Rendered useless...

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

I managed to blow the fuse in our intruder alarm yesterday while moving a PIR (we don't have the engineer code for the system, so I couldn't power it down without the alarm going off).

Now I had been meaning to check over the alarm system for some time, to see if, like everything else in the house, it had been bodged. At least the alarm had been installed by a company rather than by the previous residents or their incompetent friends/workmen.

Anyway, I could hear the alarm but it seemed curiously muted. We normally only heard the internal sounder, which is plenty load enough.

It turns out then when the property was re-rendered, over pebbledash as it turns out, they had just gone over/around everything. I already knew about partially buried IP JBs, and totally covered coax cables.

But surely not.... but then the alarm box always did look quite shallow...





The microswitch lever arrangement that would have set the alarm off if the bellbox was levered off the wall or the cover removed (fat chance of that without the use of a chisel!) is sort of squashed into the old pebble dash, plus the bolt on the pivot plate is too tight so the cover could have been removed without the switch moving or activating.



SO I now need to completely remove the box, render behind, hope that the wire is still long enough, refix, clear out all the long entombed dead spiders and web, adjust and lubricate the microswitch pivot, repaint to make good.

FUN.

 

[Apache]

SO I now need to completely remove the box, render behind, hope that the wire is still long enough, refix, clear out all the long entombed dead spiders and web, adjust and lubricate the microswitch pivot, repaint to make good.

All with the alarm going off? :run

Andy TM might have the code - maybe shoot him a PM?

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

All with the alarm going off? :run Andy TM might have the code - maybe shoot him a PM?

No - the whole thing is powered down, link removed in bell box, and until I find a replacement 1 amp fuse for the control box I can't recommission it anyway.

Plus I don't seem to have any cement at the mo to do the render.

This was a job I wasn't expecting to have to do! X(

The engineer code will be whatever they set it to as far as I know - I suppose they might have just left the default in if it has a default code. I wouldn't put it past a lot of security firms!

 

[a1]

So what happens if the houseowner, forgets the Alarm code that they set? Surely, that is one of the ideas behind an Engineer Code? It can/will over-ride the old one?

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

So what happens if the houseowner, forgets the Alarm code that they set? Surely, that is one of the ideas behind an Engineer Code? It can/will over-ride the old one?

You probably have to phone up the company say "Please Help! Now! Will send money!"

We cancelled the

 

[Andy™]

So what happens if the houseowner, forgets the Alarm code that they set? Surely, that is one of the ideas behind an Engineer Code? It can/will over-ride the old one?

engineer code will not let you change user code. if you do forget user code, you will need to reset panel to factory settings to get default codes, and then reprogram alarm. only catch is if the engineer code is locked, then unless you already know it, you cant re-program alarm. but at least you will have user code!

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Andy™]

Thought as much. So the only way to get the engineer code (which would be handy for maintenance) is to ask the alarm installation company? Do you know how the engineer code is usually stored? Is it on a RAM chip? If so it must be erasable...

you would have to ask the installation company.

all alarms i install have their engineer code changed (its also locked so wont go to default). if anyone wants the engineer code, itll cost them a callout (i wont give them the code, but ill change it),unless they ask for it to be kept as default or other on installation. either way, the warranty is void.(except stuff that cant happen due to them messing with settings)

alarm code would be stored on a chip - along with all other alarm info. i guess if you can read/write to the chips then you could get the code, but its probably easier to replace the panel. you could probably send the panel back to manufacturers for them to re-set

 

[Badger]

So what happens if the houseowner, forgets the Alarm code that they set? Surely, that is one of the ideas behind an Engineer Code? It can/will over-ride the old one?

no admin, the reason for an engineer code is for programming the panel, no intruder panel will allow an engineers code to set unset or change the user code, the only thing it will stop when the panel is in engineer mode is the tamper going off, im a security installer, and i lock the enigeers code, as if there is a power fail it stops people messing the programming up then trying to blame my company, if the alarm suddenly wont work due to the programming being changed.

 

[AAAMUSEMENTS]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Andy™]

Well I won't get the installers out, the price that they charged the previous owners for a basic install that is borderline poor/ just about adequate does not fill me with confidence.there is no Eprom in the control box so the memory must be stored on RAM. And RAM requires power to maintain it's memory (except for FerroRAM). So it must be possible to lose the settings and codes - all of them.

The documents include a little printout showing the settings that were programmed in at some point - not sure how it was programmed though.

many alarms store in NVM. doesnt need power to keep settings.