Identifying bellbox wire from multiple wires!

[Craig242]

Hi all,

I recently installed the Pryonix enforcer V10 with the WE bell but the quite disappointing LEDs on it have left me wanting more of a visual deterrent so I am thinking about replacing with the deltabell plus or X (with lightbox) module as I think from research the housing and cover are the same across the range.

This is possible as the house was pre-wired for an alarm when it was built 5 years ago and there is currently a wire on the outside of the house that I just tucked back into the hole in the cement line behind where I installed the wireless bellbox.

My problem is that ALL 7 of the pre-installed wires route back to behind a blanking faceplate under the stairs where the control panel is installed. How do I identify the cable that goes to the outside of the house where my current bellbox is?

Just to add the reason I didn't use the wires that were already installed was because I couldn't trace all of them to areas in the house. There's 7 wires in a blank double plug, but only cables located at:
Front door for contact
Above door frame in Hall for PIR
Above door frame in Lounge for PIR
Outside wall for bellbox

So I had no idea where the other 3 went. Nothing in Kitchen (PIR was needed here), nothing near the rear door (contact needed here), and nothing on the landing (again PIR needed here for full set).

Any ideas how to identify the cable? if I can identify this one cable I will feed it to the enforcer control panel and replace the WE module with the plus or X w/ lightbox.

Thanks,
Craig

 

[SFK]

Craig,
If you have a Multimeter,
Buy a resistor of a known value (say 10kohms) and join this to the two wires coming out of the wall at the bell box using a chock-block.

Then where your 7 wires are, use the Multimeter on resistance mode to test each pair of wires until it shows (about) 10kohms (the wire will add some resistance).
If the wires are not in pairs, pick one wire and go through the other 6, then pick another wire and go through the other 6, etc until you find the Resistance.
If want to double check you have the correct one

Multimeter:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-mas830b-digital-multimeter-600v/75337

Resistors
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...2.A0.H0.Xresistor.TRS0&_nkw=resistor&_sacat=0

SFK

 

[Craig242]

Craig,
If you have a Multimeter,
Buy a resistor of a known value (say 10kohms) and join this to the two wires coming out of the wall at the bell box using a chock-block.

Then where your 7 wires are, use the Multimeter on resistance mode to test each pair of wires until it shows (about) 10kohms (the wire will add some resistance).
If the wires are not in pairs, pick one wire and go through the other 6, then pick another wire and go through the other 6, etc until you find the Resistance.
If want to double check you have the correct one

Multimeter:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-mas830b-digital-multimeter-600v/75337

Resistors
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...2.A0.H0.Xresistor.TRS0&_nkw=resistor&_sacat=0

SFK

Cheers SFK

I have some chock-blocks and can borrow a multi-meter from a friend for testing. The bell box actually came with a resistor in the packaging so I'll see if I can find the ohms of this to see if it can be used.

Just to confirm, there was only 1 wire on the outside of the wall although it looked like (didn't pay much attention to it tbh) it had a few pairs of wires within it. Are you saying to take a pair of those wires and connect the resistor to each end then complete the circuit with the multi-meter at the other end?

Or just one single wire connected to a resistor at the bell box end and multimeter at the other?

Thanks for the links as well!

 

[SFK]

Craig,
Resistor idea sounds good - test it with the multimeter on Resistance setting and make note of its value before you use it on outside wall.

I am Suggesting: "From the cable that is outside, select two of the wires and connect the resistor across these two wires. Then complete the circuit with the multi-meter at the Inside end of the cable, testing each wire for Resistance." If the wires inside the cable are twisted pairs, then use one of these twisted pairs as this should make it easier to test and identify the wires at the Inside end of the Cable.

Here is a terrible picture I made.
It shows that you will get incorrect Resistance for all the other wires (no/zero resistance if wires are joined), some Resistance for all the other wires if say going to a PIR, but when you find the correct pair you will get (near) the resistor reading.

 

[Craig242]

Haha nice diagram SFK!

Thanks for the info, think I got confused with 2 physical wires rather than a pair of wires within a wire. I guess as long as they are linked together with a resistor one end and a multi-meter the other end it should make a circuit.

Cheers