I installed 4x PowerG Combination Door/Window Shock Sensor on my patio doors. To ensure the sensors would be most sensitive to shock I placed the sensors on the actual door (just outside the glass) and the magnetic reed switches on the frame. I have an IQ Panel 4. The door open/close sensing is working well, and the sensors are all set to Door/Window Combination-M
What is the right way to test the actual shock sensors? I was using the “glass break” test in my panel but realized I likely was just testing my panel’s glass break settings When I look at the sensor statuses and bang on the windows I don’t get much of a reading.
If you enable chimes/voice for that sensor you should hear that chime when the shock is tripped. You can also enable the activation LED in sensor settings in the panel for that zone.
Rap on the window/door with a solid object. Does it activate?
Can you post a photo of the installation location for one of the sensors and let me know which zone number it is?
Here is the detail you’re asking for. I think already had chimes/voice for the sensor. As far as I can tell, tripping shock is the same as the door open f/b right?
I updated all 4 sensors to be on highest sensitivity level (1) - they were previously on normal. My patio doors come in 2 styles - and I attached images of the sensor installation on both styles.
At the highest sensitivity, banging on the main pane generally triggers the shock sensor, but banging on the opposite pane generally doesn’t. I would have thought the shock sensors might be more sensitive than this. Any obvious things I might want to try or tweak?
One image also shows IQ Panel 4 settings for one of the doors.
Depending on the construction, the sensor will generally be more insulated from vibration on an adjacent pane than the one it is attached to.
Hitting with your palm will deaden some of the vibration as well.
To verify, is the sensor connected to the door by screws or did you use tape? Tape will insulate the sensor from vibrations.
The manual specifies typical coverage dimensions:
Door frame height: typical 7ft to 8ft (213 to 244 cm) 1/2
Door frame width: typical 1ft to 4ft (30.5 to 122 cm) 1/2
Door frame thickness: 11/2" to 13/4" (3.8 to 4.4 cm)
Window/glass insert size: any size that will fit within the door frame listed above. Install the contact so that a door or window cannot be opened more than 2" (5.1cm) without causing an alarm condition
For a larger bank of glass like that first image you may need multiple shock sensors. Do the left and middle glass panes slide open on that door? Open close wouldn’t currently be detected for the middle one if so.
No tape used - I installed per guidelines using provided screws. It true that adding a door/open close on the double-doors may make sense but they also have physical anchors at bottom to prevent entry (and the right-side ones are always set).
Sounds like I did all I could then. I know there are sensitivity adjustments on the sensor itself. Do those work at all, or are they ignored by IQ Panel 4?
You should have access to all the same sensitivity levels on the panel as you do on board the sensor. The sensor just goes from 1-19 and the panel is setting those values in the sensor. You could test changing it on the sensor to make sure the settings are actually being applied properly and if there is any difference in result, but sensitivity should be 1 for 1 between sensor and panel.
The on board configuration can help identify what sensitivity is needed. You could also try turning on the accumulate option in the on board settings.