House Burglar Alarm Issues (possible panic button fault)

Crabman

Hey peeps

We had a new external alarm box and a new battery (within the internal control panel) on an existing house alarm system (Optima) last week.

However, it has alarmed several times since then, citing "Attack" as the reason. Both times the alarm system was not set/armed.

I had a chat with the engineer earlier today who said it seems like the panic circuit is causing the alarm, as that circuit is always armed. I took the panic button apart and the sensor (magnetic) clicks when the button is pressed. Other than that I'm unable to tell whether there's a problem there.

The other issue is how to jam the system overnight as a temporary measure - the engineer said it's a case of entering the code once the alarm goes off but I'm trying to prevent that in the first place. If it goes off at 3am again the neighbours are going to start not liking us very much!

I've heard and read in various places that if "Prog" is pressed followed by the code it enters programming mode and won't activate then. There is also 'engineer mode' where you enter Prog > Code > Prog > 9999. Anyone know whether that would prevent it going off?

Help/advice would be greatly appreciated. :cool:

Mutter_2

There is an instruction manual for Optima. http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/category/MISCELLA/optima.pdf

Crabman

It behaved itself for a few days then this evening it set itself off again citing "attack".

If I disconnect the panic button from the circuit, do I leave the two wires isolated or join them together?

Disconnecting the panic button will at least tell us if it's the actual button or (hopefully not) a wiring problem.

cajef

Looking at the instructions posted by Mutter, it says 'any number of normally closed type personal attack buttons may be connected in series to the PA input' so I would assume the wires need to be joined together as an open circuit appears to trigger the PA, if the alarm was activated on closing a switch they would have to be connected in parallel.

Soon find out when you try it.:D

Lurchtheengineer

The way to work out if your PA button is faulty is to actually put a piece of wire across the PA terminals 9&10 in the Control Panel,thus shorting it out.

Lurch.

Crabman

I'm a little reluctant to get inside the alarm panel so for now I've joined the two wires at the panic button to create a closed circuit (thanks cajef). If it keeps playing up I'll short out the PA circuit at the panel as Lurch suggests and will know it's a wiring issue as opposed to the panic button itself.