EyezOn Forum

After successfully installing my EnvisaLink3 into a Vista 20P panel, I have had continual LOBAT faults on my keypads for a week now. The original battery immediately went into LOBAT after installing the EnvisaLink, so I replaced the battery - twice. I cannot shake the LOBAT indicator. I've entered programming, ran a walk test, tripped the system several times, placed the batteries on a 12V charger, checked the power leads, checked the voltage with a multimeter, etc. I know the problem is the 12V battery because the keypad LCD screens are very dim.

My question is this: Is it possible that by adding the EnvisaLink to my panel, that I now require a higher capacity/amperage battery to power the panel and new device? I've been using 12v 5.0ah batteries in the past. Will a 12v 7.0ah make a difference? If not - where else could the problem rest? This problem surfaced immediately after installing the EnvisaLink3 module.

Thanks!

The Envisalink draws only 65mA on the ECP bus so that is a minor load on the whole system.

What is the voltage on the battery WHEN INSTALLED? Should be 13.5V

What is the voltage on the RED and BLACK terminals of the ECP bus? Should be 13.5V

When installed, the voltage is 12.2v. On the bus, the voltage is also 12.2v. Fully charged, away from the panel, the voltage reaches 13.6v.

If I need 13.5v installed and on the bus to power the panel, it's hard to believe that 3 different batteries, all delivering the exact same voltage of 12.2v, would be insufficient to drive the panel.

Such a simple matter, yet so confusing ...

What is the voltage on the ECP bus with and without the Envisalink installed?

This has nothing to do with your battery. Your battery does not supply power to the panel except in an outage.

Something is overloading your ECP bus power supply.

With the EVL3 installed, the voltage is 8.9
Without the EVL3 installed, the voltage is 9.2.

So it's not the EVL3 but something is overloading the system.

Here's a new piece of the puzzle: I have a very new 6160 wired keypad that had been working perfectly and addressed to address 17. I have an older Safewatch 2000 keypad addressed to address 18 and also working perfectly. Since I've been going through the battery swapping circus, I've noticed the 6160 keypad no longer functions after pressing several digits. I changed it to address 16 and then again to 20 with no luck.

Could this be connected to the battery issue? Does it matter what addresses the keypads use as long as they are activated in *190 and *193?

Resolved! The transformer was in a failing state. The original problem surfaced when I installed the EnvisaLink3. It worked fine but resulted in a LOBAT error. Several batteries later, I still could not get rid of the fault error. I then discovered something wrong with a fully functional 6160 keypad.

Your suggestion about testing the voltages made me realize that the panel was metering too small a voltage. I then turned my attention to the transformer. Although it appeared to be working normally, and the system was working fine except for intermittent keypad issues and a LOBAT indication; I decided to replace the transformer.

Now, the voltages at the panel are reading above 13v and all the problems have resolved. Now, I didn't think a transformer could function at a reduce capacity but this proves otherwise!

Thank you for your help!

Yeah, those voltages were way too low to be normal. Both DSC and Ademco panels run on a 13Vdc power bus regardless of anything like battery state.

Typically the industry uses a 16Vac transformer that is converted to ~13Vdc on the panel. Transformers fail due to age, overvoltage on the primary, and overheating. The failure mode is that shorts develop between the windings which lowers the secondary voltage. As you observed.

I'm glad you figured it out.