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[tom j]

I will put padding as insulation under the magnet sensor and hopefully this will solve the issue.

  Actually, you want to protect the DS10A and DS12A from the cold. If they get cold, the battery will also get cold and deliver a lower voltage.
  The magnet and contact are not affected as much by cold, the contact is enclosed in a small sealed glass tube. 
  Keep in mind though that the contact for the DS12A is in the body itself, compared to the DS10A which dangles at the end of a wire.

  JC

One other thing these things aren't hardened for the cold I had one on a back porch that was unheated and it would only last a few winters before failing just wouldn't recommend for reliability.


Tom j.

[dave w]

FWIW
Lithium disposables are much less influenced by the cold. But fresh, high quality, akaline batteries should maintain normal terminal voltage to at least 20 degrees.

[dave w]

One other thing these things aren't hardened for the cold I had one on a back porch that was unheated and it would only last a few winters before failing just wouldn't recommend for reliability.

Tom,
Did you try a second unit on the porch? Or a different mag switch? I disagree with "sazzam's" statment that mag switches and magnets are not effected by the cold. My experience with mag switches and a PowerFlash in an unheated garage is the magnetic switch fails over time, not the electronics. The tines of the mag switch are magnitized, so when a "biasing" magnet comes close, they close. It doesn't take much seasonal thermal cycling to effect the strengh of these tines. Howver I was buying "cheap" N.O./N.C. mag switches. I'm sure X10 uses much higher quality switches....

[bt54]

I have the same problem.  Out of the blue Zone 10 showed low battery.  I only have 9 zones.  I deleted Zone 10 then zone 11 showed low battery.  I deleted up to zone 35.  Currently Zone 30 shows as low battery even though it is not installed and cannot be uninstalled.

[Brian H]

Zone 35?
It only has 30 wireless zones and two hard wired zones.
Should not go over 32 zones or you have found another quirk. 

[ratchet]

Tough case to crack!  For a refresher, relative to distances from console to sensor, go to post #93 (with image) in this thread about zone #4.  Every time (moved the sensor from the right to left or added an antenna) I think I've found a work around, zone four eventually troubles out.  Keep in mind though that it is always while the window is open, i.e. the sensor and magnet are not together.  The problem with this being I'm going to get a false alarm if the sensor doesn't call home during a four hour period while armed.  The offending sensor has been directly across from (but much lower than) the console for four days without a nag, jerry rigged to an air conditioned window.  I put a different sensor (still lying horizontally) over at the zone four window and it will eventually trouble.  So I now suspect it has to do with the horizontal position as Brian mentioned.  I have sensors upstairs on the windows horizontal and downstairs above the doors without a problem so it has to do with just being three inches lower than the console, even though it is in the same room.  Hard to believe!  I may just get a switch and magnet set from Big Johns for $3.  Before I do that I'm going to keep the sensor vertical for several days and see what happens.  I can actually arm the window that way by taping the side of the magnet to the side of the upper window but I wouldn't be able to open the top or bottom.  I could screw in 1"x 2" on the upper window like I do on the air conditioned one if I am really concerned about securing it.  Honestly, at this point I feel I'm going to be more stressed about false alarms than an actual break in!

[tom j]

One other thing these things aren't hardened for the cold I had one on a back porch that was unheated and it would only last a few winters before failing just wouldn't recommend for reliability.

Tom,
Did you try a second unit on the porch? Or a different mag switch? I disagree with "sazzam's" statment that mag switches and magnets are not effected by the cold. My experience with mag switches and a PowerFlash in an unheated garage is the magnetic switch fails over time, not the electronics. The tines of the mag switch are magnitized, so when a "biasing" magnet comes close, they close. It doesn't take much seasonal thermal cycling to effect the strengh of these tines. Howver I was buying "cheap" N.O./N.C. mag switches. I'm sure X10 uses much higher quality switches....

Hi just saw this sorry for the late response, well I tried a couple and then decided to just run the wire into the house Problem Solved!!


Tom j.