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Any Home Security Alarm Experts Out There?
jbw1776
Member Posts: 3,056
I just purchased a small and simple First Alert/Security First wireless home security alarm (HSS202). I came with a control box, motion sensor and door/window magnet, and keychain on/off transmitter. I added their wireless keypad as well. I installed it on a small one room shop I built and it works great. The control box has a small siren built into it for inside the shop, but I wanted something louder to mount in the attic. I bought a Elk-45 self contained siren and mounted it. Being a wireless alarm system, the only way to arm/disarm is by using the keychain transmitter or the wireless keypad. It works fine. I wired in the Elk-45 to the control box and when I trip the alarm the control box siren and the Elk come alive. Really loud, exactly what I was wanting. The only problem is once the alarm is sounding with the ELK hooked up, I can't turn off the alarm with either the keychain or the keypad, I have to unplug the control box.[B)] When I disconect the Elk, trip the alarm, it turns on and off fine. Basically, once the Elk gets going there is no stopping it, until the alarm turns itself off at the 10min. I have it set for. Any ideas what could be going on? Any help is appreciated. Thanks
Ben
Ben
Comments
Is the aux siren activated by dry (relay) contacts, or a voltage pulse? Is it connected to the existing siren output, or an aux output?
I don't know the difference between dry and voltage. I'm going to say its connected to aux power. There is a row of terminals in the control box, from left to right:
P+ (the pos from the Elk-45 is hooked there)
V+ (the pos from the power supply)
V- (neg from supply and neg from siren)
Pow+ (nothing hooked here, but is hot all the time)
DIAL (tried hooking the pos from the siren here to the dialer, but didn't work it)
Ben
If so, does it reset when you turn the alarm off without the aux siren connected? If you have a VOM it makes figuring stuff out easier.
The P+ terminal provides a pulse (gets hot) when the alarm is tripped?
If so, does it reset when you turn the alarm off without the aux siren connected? If you have a VOM it makes figuring stuff out easier.
Yes the P+ gets hot when the alarm is tripped. I've never had anything else hooked to it but would assume it resets after the alarm is off as I can trip the alarm withoput the aux siren hooked up, turn it off, and when I plug in the aux it is not hot yet, until I trip it again. Sorry I'm not much help, I'm new to these things. I don't know the output power of the control box, the manual doesn't say. the Elk draws 1.2amp on high and 700Ma on low. I have tried it on both settings and it doesn't make a difference, so I put it back on the high setting just because it was louder and the control box seems to run it fine.
EDIT: forgot to add that when I said that once the Elk gets going there is no cutting it off, what I meant was once the alarm is tripped with the Elk hooked up, I can't turn off any part of the alarm with the keypad/keychain. The controler box alarm will not turn off either. If I let it run its 10min alarm duration (what its set at) it will turn itself off (Elk too) and the keypad/keychain works again as its suposed to. Just when the alarn is tripped with the Elk hooked up is when I have no control over it. Without the Elk hooked up and the alarm is tripped I can turn it off with the keypad/keychain just fine.
Ben
Is there an antenna for the wireless control? Try making sure the aux siren's horn is as far away from it as possible.
If the manual control will work, there's your answer.
The power supply for the panel is only 800MA , it looks like you are trying to pull more power than the system can handle while in the alarm state than what it can handle thus causing it to freeze until the alarm times out. Try using a smaller wattage siren or get a speaker and use a voltage driven siren driver, these require less power.
There is no manual on/off, only wireless.
tneff, when I put the siren on low power it says it only draws 700ma, why wouldn't that work? Also, since I'm inexperience when it comes to all this, can you give me a pointer on what to look for that you think WILL work with this control box. I'm trying to get something in the attic as loud as this control box can handle. Any thing to wire into the existing Elk that will reduce its pull, so I don't have to buy another siren? I do have an Elk-100 siren driver that I have extra, but it says it pulls 1.2amp on high and 800ma on low as well. Would hooking this to a speaker instead of a siren help? Thanks to both of you for your help.
EDIT: tneff, do you think this would work?
http://www.elkproducts.com/products/elk-ss15.htm
Ben