False alarm due to temperature????

Check the wire resistance. What brand of contacts are you using?

Jim Rojas

snipped-for-privacy@hboi.edu wrote:

Recheck your connections to the contacts. Find out what total loop resistance is (on all loops hopefully). Check gap distance on openings. Find out what the loop response time is on the control panel. Check for inductances and grounds.

He uses the brand that false at low temperature. It's not a bug, it's a feature. It sounds the alarm to let you know to bring in the pets, cover the plants, and protect the pipes. False alarm fees are an optional extra.

RHC: Sir, once an alarm has been hit by lightning, all bets are off. Damage can be done which doesn't show up for awhile, immediately, or never. The panel is no longer reliable once this happens and it's best to simply replace it. You could get lucky and only have some external components damaged; however, there are a multitude of components on the board itself that can be damaged or stressed.

If it's monitored, have your dealer replace the main board. If it's not monitored, then it really doesn't matter; just try to fix what doesn't work and if that doesn't solve the problem, then replace the panel. It can often be a real pain to trace down the problems though....

Hmm lets look at the basics

1. It's an old Radio Shack system
2. It was self installed
3. It was hit by lightning
5. You don't know why it's having a problem

What's your point?

My point was #4

Ah. Now I see.

Duh

I've had one of mine hit by lightning. Fried it. Get a whole new system, this time not Radio Shaq.

RHC: There was a time that Rat Shack alarm systems were pure garbage. Then for awhile (at least here in Canada) they were pushing Ademco / Honeywell products, then they went back to the "low end" DIY stuff. I don't know what they are pushing these days but if it's like the old days, then it's pure garbage.

Cripes ! You'd wonder why anyone would buy that kind of cheap stuff when professional grade alarm systems are widely available over the internet for peanuts....

Yeah, no kidding!!

For some reason I thought RadShak had stopped selling alarms at all. Maybe not?

Well, not quite peanuts but we sell professional alarm gear for a fraction of what most local alarm companies charge.

The best they ever did was a proprietary Commander 2000 from ADT, everything else sold through stores was very low end Ademco-made systems

Yes but remember, it doesn't matter what equipment it is he installed it and couldn't figure out why it didn't work correctly after being hit by lightning

1. I was walking down the road
2. I wasn't looking
3. I was hit by a car
5. I don't know why the car hit me

See?

Thats like saying Home Depot sells lumber for a fraction of what most carpenters charge.

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Check the wire resistance as others have suggested.

If the battery is very old consider replacing it. Batteries don't like the cold.

What resistance should I be seeing? If I am on the edge of the panel reading the loop as open vs closed, will the temp drop affect resistance enough to cause a false alarm?

It could, yes. It could also be contacts going bad (especially the older non-sealed type), oxidation on the contacts, or the panel itself (you said it was hit by lightning).

Remove the loop from panel and measure with the windows closed (closed loop) assuming there is no EOL resistor you should read less than 30 ohms.