Ageing alarm stopped working get repaired or renew?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Ageing alarm stopped working get repaired or renew?

xyeovillian

400 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 23

ID Verified

#316016 8-Sep-2024 18:05

I have a Micron Scorpio Z6L alarm system that was fitted 20 years ago and it's stopped arming and not working now.
I have been in touch with the person who fitted it and quoted that Fixing the alarm and replacing the battery would be around $200.
To replace the control box and one keypad and the battery would be around $950.
Should I think of replacing the alarm and keypad with something more up-to-date with control from an app, etc., or get the $200 fix?

1 | 2 | 3

6099 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1465

Trusted

#3280094 8-Sep-2024 19:20

You could price up one of these.

https://konnected.io/

Theoretically it replaced your main board. All sensors etc should still work.

I think others here have used them(and they used to have a presence here)

Previously known as psycik

Home Assistant: Gigabyte AMD A8 Brix, Home Assistant with Aeotech ZWave Controller, Raspberry PI, Wemos D1 Mini, Zwave, Shelly Humidity and Temperature sensors
Media:Chromecast v2, ATV4 4k, ATV4, HDHomeRun Dual
Server Host Plex Server 3x3TB, 4x4TB using MergerFS, Samsung 850 evo 512 GB SSD, Proxmox Server with 1xW10, 2xUbuntu 22.04 LTS, Backblaze Backups, usenetprime.com fastmail.com Sharesies Trakt.TV Sharesight

MartinGZ

376 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 128

Subscriber

#3280105 8-Sep-2024 20:41

When our alarm kept giving false alarms, I asked the insurance company what discount was applied for having a domestic alarm installed - $30. That was 10 years ago and still haven't bothered getting it replaced.

Wheelbarrow01

1784 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638

Trusted

Chorus

#3280114 8-Sep-2024 22:00

The answer to your question depends on what you want and how much you're prepared to spend.

Is the alarm monitored? Do you want monitoring capability now or in future? If so, and you live in an area where copper phone service is or has been withdrawn, you'll almost certainly need a full replacement.

My wife works for a lock & alarm company and they commonly cannot make older alarms work on voice lines provided via fibre or wireless - it's usually a full upgrade of at least the panel and keypad.

If you do choose the upgrade route, you can at least avail yourself of those modern additional features such as app access etc.

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4795

#3280126 8-Sep-2024 23:59

When we had an old alarm fail, they were able to reuse all the old sensors and just put in a new box and control pad.

alisam

878 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

#3280161 9-Sep-2024 08:53

In April 2024, we had our approx 25 year DSC Alarm replaced since the primary keypad would no longer recognise key depressions.

The cost was $1,293.75 for 2 keypads and a new internal box. A new siren was fitted inside the existing external siren box which is on the second storey (an upside is that there is no longer a battery to replace in the external siren box).

The alarm brand is Paradox and there is some Kiwi Alarms (Auckland) branding on the keypads.

We didn't bother with any other quotes as we had dealt with Kiwi Alarms before.

One feature we really liked, we can press the 'Sleep' button and it turns off the alarm sensors on the second storey, where the bedrooms are.

PC: Dell Inspiron 16 5640 (Windows 11 Home), Dell Inspiron 7591 2n1 (Windows 11 Pro), HP ProBook 470G1 (Windows 10 Pro), Intel NUC7I5BNH (Zorin)
Net: Grandstream 1 x GWN7062 Router, 1 x GWN7665 Access Point
Storage: Synology DS216play NAS, 2 x 6TB
Media: 3 x Amazon FireTV. Echo, Dot, Spot
TV: 2 x Samsung H6400 55" LED TV, Panasonic TH-P50G10Z 50" Plasma TV
Mobile: Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
Wearable: Gear S3 Frontier

xyeovillian

400 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 23

ID Verified

#3281115 11-Sep-2024 16:52

davidcole: You could price up one of these.

https://konnected.io/

Theoretically it replaced your main board. All sensors etc should still work.

I think others here have used them(and they used to have a presence here)

I would be interested to know if some one has installed konnected alarm system did a search couldn't find anything here on geekzone?

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

hsvhel

1273 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 596

ID Verified

#3281157 11-Sep-2024 19:32

"Fixing the alarm and replacing the battery would be around $200"

so.....they concluded this was an option without attending and looking into the fault?

kind of sounds like they know the issue is a failed battery with that model?

Given it's 20yrs, if you can take advantage of newer innovations, why not i reckon

Referral Link Quic

Free Setup use R502152EQH6OK on check out

davidcole

6099 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1465

Trusted

#3281162 11-Sep-2024 19:58

xyeovillian:
davidcole: You could price up one of these.

https://konnected.io/

Theoretically it replaced your main board. All sensors etc should still work.

I think others here have used them(and they used to have a presence here)

I would be interested to know if some one has installed konnected alarm system did a search couldn't find anything here on geekzone?

There have been a few with them.
https://www.geekzone.co.nz/search.asp#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=konnected-io&gsc.sort=date

fearandloathing

537 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 206

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3281253 12-Sep-2024 08:13

I replaced my old wired alarm with a konnected board. I have set up integrations with home assistant to automatically arm and disarm based on presence.

Home assistant uses automation’s for arming disarming, triggering the alarm, mostly using automations, based on someone arriving leaving.

There is no keypad to manage the alarm.

For presence detection I use phones connected to wifi.

From home assistant I push the alarm panel to Apple HomeKit, so the alarm can be manually armed/disarmed via an Apple device .

xyeovillian

400 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 23

ID Verified

#3281487 12-Sep-2024 15:22

fearandloathing: I replaced my old wired alarm with a konnected board. I have set up integrations with home assistant to automatically arm and disarm based on presence.

Home assistant uses automation’s for arming disarming, triggering the alarm, mostly using automations, based on someone arriving leaving.

There is no keypad to manage the alarm.

For presence detection I use phones connected to wifi.

From home assistant I push the alarm panel to Apple HomeKit, so the alarm can be manually armed/disarmed via an Apple device .

Thanks for your reply I not delved into home automation, as we have no use for home auto being retired and home most of the time.

But up for a challenge as we have an iPad apple tv, and google home and alexa echo dot, ring doorbell which is about the only bit of home auto but not subscribed to ring service. And android phones one+9 & Samsung

I would also get my grandson to remove old board and wire in konnected board as he's an electrician and would like to use existing keypad if possible.

fearandloathing

537 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 206

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3281495 12-Sep-2024 15:42

Konnected does not support keypads.

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#3281538 12-Sep-2024 18:31

This thread has got me looking at my (22 Y/O) Scorpion Z6L alarm.

It still works (when anyone remembers to turn it on) and I change the battery periodically.

It actually looks like I could probably re-use the wiring and PIR detectors.

I have been trying to draw up a schematic of what goes where on the current setup.

The only thing I can't figure is the blue strobe/siren on the outside wall. I recall it went faulty a few years ago. Apparently the tamper detector went bad. I had the installer come out and he popped a resistor in somewhere that disabled the tamper detector. Probably just need a whole new outside alarm/strobe.

Konnected looks pretty interesting...

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

fearandloathing

537 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 206

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3281618 13-Sep-2024 09:52

I ignore the external siren, it just annoys the neighbourhood if it goes off.

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#3281698 13-Sep-2024 13:26

Actually, I don't understand how the PIR motion detectors are wired up. They are Micron TX2 sensors and they have only three wires which connect to the Z6L.

I did a lovely diagram with the Z6L and worked out where pretty much everything went.

The positive and negative (to power the PIR) and a third wire that is just connected to the appropriate Zone connector on the Scorpion Z6L.

There is nothing in the GND for each zone. No idea how that could be connected to the Konnected board...

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

MarkM536

321 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 146

#3281705 13-Sep-2024 13:51

robjg63:

Actually, I don't understand how the PIR motion detectors are wired up. They are Micron TX2 sensors and they have only three wires which connect to the Z6L.

I did a lovely diagram with the Z6L and worked out where pretty much everything went.

The positive and negative (to power the PIR) and a third wire that is just connected to the appropriate Zone connector on the Scorpion Z6L.

There is nothing in the GND for each zone. No idea how that could be connected to the Konnected board...

Form my observation: Black and Red wires are power. Ground (-), Red (+), White (signal).

No motion: Resistance of the lose screw terminal resistor (I think 4.7k or 47ohm, my eyes can't quite see the colour brands right for the multiplier) between white wire and ground.
Motion: open circuit between white wire and ground.

I'd take a multimeter and ohm it out to be sure.

Normally the 'TAMP'/Tamper would also be wired in and a resistor in parallel to everything. So that tamper makes it open circuit, motion is the resistor and no motion is closed circuit.

In your case it's either closed with a resistance or open circuit. Easy enough for a Konnected board to detect as LOW/Grounded and floating/High. I presume the Konnected boards have their own pull-up or pull-down resistors that can be configured?

1 | 2 | 3