I have a DSC panel. For the first time, I got a low battery warning. I replaced the battery at the panel with a brand new one and power cycled the panel, but the low battery error message returned again within 24 hours. Not sure what to do, or perhaps there is a battery powered sensor somewhere? Not sure how to locate/fix this.
I am not seeing any panel low battery alert returning. It looks like that was resolved. What I do see are a couple reports from a “Sensor 32” for low battery after the panel battery was resolved.
The odd thing is I do not see a “Sensor 32” in your device list. Did you get rid of any devices while troubleshooting this?
No.
But I have a key fob panic button sitting in a drawer that I never reconnected to the system after I switched to surety. Maybe that’s it? Do you see it elsewhere in the sensor list? I will replace the battery in that, but meanwhile, can you please tell me how I properly test and connect this to the system.
Confirming that I replaced the battery and the error message resolved
What is the model number of the keyfob?
If I recall correctly, the DSC panel does not transmit certain peripherals as zones to ADC, and I do not see any details for that device on your account.
If it is reporting low battery on your panel then it is connected. Can you arm and disarm from the keyfob? Or is it just a wireless panic button?
It’s definitely connected to the panel still, because the low battery notification on the panel immediately resolved as soon as I put new batteries in it.
WS4938 is the model number. It is a panic button only. Let me know if we need to test it’s signal to central station? And how?
You can place your account on test mode either in Alarm.com or in the system manager here at any time.
With your account on test mode you can then trigger a panic by pressing and holding the panic button. This should be received the same as a panel keypad panic.
Thanks. After I set the panic how do I turn it off? Just enter my alarm number in the panel?
yes, unless it is a latching wired hold-up button, in which case you would need to physically reset the switch too. For a wireless panic button like the WS4938 you have you would just disarm at the keypad.
Ok. I put it in test mode and pushed the panic button and nothing happened. Clearly, however, there is some connection to the panel because it detected the low battery…. So what do I do now?
To clarify, a panic button generally always has an activation delay on the button to avoid false triggers.
On the WS4938 you have to hold the button down for a full 2 seconds+ to activate the signal.
Nope. Doesn’t work
Wireless sensor enrollment is covered in the manual here on page 5. Try adding that device. Any luck?
But since it already detected this panic button because the panel could tell that it had a low battery, do I need to delete it from the panel first?
If that is definitely the device that the panel mentioned as Sensor 32, yes I would first check that zone.
If it is not activating any activity at the panel at all, it would be surprising if it was actually in there. I am trying to think of a scenario on a DSC panel programming where that might happen but coming up empty. It may just be it is programmed as something like a door sensor? But then I would expect to see it reported in your device list in Alarm.com.
Ideally we want to delete any existing zone and relearn the device.
I think I know what the issue is. When I switched to Surety, I changed out the cellular communicator. So how do I remove the sensor?
Enter installer programming. Navigate to wireless programming, section 804. Select the zone in question (should be 32). Then delete the serial number.
This should stop all signals from being accepted.
See the RF Keypad manual here for programming steps and location for wireless sensors. The instructions are on page 8.
Then try the pairing steps in the manual.
I followed all the instructions. Still doesn’t trigger the alarm…
Possible to set up a brief call to help me diagnose this?
Surety support is all online. Do you have any other of the same model of panic button or just the one?
Do you have any other wireless sensors on the system or are the rest wired?
My expectation, given that the button appears to relay battery status, is that the actual button portion is dead and it no longer transmits pushed events.
Are you using zone type option 16 for that sensor? What is the sensor ID it was learned in as?
It was learned to zone 32, and zone type 16.
I only have the one panic button. If I wanted to buy another one, which model do you recommend?