Help with Pyronix Decibell and Veritas Control Panel

[eyemdee]

I am trying to sort out a random tamper fault for a friend with a Veritas R8 Control Panel, 4 Optex PIRs, 2 RKPs, 2 door switches and a Pyronix Decibell external sounder, all 1999 vintage. I am replacing all the PIRs and one of the keypads anyway as they are all looking their age.

My problem is finding a way of disabling, or holding off the outside siren when the control panel battery is disconnected. It is supposed to have an Engineer hold off mode but this does not work when the hold off command or strobe pulse x 3 is sent from the panel. It continues to sound after the panel battery is disconnected until its internal battery runs down.

Does anyone know how to disable the Decibell siren when the panel battery is disconnected please? I am reluctant to power up and test the system knowing that I am going to disturb the neighbours (again) when I power it down. The siren battery holds a remarkably good charge for its age!

Thanks for any help offered.

 

[sparkymarka]

That bell box does not have engineer hold off function , what optex pirs are they ? Post picture if unsure , the old fx35 pir may have tamper switch issues ...

 

[eyemdee]

That bell box does not have engineer hold off function , what optex pirs are they ? Post picture if unsure , the old fx35 pir may have tamper switch issues ...

Thanks for your quick response. The only information I could find on that bell box is this page:- http://pyronix.eu/decibelle-external-sounder.php

which says it has the function but I certainly cannot make it work! The box is the same as in the picture apart from being yellow rather than white.

I do have a .png image of one of the PIRs which I hope I have uploaded here:- http://www.susian.co.uk/images/Optex.png

I am replacing these with new Optex Saver PIRs for cosmetic reasons as some of the rooms have been replastered and I want to keep the job neat by fitting the same size. Interestingly I did get some strange resistance readings off the tamper pairs to a couple of the old PIRs just after the system was powered down so I was already wondering if they could be the cause of the problem.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[sparkymarka]

Pictures don't work ....the eng hold off on the decibell works only on power up with the tamper switch open ....not the same as the texecom eng hold off!

 

[eyemdee]

Thanks, that explains that. I think I have fixed the PIR picture - the i at the beginning of /images needs to be lower case otherwise it comes up Not Found.

 

[sparkymarka]

Rx40s they still make them ...not had any tamper issues with these units at all...savers are ok our current basic pir ...

 

[eyemdee]

Replaced all the old yellow PIRs and the worn out RKP today but still could not find any definitely faulty tamper switches. Please can any experts tell me what sort of resistance I should expect to read between panel SAB terminals C (-ve Tamper Return) & D (0v) with a working bell box connected and the system powered down?

 

[sparkymarka]

You may not depending on the bell box , it's normally a negative return you could see what voltage you are getting between 12+ and the tamper return leg ( disconnected from the panel) should be not far off the voltage from the aux supply

 

[eyemdee]

Aah, I thought that the bell box tamper switches were connected across these 2 terminals and was expecting to see a zero or low resistance. I was trying to test the box tampers as I am beginning to think the problem is there as I can't find it anywhere else!

I have now jumpered the SAB C & D terminals and the tamper terminals and powered up the system just to prove the panel board is OK before I delve any further. I want to avoid going up a ladder if possible!

 

[eyemdee]

Does anyone know whether the Pyronix Decibell E external sounder has the same backup battery monitoring feature as the Deltabells? Last time I powered up the alarm without the tamper loops jumpered it went off with a Bell box/Global System Tamper fault after almost exactly 24 hours. The bell box battery is the original at 18 years old so I am now wondering if this has been the problem.