DSC PC5010 Battery Low Error

I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my keypad gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery for a new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to 10 volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my battery to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13 volts. I placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week later I had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I thought my transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC transformer. I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery charger again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low battery light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may have been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging unit, I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new PC5010 board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the leds coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I checked the battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the battery, and I get a total of 10 volts.

What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing charged?? please help!!

Reply to
mikee
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Remove all devices that require power. I have a feeling you have a wire shorting somewhere.

The VAC should be 16.5-18VAC, not 13.5...check if you have the correct transformer.

With all devices disconnected, power up the panel and take your readings. If everything is fine, hook up one device at a time. Take a reading each time you power up a device.

Jim Rojas

Reply to
Jim Rojas

What's the current draw on the aux power terminals? Your transformer should be reading anywhere between 16.5 to 17 VAC (up to 19 VAC "free air" - not connected). Output on the charger (battery connected) should be about 13.6 - 13.7 VDC.

Reply to
Frank Olson

The current draw on the aux power terminals is 12.16 VDC. The bell terminal is 1 VDC. The terminals connected to the battery reads 12.17 VDC. The terminals to power the board from the transformer reads 17.89 VAC.

Reply to
mikee

That's "voltage", not "current".

Charging voltage is a bit on the low side. It should be around 13.6 - 13.8.

That's actually good.

Reply to
Frank Olson

What else could be wrong?

Frank Ols>

Reply to
mikee

You need to check the VDC coming from the battery leads out of the panel (without batt. connected) to check charging voltage, NOT VAC. It needs to be about 13.8VDC. If it's zero than replace the batt. fuse, if it's low there is a trim pot on the board to adjust it up.

Reply to
G. Morgan

how many devices do you have connected, what's their total current draw ratings? &/or measure your current draw on you aux power terminals

| > > The current draw on the aux power terminals is 12.16 VDC. | >

| > That's "voltage", not "current". | >

| >

| > > The bell | > > terminal is 1 VDC. The terminals connected to the battery reads

12.17 | > > VDC. | >

| > Charging voltage is a bit on the low side. It should be around 13.6 -

13.8. | >

| > > The terminals to power the board from the transformer reads 17.89 | > > VAC. | >

| > That's actually good. |

Reply to
Crash Gordon

There are no "fuses" on the 5010. And they've done away with the trim pot in favour of a "dynamic charger".

Reply to
Frank Olson

What's the current load on your aux power terminals? That's the "Amps" setting on your meter, not "Voltage".

Reply to
Frank Olson

Yeah, well... At least I know how to spell "favor".

Reply to
G. Morgan

See?? I always knew you were on the "brainy end". ;-)

Reply to
Frank Olson

Frank is right there is no pot or fuses on board for adjustment. The battery terminals (without Battery connected) is 13.6 VDC. The battery itself is 12.1 VDC, There are 3 devices connected to the Aux. terminals. I just bought the battery about 1 month ago.

Frank Ols> > > >

Reply to
mikee

and in series with one of the aux terminals

Reply to
Crash Gordon

What kind of battery? You still need to measure your current draw on aux...see different part of this thread. Some device is probably overdrawing your aux power.

"mikee" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com... | Frank is right there is no pot or fuses on board for adjustment. The | battery terminals (without Battery connected) is 13.6 VDC. The battery | itself is 12.1 VDC, There are 3 devices connected to the Aux. | terminals. I just bought the battery about 1 month ago. | | | Frank Olson wrote: | > G. Morgan wrote: | > > On 2 Sep 2006 07:19:37 -0700, "mikee" wrote: | > >

| > >

| > >>I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my keypad | > >>gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery for a | > >>new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error | > >>message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to 10 | > >>volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm | > >>installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my battery | > >>to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13 volts. I | > >>placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week later I | > >>had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I thought my | > >>transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC transformer. | > >>I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery charger | > >>again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low battery | > >>light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may have | > >>been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging unit, | > >>I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new PC5010 | > >>board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the | > >>battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the leds | > >>coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I checked the | > >>battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the battery, | > >>and I get a total of 10 volts. | > >>

| > >>What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing | > >>charged?? please help!! | > >

| > >

| > >

| > > You need to check the VDC coming from the battery leads out of the | > > panel (without batt. connected) to check charging voltage, NOT VAC. | > > It needs to be about 13.8VDC. If it's zero than replace the batt. | > > fuse, if it's low there is a trim pot on the board to adjust it up. | > >

| >

| >

| > There are no "fuses" on the 5010. And they've done away with the trim | > pot in favour of a "dynamic charger". |

Reply to
Crash Gordon

I'm having a problem with my meter. Can someone help me understand this..I have a meter that has 2 lead connnection for Amps, One connection states "Fused 200mA MAX" and the other states "Unfused

10A/60sec MAX". I originally tried to measure the Amps with the fused terminal, and I had no reading whatsoever as I placed my leads on the PC5010 Aux + and - connections. I then tried the unfused lead connection, at a setting on the meter of 200mA. The minute I place my leads on the Aux + and - connections, I had a brief spark! so I didn't attempt that again. Obviously I am doing something wrong here. ( BTW, Thanks to all for trying to help me with this)

Crash Gord> What kind of battery?

Reply to
mikee

I was also thinking of just removing all Aux. term connections, and then power up the 5010 and hook up the battery and then wait and see if it charges back up. If it did I would connect one device at a time to see what effects it may have on the battery. What do you think about that approach?

Crash Gord> What kind of battery?

Reply to
mikee

Remove all the wires from one side of the aux power terminals, connect one of the meter leads to the the now empty terminal, connect the other meter lead to the wires you just removed from the terminal. Use the 10A connection first, if the reading is less than 200mA then switch to the lower setting for a more accurate reading, assuming you haven't blown the 200mA fuse in the meter.

Doug

Reply to
Doug L

deeper and deeper

| >

| > Crash Gordon wrote: | >> What kind of battery? | >> You still need to measure your current draw on aux...see different part | >> of | >> this thread. | >> Some device is probably overdrawing your aux power. | >>

| >> | > >

| >> | > >>I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my | >> keypad | >> | > >>gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery | >> for a | >> | > >>new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error | >> | > >>message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to

10 | >> | > >>volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm | >> | > >>installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my | >> battery | >> | > >>to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13 volts. | >> I | >> | > >>placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week | >> later | >> I | >> | > >>had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I thought | >> my | >> | > >>transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC | >> transformer. | >> | > >>I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery | >> charger | >> | > >>again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low | >> battery | >> | > >>light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may | >> have | >> | > >>been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging | >> unit, | >> | > >>I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new | >> PC5010 | >> | > >>board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the | >> | > >>battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the leds | >> | > >>coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I checked | >> the | >> | > >>battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the | >> battery, | >> | > >>and I get a total of 10 volts. | >> | > >>

| >> | > >>What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing | >> | > >>charged?? please help!! | >> | > >

| >> | > >

| >> | > >

| >> | > > You need to check the VDC coming from the battery leads out of the | >> | > > panel (without batt. connected) to check charging voltage, NOT | >> VAC. | >> | > > It needs to be about 13.8VDC. If it's zero than replace the batt. | >> | > > fuse, if it's low there is a trim pot on the board to adjust it up. | >> | > >

| >> | >

| >> | >

| >> | > There are no "fuses" on the 5010. And they've done away with the | >> trim | >> | > pot in favour of a "dynamic charger". | >> | | >

| |

Reply to
Crash Gordon

I removed the 3 aux. wires, checked it with my Amp meter and I have 2 wires at about 35mA and another at 27mA.

mikee wrote:

Reply to
mikee

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