Yale (HSA3500) alarm system - walk test

[tmasa]

Hi,

Having problems testing it, the setup is simple: control unit and 4 PIRs (1 entry + 3 burglar), the layout as below:

PIR1 PIR2

CU PIR3 PIR4

- Pir1(entry) started flashing indicating that batteries need changing.
- Changed the batteries, did a walk test - only pirs 2 & 4 worked.
- Changed batteries in pirs 1 & 3, tested individually (there is a Test button inside). Now doing the test again, - only pirs 1&4 detect movement.

What could it be ?

 

[JohnD]

the PIRs go to sleep after detecting movement. If you keep walking in front of them they will keep restarting their sleep period and not send a signal until after that period. If you have the old HSA3nnn type PIRs which are rectangular, not egg-shaped liker the HSA6nnn type, they have a black plastic jumper inside that you can plug onto two pins, or turn so it is only on one pin. It stops them going to sleep. I can't remember which way round you want it, but your instruction manual will tell you. Have you got it?

p.s.

what is the reason you decided not to have a door semsor as your Entry?

 

[tmasa]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes they are rectangular types and there is a jumper inside.

I should have mentioned the Pir1 low battery notification was still on on CU display. I followed the instructions closely, - put CU to program mode to disable tampers, changed batteries, exit program mode. I don't know what could have gone wrong there.

This morning both car key fobs stopped working and pir1 was flashing red. Removed the batteries, put them back in - key fobs worked again. A few minutes later siren goes off and there is a new notification that pir1 is being tampered with. All this in disarmed mode.

I've now disabled the siren and thinking of reprogramming the whole system.

The system was here when we bought the house, it is the first time I actually had to do any maintenance on it. No idea why there is no door sensor.

 

[JohnD]

A 3500 is quite old. The battery terminals might be tarnished. Rub them with an old nylon toothbrush and half a trace of WD40. Resetting and relearning is not what you need.

PIR tamper may be that you did not fit the cover on correctly before tightening the screw.

If you are tinkering, take the siren off the wall and wrap it in cushions so the neighbour's don't learn to ignore it. You can also set siren duration to one second temprarily if you are getting false alarms.

If the jumper is set to no sleep it will flash whenever anyone is near it.

Door sensors are easy to get, p.m. me if you want some.

 

[tmasa]

I've checked and cleaned the terminals already. Also the Test button worked when I changed the batteries so I assumed it was OK. The siren and PIR tamper notification appeared a few minutes after it was mounted back on the wall. I am not sure, but I think it might have been caused by someone using a car key fob outside.

The siren is off already via menu option.

 

[JohnD]

a key fob would not cause a PIR tamper.

each device sends a signal which includes its own serial number and type, so if the panel says your PIR has sent a tamper signal, it has.

If the signal happened shortly after you refitted it, I'd suspect something not fitted right,

 

[tmasa]

Hmm, 4 car key fobs stopped working at once this morning as pir1 was flashing, so I assumed it may cause interference the other way around. Maybe will try to remove and re-add pir1 first as it seems to be the one causing the problems.

 

[JohnD]

yes, it is possible for two signals, if sent at the same fraction of a second, to interfere with each other. This is difficult to achieve unless one is transmitting continually, which they should not do (the battery will not last long).

perhaps your flashing PIR is causing it. have you tried changing the jumper? Does the tamper spring click?

Removing and re-adding it will not cure its problem. The PIR sends only, it does not receive.

 

[tmasa]

Thanks for your advice, saved me from doing unnecessary system reinstall .

The problem with pir1 was that tightening the screw too much caused the temper alarm to activate somehow. Also found a sequence for clearing notifications from CU (Code-OK-Back), that helped to avoid further confusion.

Also there was a sequence for solving the original issue in the manual, didn't notice it initially - arming the system for 1.5 minutes reset the sleep timers and all pirs test OK now.

 

[tmasa]

Hmm, CU is showing pir1 tamper warning again, the pir itself is not flashing.

 

[JohnD]

Maybe bin it and get a new one? PM me, I have a few spares.

 

[tmasa]

I am not sure it would help, I took a working PIR from another zone and put it in place of pir1, reconfigured it to be of the Entry type. It was all fine in the beginning, but then later on I've got the usual tamper warning on the CU and the new pir flashing red as well.

I am now thinking it is either:
the pir's plastic base is somehow different (I only swapped the fronts), which is unlikely, they are all the same and I can't see what can go wrong there
OR there is something interfering with the signal (but I think you implied it was not possible ? and never actually happened before I changed the batteries)
OR the whole system just gone nuts

 

[JohnD]

on your sensors, does the tamper spring poke through a hole in the case and press on the wall?

could the case be distorted, e.g. if screwed to a surface that is not flat?

 

[tmasa]

No it is corner mounted, same as the other two pirs:

p.s. seems to be a similar problem, but no resolution sadly //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=284730
will try non-duracells just in case

 

[JohnD]

I'd forgotten about that. I got a big box of Maplin's own-brand batteries.