Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - wireless sensor gone bad

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imlala
12-20-04, 11:40 AM
hello, i have an adt system. it's a safewatch pro 2000, the vista 20 se version. i believe i have a 6128rf keypad(how do i tell?) with ademco 5816 window and door sensors.
i thought the battery went bad on one of the sensors but replacing it doesn't seem to fix the problem. the alarm goes off on its own...seems to maybe be related to the phone line.
anyway, if i buy a new sensor how do i program the new serial number into the system? i see you all talking about the need for 2-line alpha keypads to do the programming. is this something else i need to purchase or can i use the keypad i already have? can i enter the *20, installer code, then *83 right at my existing keypad?
your help is greatly appreciated!!


MrRonFL
12-20-04, 04:04 PM
If the zone is actually closing so that you get the ready light, I doubt that the issue is a bad transmitter.

Your comment concerning the telephone line is a bit confusing as well. ADT installations routinely put a tamper on the RJ-31X phone jack plug, and if its been unplugged or damaged, it could generate an alarm (it's usually programmed as a 24 hour zone of some type).

What specific zone is showing in alarm?

imlala
12-21-04, 05:46 AM
hello mrRon, thanks for your reply.

the system has been functioning fine for 4 years.
i noticed that the zone (front door) was no longer chiming when i opened the door. i assumed the battery was bad and so replaced it. i never received any checks or warnings. after replacing the batt, the zone wouldn't ready.
i got ADT on the line, we cleared the system and it was seemingly ok. as soon as i opened the door the zone went back into fault and wouldn't ready when the door was closed.

the zone will ready now...sometimes, but will also fault on it's own after awhile.

i mentioned the phone because for years i have occasionaly heard a fax or modem sound when receiving two quick successive calls. the caller would call back and the line would be fine. i never even thought of the alarm until reading some other post here on the web.

no changes have been made to the alarm (except the sensor batt) or the phone system in 4 yrs. i'm not using any new wireless devices.

i figured spending $40 on a new sensor was better than paying ADT $150+.
do i also have to purchase another keypad? (6139?) to do the programming.

thank you again!


MrRonFL
12-21-04, 05:59 PM
If you know exactly what you are trying to program, you can learn a new transmitter in with the fixed keypad, but it's a little tricky. You most certainly need the installer manual to pull it off.

It really does sound like you may well have a failing transmitter (entropy does win, sooner or later).

The telephone thing may be that your panel may be set to pick up the line after a ring, handup, ring sequence. It's a common means of dealing with answering machines when you are setting up remote programming (ADTs SOP).

imlala
12-22-04, 06:04 AM
excellent, that's what i want to try to do. i have the installation manual, owners manual, etc. i know the installer code.
my question is; do i, can i, enter those codes at my keypad once i receive the new sensor?
it seems that i need to enter the installer code, 8+0, then *83 for sequential mode zone entry, then until i get to the zone in question, then fault the sensor for it to learn the serial number of the new sensor.
or am i way off? :)

this forum is great! happy holiday's everyone!

MrRonFL
12-22-04, 04:33 PM
Actually, you want *56 mode.

You will not see the prompts, so you have to keep mental track of where you are (I'm lousy at that, so I keep an old alpha keypan in my toolbox). Since you are only dealing with a single transmitter, this isn't too bad. The easy way is to write the steps ahead of time and check them off as you go:

Have the new transmitter close at hand, with the magnet aligned with the proper spot on the case. Make sure that no one is moving around in line of sight of a wireless motion, or opening any doors or windows.

Get to program mode
go to *56
enter 0 to skip the program tool menus
enter the 2 digit zone number that you are trying to replace the xmitter for
press * seven times.
press 1, then move the magnet away from the transmitter, you should get 2 beeps. Put the magnet back, and you should get 3 beeps.
Press *
press 0
press 00, this should return you to regular program mode, exit with *99

The only curveball is that one of the modifications made for the ADT versions of these panels is that they don't have the partition option; in which case there would only be 6 presses of * in the fifth step.

If you read through the *56 instruction in your manual, you will see what each of the keypresses should be doing. If you have the manual specific to that panel, you will see if the partition info step is in there or not.