Vista 5 SAB update problem

Irish Steve

Looking for some help.

Our good old faithful Vista 5 has been complaining this week about a problem with the Bell Tamper, and given that I've not been up there since I can't remember when, and it was installed close on 20 years ago, I came to the conclusion that it was either a bad connection or similar, or even just a SAB battery issue.

So, after waiting for a weather window, I got to look at it today, and after grinding the screw off the old SAB, it was clear that the battery was in trouble, as the volume level with the cover off wasn't enough to scare a mouse.

So, time to change it, as the battery is encapsulated in the control box, it's an old 4 wire SAB that didn't have an external strobe, unless one was fitted to run in parallel with the internal bell, which it was, using a couple more cores.

I don't have a spare SAB of that vintage, but I do have one that came out of a shop a while ago that worked with an HKC 8/12, the only difference I can see is that the later one needs slightly different wiring in the tamper area, as it seems to need a 6 wire link rather than a 4 wire link, which won't fit the connections on the Vista 5.

From what I could see of it, the Bell out + and the tamper + are somehow commoned on the old SAB, so I've tried several combinations in that area.

That said, I can't seem to find a working combination that doesn't give me a bt error on the panel. The internal battery of the SAB was flat, which might be an issue, but what I want to check is will the later HKC SAB work with the Vista 5, and if it will, what do I need to to with the Tamper wiring, and does it need a tamper resistor in line or in the system some how?

As it stands at the moment, the SAB appears to arm, after the cover is replaced, the 2 outer LED's are flashing, then after a timeout, it sounds for a few moments, then goes into a LED flash mode, which is what I expected, but the panel is still giving bt.

Anyone got any ideas? I have install manual for the Vista 5, but not for the later SAB, or the 8/12, which might help, at this stage, I'd just like to get the Vista working again if possible, as changing it right now is not economically possible.

Thanks

Steve

KoolKid

Using 4 cores wire as follows

Panel Bell + to SABB Bell +
Panel Bell - to SABB Bell -
Panel BHO to SABB BHO
Panel Internal - to Strobe -

Place the existing resister in the panel across BHO & TR (Tamper return)

Irish Steve

KoolKid wrote: »

Using 4 cores wire as follows

Panel Bell + to SABB Bell +
Panel Bell - to SABB Bell -
Panel BHO to SABB BHO
Panel Internal - to Strobe -

Place the existing resister in the panel across BHO & TR (Tamper return)

Ok, if I'm reading that right, there's no connect from the SAB Tamper return to the panel tamper return, the old SAB didn't have a resistor in either the panel or the SAB, the replacement SAB has a resistor across the Tamper terminals.

If that's correct, does that mean that we're effectively not now using a tamper return to the panel from the SAB?

Or, am I reading it wrong when I'm looking to put the internal bell on to the strobe as was the case with the previous SAB, and the Strobe connect at the SAB is in fact not used for the strobe connect as such?

Internal - is the internal bell - or the tamper -?

In passing, I didn't make it clear, there are 8 wires available from the panel to the SAB, the other 4 were in use for an external strobe that was connected to the internal bell circit, and a pair returning from the external bell to another bell box fitted with a strobe and sounder, so if I need more than 4 wires now, that's not a problem.

Thanks

Steve

KoolKid

Irish Steve wrote: »

Ok, if I'm reading that right, there's no connect from the SAB Tamper return to the panel tamper return, the old SAB didn't have a resistor in either the panel or the SAB, the replacement SAB has a resistor across the Tamper terminals.

It may have been disabled. Has the link been removed under the 4 fuses on the main PCB?
If so you may be able to simply loop BHO to SABB tamper return.

Irish Steve wrote: »

If that's correct, does that mean that we're effectively not now using a tamper return to the panel from the SAB?

That's correct.

Irish Steve wrote: »

Or, am I reading it wrong when I'm looking to put the internal bell on to the strobe as was the case with the previous SAB, and the Strobe connect at the SAB is in fact not used for the strobe connect as such?

Internal - is the internal bell - or the tamper -?

Internal bell -

Irish Steve

KoolKid wrote: »

It may have been disabled. Has the link been removed under the 4 fuses on the main PCB?
If so you may be able to simply loop BHO to SABB tamper return.

Correct, there's no link there.

OK, that's making more sense now, The bell box is pretty inaccessible, so I'm not too worried about the absence of the tamper return as such.

Will give it a go in the morning, too dark now to be up ladders .

Thanks

Steve

KoolKid

No bother. Let us know how you get on.

Irish Steve

KoolKid wrote: »

No bother. Let us know how you get on.

It's set at the moment, and no bt errors so far, the bell test worked, and the zone test came back clear, so I am hoping that's sorted that for a while:D

Thanks for the help, it had to be better than going looking for a replacement SAB for the old one, and no way to repair the old unit, the battery was well encapsulated into the tray, so destroying it would have been the only way to "fix" it.

Cheers

steve

KoolKid

Glad you got sorted. That should give you a bit of peace for a while.