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[newsecure]

Help, This thing is driving me nuts. I have to zones, One door and One window on the same side of my house, The door lights up on the console when I go thru the door and sometimes stays lit as if the door is still open. The window flashes as if it needs batteries, I tried to reset the sensor to send a new code and now it says the window is open and stays lit.  This seems to happen every couple of days, not sure it its becasue its winter and the electric heat is on?  I am clueless and now I cant get that window to say its closed, just stays lit. Any suggestions??

[HA Dave]

........................................ not sure it its becasue its winter and the electric heat is on?

Does that mean it was working in summer?

[newsecure]

Yep,  Everything works great in the summer and soon as it gets cold I start having problems. I had the problem two days ago. I intialized the console and reinstalled everything and today its acting funny again. I even tried replacing the DS10A in those two zones. I tried moving them to a different zone and no difference. The door is tempermental, but the window is the one that has me puzzled. It was blinking, so I replaced the batteries , still blinking, so I held the test button in for 10 seconds, now I got a solid light as if the window was open. If I open the window the DS10A blinks, but the console still says solid as if the window is open. I have pulled the batteries and now am waiting 4 hours to see what happens.

Not sure what to do, reinstalling eveything every two days is not an option and I am leaving this house for the winter in another month.

[Puck]

It was blinking, so I replaced the batteries , still blinking, so I held the test button in for 10 seconds, now I got a solid light as if the window was open. If I open the window the DS10A blinks, but the console still says solid as if the window is open. I have pulled the batteries and now am waiting 4 hours to see what happens.

Once you cause the sensor to pick a new code (holding button for 10 seconds), the only way to get the base to recognize it with a whole system re-initialization.

Since this problem only occurs during the cold, do you have the base of the door/window sensors mounted where temperature can fluctuate a lot? Are the bases mounted to metal?

How far away from the PS561 console are these 2 sensors? Make sure no metallic obstacles are in the straight line path to the base.

[newsecure]

The DS10A bases are mounted on the Wood work next to the window and on the wood work next to the door.  The Console is a Monitor Plus Supervised console that Orca Supplied to me, it is in the center room of the house, The house is small only 1100 Sq feet and all one floor, the weird thing is that I have 16 zones and only these two give me such grief. There is another zone along the same wall , the door is in the kitchen and window is in my living room. I am going to reinstall everything again.  There is nothing directly in front of the console. The antenna points out the doorway in towards the living room and the kitchen is kinda around the bend from the living room.  The one thing I wasnt sure of is that the base of the DS10A that is next to the ktichen door on the woodwork happens also to be next to the electrical panel for the house, could this cause a problem?

[newsecure]

Well, I reinstalled all 16 Zones again. So far so good, but it usually takes a couple of days to start acting up.  I looked again at the kitchen door DS10A, but even if I try to move  the base it will still be where the cold air can get to it since the only place I can move it is up or down since the electrical panel is in the wall right next to the door. Do you really think that the cold air is affecting the base.  The one at the window has no real cold air affecting it, its mounted on wood, but the electric baseboard heat is at floor level underneath that window.  I am beginning to think that side of the house is haunted or something Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

[HA Dave]

If it re-occurs.... I would check to see if the space between the magnet and the reed switch has widened... due to temperature change.

[Puck]

If it re-occurs.... I would check to see if the space between the magnet and the reed switch has widened... due to temperature change.

Very good point Dave. That could be a cause for the door which the LED sometimes stays red.

For the window, it sounds like a signal reception issue because it will flash the LED if there is no signal received within 4 hours.

Do you really think that the cold air is affecting the base.

When you said it works fine during the summer and acts up during the winter, I'm thinking that during the summer it is just barely working and during winter either the cold or even the extra heat being turned on inside is creating just enough characteristic change to cause it to not work.

So I don't believe that the season is the root cause here, I think you have a weak signal from these 2 zones as far as the console is concerned.

There is nothing directly in front of the console.

If you stand at the console and look in the direction of these 2 problem sensors, and if you could see through walls, would a stove, refrigerator, tv, or other large object obstruct your view of seeing the DS10As?

The wires from the DS10A's base and it's magnetic switch can be easily extended. You might want to try extending the wires on these 2 and try some different locations. If you have already changed these 2 sensors with others, then the problem has to be the signal not reliably getting to the main console.

[spam4us]

Try switching the problem DS10A with one of the ones that you are not having a problem with.  If your problem moves to the new window, then the problem is most likely with the DS10A.  If the problem remains at the old window, I would check your magnetic contacts. The contacts shouldn't more than 1/2 inch apart.

[Puck]

Try switching the problem DS10A with one of the ones that you are not having a problem with.

I tried moving them to a different zone and no difference.

If you have already changed these 2 sensors with others, then the problem has to be the signal not reliably getting to the main console.

 

[spam4us]

I even tried replacing the DS10A in those two zones.

Did you replace the DS10A that with one from another zone that you know works? If you replaced it with one that you haven't verified that it works, it too may be defective.

I tried moving them to a different zone and no difference

Did you physically move the DS10A to a different location (another window) or did you install it into another zone on the console?  If you installed it into another zone on the console and got the same results, then the problem is the DS10A or your contacts.

Did you try just changing your magnets on the window?  You may have a defective magnetic switch.
I would take the DS10A AND the magnetic contacts from the window and set it up next to your console.  Then I would open & close the magnets.  If the problem goes away, then most likely it's a range issue. If the problem is still there, try using another set of magnets. 

Another thing to check is to make sure you have a good contact on the tips of your battery.  I had a couple DS10As where I had to stretch the spring a little to make a firm contact.  This may be related to your hot/cold theory since the metal on the spring may contract enough during the cold to make an intermittent contact with the batteries.

One last thing.  Are the poles on your magnets aligned the right way?  Mine has a little arrow on each plastic housing. They should be lined up to each other.