A real Brain Twister

[ABLE1]

Hey Guys!!

I have been having a real challenge lately with a house with
a Interlogix NX8V2. This is really one for the books but rather
than type a not so small NOVEL I will focus on just one small part.

I have two TX-E611 Flood/Freeze Sensor as it called. The two have
been working fine for two years. Then a couple of weeks ago one
was reported as "Lost Transmitter". Now that usually means that the
panel did not receive a transmitter check in on schedule. Thinking
is was maybe a low battery and talking to the customer it was agreed
that he would get the batteries and replace.

Since they were both the same age I suggested that he replace them
both just because. The battery is a CR2450 coin battery. Don't know the
actual voltage of the original batteries but presently one is at
3.192vdc. I haven't opened the other as of yet. When the units are
placed on a wet towel they will signal in as Restored and then signal
Water Alert.

To determine if the problem was with the customers receiver I removed
the units from the house and learned them into my system. After
learning in I tested both units and the both triggered a water alert
as they should.

Then I just waited. BTW learn in was Saturday morning at about 10am
All has been fine until today at 9:48am when both units reported
Tx Lost. If the test time is 24 hours then on the second 24 hour
cycle it failed to signal.

My first question is does anyone know what the test cycle is on
Interlogix Transmitters or Receivers?? I thought it was more like
4 to 6 hours but never really knew for sure. Basically if all worked
then why worry about it. Well now, it would be nice to know.

My other question would be what would cause a transmitter to stop a test
signal cycle?? I can understand maybe one going bad somehow but two??

The other part of this post is to ask if anyone knows any Forum or group
that might have better knowledge of the Interlogix product line??
I would call Tech Support and stump them if they were still on the job.
They were up until August of 2020 but that is now history.

Thanks for any insight guys.

Les

[Jim Davis]

Hi Les,
I won't be much help since I know next to nothing about Interlogix . . . how ever, in the Napco Quickloader program there's a section that allows you to adjust the check-in time of the transmitters. Most people just overlook this part of the program because you have to scroll down on a page and it's not very apparent that you can do so. If you don't know it's there it can be missed. Could there be something like that in the Interlogix program?

Also, have you tried clearing the program from the panel and re-downloading it? Sometimes just a little glitch in power or whatever, can change something in the program. Just had that happen on an old Napco panel a few weeks ago.

[ABLE1]

Hi Jim,

Yes that might be nice. As for the programming options that might
relate there is a "Supervise" ON or OFF. I could turn it off but
that might be a disadvantage. Since my typing I have opened one
as I said and closed it up and tested. At this point neither
has chimed in being "Lost". Of course that will change once I
click on the send for this posting. :-)

Les

[mleuck]

>
> Yes that might be nice. As for the programming options that might
> relate there is a "Supervise" ON or OFF. I could turn it off but
> that might be a disadvantage. Since my typing I have opened one
> as I said and closed it up and tested. At this point neither
> has chimed in being "Lost". Of course that will change once I
> click on the send for this posting. :-)
>
> Les

Try a range extender? You may have a dead zone. I've seen sensors that worked fine on installation that later started causing supervisories

That's a nice thing about DSC PowerG sensors with a mile range, you don't see that happening like the old 319/433 MHz stuff

[ABLE1]

Hi Mark,

This isn't a range issue. There is something going on with the
transmitters themselves. Yesterday both reported "Lost" again
in the same minute. Placed on wet towel and both Restored and
gave an Alarm. It just seems so odd that two units would do the
same thing at the same time after 2 years of working with out
any issues. Yes, it may just be an (up to this time) product
glitch. The extra frustration is that is happens to ME and
there is NO Tech Support to talk to about the issue.

I am still monitoring to see if something changes (for the better)!

Les

[RTS]

Les, have you tried the "Heat - Cool" test on the xmiters?
that might tell you if a component on the pcb is going bad...
((cap, therm, transistor, etc...))
If both xmiters used the same production run of parts, well
I've had it happen.. ((was caps both times))
Just a thought...
RTS

--

*Rocky T. Squirrel, esq.*

[Jim Davis]

It's so weird
I may use a particular part say, once every few months. So, I get one with a problem. I call tech support and either they never heard of the problem or it's a faulty unit and has to be returned and i don't have a spare and the whole freekin day is shot not even considering that everything that's already been scheduled for the week or so has to be juggled around.

NOW - - - - Here I am. Just a one man business. Using maybe 6 or 8 or some small quantity of a product a year. How is it that - - - " I " - - - - get the bad one? There's got to be companies out there who are using hundreds - - - maybe THOUSANDS of this product every year.
If " I " get a bad one out of the few that I buy - - - are you telling me that these big users aren't getting dozens, hundreds of bad ones? Obviously not, because the product stays on the market The distributor "never" gets any returns, and anyone I talk to doesn't have a problem.
But it just p^%#*s me off to no end as to how that can happen. How can one little company get the "bad" one?

[ABLE1]

On 6/10/2021 11:50 PM, Jim Davis wrote:
> It's so weird
> I may use a particular part say, once every few months. So, I get one with a problem. I call tech support and either they never heard of the problem or it's a faulty unit and has to be returned and i don't have a spare and the whole freekin day is shot not even considering that everything that's already been scheduled for the week or so has to be juggled around.
>
> NOW - - - - Here I am. Just a one man business. Using maybe 6 or 8 or some small quantity of a product a year. How is it that - - - " I " - - - - get the bad one? There's got to be companies out there who are using hundreds - - - maybe THOUSANDS of this product every year.
> If " I " get a bad one out of the few that I buy - - - are you telling me that these big users aren't getting dozens, hundreds of bad ones? Obviously not, because the product stays on the market The distributor "never" gets any returns, and anyone I talk to doesn't have a problem.
> But it just p^%#*s me off to no end as to how that can happen. How can one little company get the "bad" one?

NO JIM, YOU ARE WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!
I AM THE ONLY ONE THIS HAPPENS TO!!!
IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE
ON THE PLANET, I AM THE GUY THAT FIND IT FIRST!!

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN INVADE ON MY SPECIALTY??

:-)

Man, we must be twins!! Just last week I got a System Sensor 4WD Smoke.
Took it out of the box and tried to place the unit on the base.
It would not fit. Called my Distributor and she went to the warehouse
and pulled one off the shelf and it fit perfectly. She sent me pictures
of the back of the smoke and the base. The back of the the one I had
was a mirror image of the one she had. There is a small circle
stand-off that when placed together it hit a cross shaped post on the
base and would not allow the parts to fit together. Called the sales
rep for Honeywell. Met him and he is presently with the unit and
passing on to those that are supposed to correct these issues. I am at
a total loss as to how this could happen............... Unless someone
on the assembly line decided to have a evil thought one day and pulled a
back off a different product line and assembled it or placed in in the
4WD box. I actually had a old 4WD in my storage locker and it was
mirrored opposite as well.

"How can one little company get the "bad" one?"

The sad part is that "WE" will never know!!!

Ok, I have bigger fish to fry today and next week.

Have a better hour, day, weekend all!!

Les

[RTS]

want a know why little guys always get the bad one,

you really want a know,
you sure you really want a know?

"retreads" we get the returns, that and the FACT we don't have
million dollar lawyers.....

MONEY that's why.... LOL ;-)

[Bob La Londe]

My thing was always, "Can your system do this?"

Them: "Yes. Our system can do that."

"Does it require any extra hardware to do that."

Them: "No, it does not."

"Your system doesn't do what you said."

Them: "You didn't buy that software upgrade."

"Ok. No problem. Screw me once... No that's it. Just once. Never
again."


--
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[Stan Gore]

I have the identical problem! Interlogix 600-1054-95
r-11 and 2 TX-E611 installed 3 years ago. 2 weeks ago, 1 flood sensor gave a low battery signal. I ordered 2 Duracell CR2450s. Before they arrived, the flood sensor gave an offline notification. When they arrived, I checked the charge in both original Panasonic CR2450s. Neither was low. Nevertheless, I replaced both, put the panel into Sensor test mode and confirmed operation of both flood sensors by wetting their contacts. This placed them both online again. 4 days later, both flood sensors gave an offline notification at exactly the same time. This makes me suspicious that the problem is with the wireless receivor in the Interlogix panel and not with the flood sensors. The only was to now be sure that the flood sensors are communicating with the panel is to again put the panel into Sensor test mode and trigger the flood sensors. Most annoying.

[ABLE1]

On 12/22/2022 7:17 PM, Stan Gore wrote:

>> --
>> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
>> https://www.avg.com
> I have the identical problem! Interlogix 600-1054-95

> r-11 and 2 TX-E611 installed 3 years ago. 2 weeks ago, 1 flood sensor gave a low battery signal. I ordered 2 Duracell CR2450s. Before they arrived, the flood sensor gave an offline notification. When they arrived, I checked the charge in both original Panasonic CR2450s. Neither was low. Nevertheless, I replaced both, put the panel into Sensor test mode and confirmed operation of both flood sensors by wetting their contacts. This placed them both online again. 4 days later, both flood sensors gave an offline notification at exactly the same time. This makes me suspicious that the problem is with the wireless receiver in the Interlogix panel and not with the flood sensors. The only was to now be sure that the flood sensors are communicating with the panel is to again put the panel into Sensor test mode and trigger the flood sensors. Most annoying.


Hi Stan,

Please take the following with old brain cells trying to remember
details. Meaning what you are about to read is of limited accuracy.
It is close but if I missed something don't blame me just figure it out!

But, I am not sure I had typed this previously but what you need to do
is after you have replaced the batteries in the TX-E611 flood sensor
and close it up. Then go into programming of the receiver and turn off
segment 1 for the transmitter zone to disable the zone or transmitter.
Then perform a learn in of the transmitter to that specific zone as you
did originally.

Do not ask me why this works but it DOES!!!

By all means come back and post your results and where on the planet you
located. :-)

Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Les

[RTS]

Yea, Les, I was going to suggest the same thing.
After battery replacement on near any transmitter I've ever worked on, a
delete and relearn is the smoothest way to restore good comm links..
Like you said, don't know why for sure, but time has told me it works..

[ABLE1]

My experience has been that it has only been the Flood Sensor that is an
issue in this way!! And it took me a good bit of frustration to figure
it out!!

Les

[RTS]

Les, does the sensors you've used or worked on, use resistance or
inductance as the trigger type.?.
the inductance type is more prone to a voltage/current change..
could be when the battery drained below the ckt's ability to
compensate for, it altered some other balance ckt's in the device..
Just a guess, mind you...

[ABLE1]

Rocky,

It really depends on the sensor and how it is set for the application.
These Flood Sensor have 4 small metal gold tabs on the bottom
that when they get wet there is an amount of conductance that happens
between the tabs which is picked up by the internal circuitry and then
sends out a signal. So for this I would say it is inductance or current
flow that happens.

For some odd reason when the batteries are replaced it does not not talk
to the receiver as before and needs to be re-learned back into the system.

Les

[RTS]

Sorry about my brain fart, I meant to same (least I thought so),
Balance Bridge (not so much inductance), circuit..
Old age does those's kinds of thing... ;-)

[ABLE1]

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND!!!