False Keypad [P]anic Alarms

[ocalapete]

My system, a DSC PC1864 v4.6 & EnvisaLink 3, has generated three false Keypad [P]anic Alarms over the past ~3 mos. I have opened tickets on these and the support team was dismissive of the first two instances saying it was user error on my part. I just opened a new ticket for the latest demanding this get fixed.

Now, setting aside poor customer service, has any else experienced these symptoms? If so was it resolved and how? I found one report of this on Nov 07, 2014 in the forums but that user did not report back a solution.

I've copied the logs below.

Pls, if you have experienced this, post here, even if you have not found a solution.

Thanks.

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2015-09-30 08:11:07 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm
2015-09-30 08:11:07 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm Restoral

2015-08-24 16:51:02 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm Restoral
2015-08-24 16:51:01 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm

2015-06-12 16:53:27 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm Restoral
2015-06-12 16:53:27 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm

[ocalapete]

Update:

Ted from the support team pointed me to event buffer and there were listed the Keypad [P]anic and Keypad [P]anic Restore.

His experience is that these false panic alarms are coming from the keyfobs. Unfortunately, the DSC panel does not log which device was the source. And I confirmed that both keypads and keyfobs panics are logged the same so I could not determine during testing if a given panic came from a keypad or keyfob.

So I will take Ted's recommendation and disable the panic feature for the keyfobs. If the problem does not re-occur in about 4 mos, I'll declare victory.

Enjoy!

[NonTech]

The three Panic events seem to be occurring either early in the morning (8:11AM - leaving for work?) or late evening (4:51/4:53PM - returning from work?). Has it ever occurred when no one is home (Keyfob away from the house)?

[ocalapete]

Hi NonTech,

Good question - either my wife and/or I have been home during these events. Hence either one or both of the keyfobs have been at home as well.

They keyfobs were not in our pockets during the three events. For example, during the false panic today (30 Sept) my wife was not at home and I had my keys laying on the kitchen counter. So I think that would rule out "butt panic"

Thanks.

[ocalapete]

Update:

After rooted around the web on various sites/forums I have determined:

1) A few other folks have seen this but w/o any specific resolution
2) Low battery in the FoB might be causing the symptom - I measured the batteries in the FoB and both were greater than 3.0 VDC
3) In later versions of the panel (e.g. v4.6) the event buffer does not give details as to the source of the panic.

To isolate the problem I programmed the panic button on the FoBs to active Command Output 1 and 2. These get logged in the event buffer so I can determine if a false FoB signal is occurring and which FoB is the source.

The keypad panic button cannot be configured other than enable/disable so any false panics from either of my keypads will be logged as Keypad [P]anic Alarm.

Over the next few months, if the panel logs Command Output 1 or 2, I will know which FoB is causing the trouble and replace it. If another Keypad [P]anic Alarm occurs, the the source is one of the two keypads and from there I'd have to figure out how to debug it.

[ocalapete]

Update:

I had two more false alarms, this time on door/window contacts. Log entries of all false alarms are copied below.

The false alarm on 26 Dec shows "Cross-zoning tripped (Police Code)" which I don't even have programmed in the panel.

I did some more digging and will enable the "Communications Delay" but that will not apply to the Keypad [P]anics, only to my door/window contacts. Given that the restorals are 2 sec, if I set the "Communications Delay" to 5 sec, that should prevent false alarms from my door/window contacts.

Any help on this is appreciated.

Thanks.

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2015-12-28 10:58:43 - Living Room Window Alarm Restoral- Main house
2015-12-28 10:58:41 - Living Room Window Alarm- Main house

2015-12-26 17:49:22 - Front Door Side Light Alarm Restoral- Main house
2015-12-26 17:49:21 - Living Room Window Alarm Restore- Main house
2015-12-26 17:49:20 - Cross-zoning tripped (Police Code)- Main house
2015-12-26 17:49:20 - Front Door Side Light Alarm- Main house
2015-12-26 17:49:19 - Living Room Window Alarm- Main house

2015-09-30 08:11:07 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm
2015-09-30 08:11:07 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm Restoral

2015-08-24 16:51:02 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm Restoral
2015-08-24 16:51:01 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm

2015-06-12 16:53:27 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm Restoral
2015-06-12 16:53:27 - Keypad [P]anic Alarm

[GrandWizard]

Cross Zoning alert just tells the central monitoring station that more than two zones have tripped and is therefore a real alarm, as opposed to a false alarm.

Oh BTW, communication delay does not apply to buffer events. It would only apply to signals being sent to the central monitoring station over phone line.

[Cobra]

What kind of sensors do you have on the zones that gave false trips?

Any pets in the house?

[ocalapete]

Thanks for the replies.

>>GrandWizard - crickey, you are right, communications delay will not help out here as the buffer events get reported via the EVL-3. Communications delay applies to dial up alarm reporting. So I can't use it as a work around

>>Cobra - pets yes but no PIRs. The window/door contacts are EV-DW4927SS. I have a security camera on the front door which did not show anyone there a the time of the false alarm on the "Front Door Side Light" contact. And the previous false alarms where "Keypad [P]anic" which would be from either the keypad or fobs.

If I could determine cause/effect then I could fix, but there is no pattern here.

Help on solving this would greatly be appreciated.

Cheers.

[Cobra]

Thanks for the replies.
>>Cobra - pets yes but no PIRs. The window/door contacts are EV-DW4927SS. I have a security camera on the front door which did not show anyone there a the time of the false alarm on the "Front Door Side Light" contact. And the previous false alarms where "Keypad [P]anic" which would be from either the keypad or fobs.

I was thinking maybe the false panics are from something walking on the key fob on your counter... cats and small dogs can cause that kind of thing. I'm guessing you ruled that out already?

For the wireless sensors, it's worth checking battery state on them any time you see unexpected behavior. (Or replacing the battery if they are older.)