

It's wired with 4 wires per detector plus power, so most panels will need you to open each detector and make a couple of wiring changes + adding resistors.

Or, fit an i-On40 for which you can buy a 4 wire adaptor (I'm unsure if other co's make these).

 

However.... as you say it's been disconnected. Are all the PIRs (motion detectors) the same? What other zones are there?

Bellbox outside and sounder inside too? Do you have pets? Any above average valuables?

[GregT]

Thanks for all the postings. Do appreciate it. 
All the motion detectors look the same. There is an alarm box outside and I assume the attached photo is an inside sounder?

 

the previous owner was an overseas landlord who didn’t care about her tenants, by all accounts. I am guessing it was disconnected to prevent day to day problems, but I could be wrong. 
I say this as there are all sorts of other things here that have been disconnected for no apparent reason (eg water softener that works fine).

[datadiffusion]

Yes that's almost certainly speaker (driven by the panel its = to a sounder, most panels (but not all) support a speaker).

 

So the most important bit about an alarm, even though it seems to have once been a decent model put in by a large firm, is; would it meet your needs.

Design of a system is the bit where ideally no matter how good a DIYer you are, you need a pro to look at things.

 

So, do you have any special requirements, e.g. large / expensive items? Do you have pets? Who will be using the alarm (just you, children, parents, etc...)

What do you expect to happen when the alarm goes off (e.g. loud noise, call to yourself / keyholder, police response?)

 

Best thing to do is answer the above and sketch out the house (just paper & pencil are fine) with sensors e.g PIR and door in their current positions

[james.wilson]

id start a new topic to discuss your requirements as this one is about your old alarm

[GregT]

Thanks

And I have now found a note that it is indeed the TS700 and also have (won’t mention publicly), the engineers and master users code. I would like to see if it works if I can. 
Do I just switch it on, and punch the code in. Realise it’s more complicated that just that, but in principle is that the way forward to test it? Having moved home, the bank balance is a bit low at present to invest in a new one. 

We don’t have any real valuables, but be good to have it working as a deterrent regardless. So just a simple alarm ringing for neighbours to hear and act as a deterrent, with nothing more sophisticated like phone calls, police alert etc. 
We do have a dog, who is not allowed upstairs (stair gate stops her even if tempted). But probably would only use it when we are away, so no dog here then. 
according to what I can see, irs been set up with 10 different areas. Seems over complicated to me. Simple on and off would probably do! Or maybe just upstairs and downstairs if we wanted to use it with dog at home. 

[datadiffusion]

I wonder if you've confused Areas with Zones?

[GregT]

Quite possibly. I don’t know the difference!

theres a chart I found with numbers 1 to 10, with each number referring to a room or position, eg garage,  bedroom 1, etc. 

[datadiffusion]

Yes that sounds like zones. I would leave powering it up until you have a new 7AH battery, or it won't be worth the effort (without a working battery it will probably beep constantly).

I would assume that the battery you have is goosed, they need replacing every 5 years absolute max anyway.

 

For simplicity I would go to your nearest Toolstation and get a Yucell - https://www.toolstation.com/sealed-lead-acid-battery/p79562

 

I prefer Yuasa myself (other probably have favourites too) but in quantities of 1 P+P usually makes it a bit silly. You might be able to get a YUASA at a sensible price

from a branch of Rexel or sometimes, oddly, Amazon on Prime delivery.

 

When you've done that let us know by posting back here

[GregT]

Datadiffusion

thanks I will get one. Probably have to be on Monday now. 
 

Logan

thanks for post. It is a Menvier TS700

[GregT]

Hi

I haven't bought the battery just yet but was just thinking things through.A basic question I am sure, but will the main external bell also have a battery in it? If so, I guess I need to get up there and see what battery it is to replace that too. 

The backup batter in the main panel is marked as having been installed in 2005!