Visonic Powermax and X10 problem

[mattey]

Hi all

I installed a Powemax Pro system and have been using the option for a PIR zone to trigger an X10 device. It works fine for a bit (a day)... then the PIR triggering stops working. The PIR ( a visonic Tower 20am) monitors the driveway and sounds a buzzer and turned on a lamp when activated. The exterior PIR works as it should, walk tested, LED comes on etc.

The Powermax can always be made to control the X10 devices from the keypad, by phone or via the web link, but the after a while the PIR zone will no longer trigger the X10 unless I go into installer mode and cycle though the "outputs" options (house code, x10 type, pulse when zone 10 is activated etc etc). X10 itself seems fairly reliable its just this one PIR will not reliably trigger the assigned X10 output.

I have checked and rechecked for programming conflicts, PIR operation etc, different house codes etc etc.... but no solution yet.

Does anyone have any ideas or experience of this?

thanks, dave

 

[Hoover]

Does the PIR work a set number of times before stopping?

ie 3 times then stops

then in and out of programming mode

or arming and disarming etc re enables the pir trigger?

 

[mattey]

Does the PIR work a set number of times before stopping?

ie 3 times then stops

then in and out of programming mode

or arming and disarming etc re enables the pir trigger?

Interesting questions I can partly answer

The only way to make it work reliably for a day is to go in and out of installer mode, but I haven't carried out controlled tests fully

I dont think it is a fixed no of times then stop (any reason why this should be so?) but it will work intermittently after a period of being OK ( checked it late last night, OK!! but hadn't worked the rest of the evening)

I have experimented setting a pulse OFF on arm and disarm to 'wake it it up' - no improvement.

I have set another zone with a door contact to trigger X10 and that works OK I think, but not tested long term. As I said X10 seems OK from the keypad or web, including the buzzer/light I am trying to trigger from the outside PIR.

I wonder if it is something I am not understanding about the Tower am20 PIR. I assume that when the red led flashes on after motion detected then it sends an alarm right away OR is the false alarm filtering sometimes stopping the power code transmission even though the LED is red? The sensitivity is still as factory set - maximum false alarm rejection.

thanks

dave

 

[Hoover]

I am not familiar with the system outlined, the question was some panels have a fixed number of activations of a sensor before it stops to function, then it requires a reset for it to work again, it sounded like it could be something similar.

If this was causing the problem you would get every 3 or 4 or what ever the number of activations were set to before the device stopped and then need to reset it to get it going again.

You may need more specific help than I can give you on this one, if you have the manuals for both I can look for you to see if anything jumps out at me.