Yale HSA6200 problem

[simmychick]

We have installed a HSA6200 wireless alarm kit. This alarm has worked perfectly since purchased and fitted in August 2017 (The product has a 2 year guarantee according to the manual). The problem started several weeks ago with the siren sounding (falsely) approximately 1 hour after arming.

After checking everything including batteries and tampers but finding no issues, we decided to remove the siren box from the outside wall to prevent neighbour complaints.

The siren box has since been screwed to a flat wood board and left undisturbed indoors. We continued to arm the alarm when going out to test after removing one sensor which we thought might be the only possible fault. This did not solve anything as sometimes we got a false alarm and sometimes it worked fine. Now the alarm siren is sounding randomly when not armed. Since it started doing this, we have not tried to use it at all.

I have telephoned Yale several times and have yet to speak to anyone. After being on hold for 20-30 minutes, the line disconnects.

I have emailed Yale and got an automated response directing me back to their website as they say "Yale are committed to improving their service and support to customers" so effectively there is no such service. I have tried a Facebook message but again no reply and there are plenty of other comments on there with the same frustration at lack of response.

I am hopeful that the Yale expert who helps posters on here will have a possible solution.

 

[JohnD]

have you changed all the batteries? While you do that, check they are all firmly fixed to the wall and lids are tight, so the tamper sensor doesn't go off. Clean the terminals with a toothbrush that you have rubbed on a surface that you have sprayed with WD40 so there is just a trace on the bristles.

rarely, radio frequency interference can affect them. Is it near an internet router, wireless baby alarm, cordless phone, doorbell etc? Might be in the house next door.

Move the siren to a different part of the house

 

[simmychick]

Wow that was quick. The batteries have all been checked and any that were low have been replaced. The lids are all tight and screwed firmly to the wall. Just for info though, would a tamper fault on one of the senors not be causing more siren alarms than say, once a day at random times? It hasn't gone off during the night yet (hope I don't regret making that statement!).

I don't think there is any interference from anything, certainly nothing newly fitted in this house, but I will ask the neighbours and move the siren box into a back bedroom. Thanks for your advice.

 

[JohnD]

There's a faint chance the sun could be shining on something, maybe causing heat expansion.

If it was a timed appliance, like a boiler, causing interference, it would tend to go off at the same time each day. If something manually operated, not when the house was empty.

I'd be thinking about the siren, but you can take out the batteries from all the sensors and see if it stops happening. If it does, put them back in half of them, to narrow it down.

p.s.

If you put the siren in a shed at the bottom of the garden, or in the boot of the car (wrapped in pillows) it will be further away from any interference.

Radio transmitters and arc-welders have been mentioned as sources. It's possible for an electronics hobbyist or a burglar to generate interference, but we've never heard of a case where this was associated with a Yale break-in. Millionaire diamond collectors usually have better alarms, and teenage crackheads just use a brick. It's possible to turn off the interference detection, but much better to find the source.

 

[bernardgreen]

from the Yake manual

The switch you need to turn off "interference detection" is in the siren. One of the progamming switches shown here.

As JohnD has mentioned

or a burglar to generate interference, but we've never heard of a case where this was associated with a Yale break-in.

Whoever the "we" is they are ill informed. Several petty criminals have been found to be "going equiped" with jammers.

Turning OFF "interference detection" is the same as turning OFF the tamper detection. Thus any jamming or blocking (malicious or accidental) that prevents the siren being triggered will not be detected.

And the latest type of radio receiver ? AM ( Amplitude Modulation ) was how radio signals were transmitted way back in the 1920's and before, AM is still used but it is far from "the latest"

 

[JohnD]

"going equiped"

you don't seem to mention

a case where this was associated with a Yale break-in.

 

[sparkymarka]

Go and buy a proper alarm ....that actually tells you what the issue is instead of this Micky mouse stuff ...no wonder it only cost around £100 ....

 

[simmychick]

The switch you need to turn off "interference detection" is in the siren. One of the progamming switches shown here.

Turning OFF "interference detection" is the same as turning OFF the tamper detection. Thus any jamming or blocking (malicious or accidental) that prevents the siren being triggered will not be detected

Can I ask for a clarification on this. Does turning OFF the interference detection also permanently turn OFF the tamper detection on the whole alarm system (siren box and individual sensors)?

 

[bernardgreen]

The tamper ( interference ) detector activates when the radio channel is blocked / jammed and the siren is unable to receive commands from the control panel.

The siren box is receive only, it cannot send messages to the control panel. Therefore when it detects that it is being blocked or jammed all it can do is sound an alarm.

When the tamper ( interference ) detector in the siren is disabled the panel will still have active tamper detection. The sensors are transmit only and therefor cannot detect if the radio channel is being blocked or jammed. The panel should be able to detect if the radio channel is being blocked or jammed. It could then create an alarm at the panel but if the radio channel is blocked then the panel cannot send a command to the siren.

 

[JohnD]

HSA6200

does not have a control panel

Interference detection circuit in the siren has nothing to do with Tamper switches in the siren or in the sensors.

 

[bernardgreen]

Interference detection circuit in the siren has nothing to do with Tamper switches

Correct..... The tamper switch in the siren is the switch that detects that the box siren has been pulled off the wall or that the cover has been removed.

Interference detection circuit is part of the radio receiver system.

does not have a control panel

My error.