Optima panels & replacing bell box

[Groovejet]

I'm replacing 2.bell boxes.
The existing boxes have connector blocks with no markings. Although I realise it's not hard for you guys to identify the wires.
The complications for me is there are 4 panels , 2 bell boxes out the front & 1 out the back of house.
I'm just not sure about the links & the resisters ?
Can someone help please?
In the pictures but out of view, there is a led that has a Black & red wires to it .
Then siren & strobe.
1 wire that's puzzling is the 2nd picture, 3rd connection . It looks orange in pic. But it's faded yellow with streaks of red running down it.
It's connected to the link wire(green)
I looked in flat 1 & couldn't see this wire in the panel. So I'm guessing it's from the back bell box??
And to complicate things the panel we opened was scorched from heat damage, over the years. When we fitted case back it wouldn't reset with the code. So we isolated by the landlords supply. This turned all 4 flats off.
I also had to remove a wire in panel for alarm to stop (scb) . Because even after removing 12v battery & fuse spur in flat, the back bell box wouldn't stop sounding.

 

[secureiam]

Don’t see a battery in the bell boxes, it has to get power from somewhere, 1 of the four panels???

looks like it’s an off on sounder with diodes to stop feedback rather than resistors but can’t be certain as it’s a tad dirty. That would make some kind of sense if it’s wired to four panels.

You say it’s 4 panels linked to two bell boxes.

Wire colours are not important it’s what they are connected to.

picture of panel wiring may make things a little clearer.
what bells are replacing these with?

a little early for me to be thinking too hard just yet. Not something you see everyday.

 

[Deryck Tintagel]

My best guess so far - not sure about the white wire in the first picture with the LED connected

Panel reds connect to 12V
Panel blacks are the bell (-) connections
Panel yellos are the strobe (-) connections

 

[sparkymarka]

some one is going to have a headache with this one ….

 

[secureiam]

some one is going to have a headache with this one ….

Can't say I would fancy doing that as it is but.......

Maybe look at pulling new 8core cables from each panel and four new bell boxes.
Guessing they are being replaced because they don't work properly?

I would want to know what the state of play was before starting and if I cant test what is in as working, then it would be easier to start from scratch with fresh cables and new bells I suspect.

 

[sparkymarka]

And I wonder what state the optimas are in ? Burnt out battery resistors is a probable……

 

[Groovejet]

Don’t see a battery in the bell boxes, it has to get power from somewhere, 1 of the four panels???

looks like it’s an off on sounder with diodes to stop feedback rather than resistors but can’t be certain as it’s a tad dirty. That would make some kind of sense if it’s wired to four panels.

You say it’s 4 panels linked to two bell boxes.

Wire colours are not important it’s what they are connected to.

picture of panel wiring may make things a little clearer.
what bells are replacing these with?

a little early for me to be thinking too hard just yet. Not something you see everyday.

Your bang on, sorry. They are 2 diodes yes. And the other box's wiring has the link.
And there's no battery in boxes.
So 4 flats, 4 optimas, 3 bell boxes.
2 boxes in pictures at front of house. 1 box at back of house, but boxes are 3 stories up, I've only got access due to scaffold that's been up 6 months ...lol.....Now the scaffold lads are wanting to take it all down. So that's where I come in.

Don’t see a battery in the bell boxes, it has to get power from somewhere, 1 of the four panels???

looks like it’s an off on sounder with diodes to stop feedback rather than resistors but can’t be certain as it’s a tad dirty. That would make some kind of sense if it’s wired to four panels.

You say it’s 4 panels linked to two bell boxes.

Wire colours are not important it’s what they are connected to.

picture of panel wiring may make things a little clearer.
what bells are replacing these with?

a little early for me to be thinking too hard just yet. Not something you see everyday.

 

[Groovejet]

View attachment 270740

My best guess so far - not sure about the white wire in the first picture with the LED connected

Panel reds connect to 12V
Panel blacks are the bell (-) connections
Panel yellos are the strobe (-) connection

Lovely effort there. Appreciate that for real

 

[Groovejet]

Can't say I would fancy doing that as it is but.......

Maybe look at pulling new 8core cables from each panel and four new bell boxes.
Guessing they are being replaced because they don't work properly?

I would want to know what the state of play was before starting and if I cant test what is in as working, then it would be easier to start from scratch with fresh cables and new bells I suspect.

Very sensible thought there. But the house is a 100 year old , 3 story town house....HUGE...And then there's 4 flats. It's not a option I don't think.

 

[secureiam]

What are your replacement bell boxes to be?

I don’t have access to the site, however if that’s not possible you need to check you can fire each panel via bell and strobe tests.

if you can operate each one from each of the panels you have a fighting chance of wiring new bell boxes in their place. If you can’t think you will struggle without new cables.

 

[Groovejet]

And I wonder what state the optimas are in ? Burnt out battery resistors is a probable……

That panel we removed stopped working as soon as we removed it. Even isolating the fuse spur, removing the 12v battery terminals, & also disconnecting the panels sounder.....The Rear House Bell Box kept on sounding.
Granted....We hadn't been into the 3 remaining flats, to isolate their power. So lastly, we isolated the Landlords main power, located under the stairs, which turned off the Fire Alarms & Intruder Alarms in the entire building.
Additionally the Optimas transformer located inside the alarm panel, there's loads of scorching from heat. I'd say substantially more damage than I've noticed before in any alarm panel.
No matter what we did, we couldn't reset the panel. So we put this down to "It was just waiting patiently for us to turn up, then screw us over!"
I can't be sure here, but after isolating the landlords power I think the rear bell box was still Blurring away, so i once again removed the Optima panel & disconnected the "scb" wire, finally silence

 

[Groovejet]

What are your replacement bell boxes to be?
Do these ring a bell?
Kinetic Aztech 220 External Sounder with Cover (KIN-AZ-220)

 

[secureiam]

so on your current bellbox you have

Siren
Strobe
Comfort LED.

can’t see where all the wires go to be fair.

 

[secureiam]

so you could swap the siren wires out of the chop block and wire to the bell positive and the bell trigger and the siren should trigger.

 

[sparkymarka]

Sounds like a mess ….a job that most people will walk away from …can see this thread going on forever and still not getting resolved ….