You always think you've seen it all

One of my customers moved to a house that already had an alarm system insta lled. Vista 20 panel with a zone expander, two keypads and get this...? ??

10 motion detectors and 9 audio glass break detectors. Two out of three doo rs have hard wired contacts. The third door has no contact (depends on moti on detector for detection). No windows have contacts. The motions detectors and the glass break detectors are located in the corn er of each room BUT ?.. they are mounted side by side on the flat s urface of the wall in the corner. In other words, the motion detector only covers half the room and the glass break detectors don't face the windows.

But, get this ?.. there was an addition put on the house. So the l0 th motion detector is mounted in the dirt floor three foot high crawl space under the addition that is separated from the original basement by the old foundation wall that has two basement windows as access. I guess because t he crawl space has an outside entrance. however, the two basement windows a re covered by a motion detector and a glass break detector located in the f inished basement.

There are three self contained 30 watt sirens in each of 3 attic vents powe red with an auxiliary power supply through a relay and the power supply als o powers all the glass breaks and motion detectors. No aux power is drawn f rom the panel. I'm guessing they did it that way because they had a problem sharing the power with the panel because they didn't know that you had to have a common ground between the supplies and they couldn't get it to work right.

There's also a smoke detector in the boiler room.

So ??. fix that ?.. why doncha!

I'm guessing that this is a perfect example of a DIY project.

Ya just don't know ????. what ya don't know .

Reply to
Jim Davis
Loading thread data ...

Jim,

And you................. Powered up, pressed * and # entered programming changed the installer code, Master Code for customer account number, and phone number, told the customer to call if he has a problem right??

I hope not!!!

Yes, it was definitely a DIY project for sure.

SCARY!!

Les

Reply to
ABLE1

nstalled. Vista 20 panel with a zone expander, two keypads and get this... ?

doors have hard wired contacts. The third door has no contact (depends on motion detector for detection). No windows have contacts.

corner of each room BUT ?.. they are mounted side by side on the fl at surface of the wall in the corner. In other words, the motion detector o nly covers half the room and the glass break detectors don't face the windo ws.

e l0th motion detector is mounted in the dirt floor three foot high crawl s pace under the addition that is separated from the original basement by the old foundation wall that has two basement windows as access. I guess becau se the crawl space has an outside entrance. however, the two basement windo ws are covered by a motion detector and a glass break detector located in t he finished basement.

powered with an auxiliary power supply through a relay and the power supply also powers all the glass breaks and motion detectors. No aux power is dra wn from the panel. I'm guessing they did it that way because they had a pro blem sharing the power with the panel because they didn't know that you had to have a common ground between the supplies and they couldn't get it to w ork right.

know.

Actually and fortunately I had pulled the equipment from his old house (jus t installed about a year ago. ( he moved because his wife just passed away)

So I was able to utilize his old sensing devices. I eliminated seven of the motion detectors. Only left those what were essential to detecting someone coming in from areas where windows were close to the ground. He had wirele ss in his old house so I was able to use some of the transmitters and other sensors on openings that were most vulnerable. I left the audio glass brea ks connected in each room and tested them. I showed him that they would res pond to a tester but told him that with blinds, curtains, drapes etc there' s a possibility they wouldn't. (noted in contract) He's a long time custome r and his whole family, brothers, sister and kids have been my customers fo r many years.

Oh, there was a splice up in the attic too. Seems that rather than bringing 4-wires down to the panel (basement) from each sensor they brought a singl e 4-wire for aux power up to the attic for all of the sensors. There were l abels on the wires but about four of them were labeled WRONG!. Multiple tri ps to the attic (80+ degrees outside) to trace which wires to disconnect fr om the unused PIR's. I could have just disconnected the power right at the sensor but ?. being as compulsive as I am, I just couldn't leave al l those wires "hot" if they weren't being used. And those wires plus all th e audio glass break wires plus the sirens and everything else was all stuff ed into a plastic electrical switch box. It's a good thing I wasn't standin g in the wrong place when I loosened the cover ?? "I cuda p ut my eye out" I couldn't put it all back in so it's just sort of hanging o ut. But the box is out of the way so ?..

OH the humanity !!!!!!

Reply to
Jim Davis

Psssssshaw! You don't know hot boy. If I was dealing with such frigid temps I might still be a wire monkey.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

ROFLOL

Reply to
ABLE1

t know.

Yeah, I can appreciate that, since you live in the baker's oven of the US. I understand that it's tradition down there that no one ever says "go to he ll" because they're already there.

80 degrees outside is probably like a cool winter evening to you. Although, if I remember right I seem to remember hearing that your nights ARE pretty cool.
Reply to
Jim Davis

We see freezing temps once in a great while, but no more than a quick frost the last few years. I have fished winter time tournaments where the water would come up the line more like a gel than a liquid, and you could feel the ice break on the spooled up line every time you made a cast. I've seen predawn temps in the teens (F) a few times over the years, but its been a while. Still 80 degrees is a beautiful day around here. Everyday over 100 some over 110 the last month or two. Had a couple overcast days where it barely hit 100, but the humidity was high so... 100 and dry is actually pretty nice if you are used to it. 100 and humid kills people, and not just in the Southwest.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.