HKC alarm ignoring text command

inabina

Hi all
Got the HKC with text alert/text set on and off functionality 18 months ago. Suddenly now it is ignoring my texts. It sent me a text when I was away telling me the alarm was activated but I could not switch it off by text. neighbors lost the plot. no issue with credit on alarm sim or my sim. It was still able to send me a text when the alarm went off. No warning signals on panel. Got this fitted by a chap that no longer works in the area and he did it as a side job unfortunately....

Any ideas? thanks!

kub

Is your number been sent when you text and secondly do you have the correct code to disarm it?
Ps I take it its a GSM dialler.

inabina

yes, my number is sending, I have the correct code and yep I believe it is a GSM dialer. there is a vodaphone Sim in there. I topped it up recently too.

kub

inabina wrote: »

yes, my number is sending, I have the correct code and yep I believe it is a GSM dialer. there is a vodaphone Sim in there. I topped it up recently too.

Do you have predictive text on your own mobile?

inabina

I don't use predictive text.

kub

inabina wrote: »

I don't use predictive text.

Is your own phone the only one which controls the alarm GSM or is there another which you can try or indeed do you know if this fault is a common on all phones.

inabina

Hi there, I have tried my wifes phone too which is also registered on it and no joy. she also got the text alert when the alarm went off.

kub

Is the alarm also connected up to your house landline?
Is the number that the text alert originated a mobile number.
Sorry for all the questions but we will get to the bottom of it.

inabina

Hi there, I don't have a house landline. the text came from the vodaphone sim in the alarm unit.

altor

Seems strange how it is texting you but not allowing you to text it back. Have you tried down powering the GSM and powering it back up?

inabina

I have not. would you mind letting me know what the steps are?

altor

inabina wrote: »

I have not. would you mind letting me know what the steps are?

What GSM have you got fitted?

inabina

sorry a little clueless here. how would I find that out?

altor

inabina wrote: »

sorry a little clueless here. how would I find that out?

Here you go

inabina

It is the GSM-M

altor

Turn off the mains, Open the GSM and disconnect the 12V supply going to it. Also disconnect the battery. Once it is down powered wait a few seconds then power it back up. If the alarm activates just put your code in to silence.

kub

altor wrote: »

Turn off the mains, Open the GSM and disconnect the 12V supply going to it. Also disconnect the battery. Once it is down powered wait a few seconds then power it back up. If the alarm activates just put your code in to silence.

Inabina my apologies for failing to get back to you earlier, just a hectic day, thanks for taking up the reins Altor.

altor

kub wrote: »

Inabina my apologies for failing to get back to you earlier, just a hectic day, thanks for taking up the reins Altor.

More than happy to help Kub

kub

altor wrote: »

More than happy to help Kub

You know what its like sometimes, thanks again. I imagine a reset should sort it out, i think with all my earlier questions i covered all the obvious faults.

altor

kub wrote: »

You know what its like sometimes, thanks again. I imagine a reset should sort it out, i think with all my earlier questions i covered all the obvious faults.

I hope so too

inabina

hi, thanks for all the help. I powered down everything, opened the box. disconnected battery. each time I disconnected battery the external alarm went off. I couldn't see a place to disconnect mains inside the box but I assume that given I turned the mains off at the fuse box and disconnected the battery that would be enough.

I got texts telling me that the mains had gone and texts telling me that I had turned off the alarm.

But it is still ignoring my texts now that I have turned everything back on again.

kub

inabina wrote: »

hi, thanks for all the help. I powered down everything, opened the box. disconnected battery. each time I disconnected battery the external alarm went off. I couldn't see a place to disconnect mains inside the box but I assume that given I turned the mains off at the fuse box and disconnected the battery that would be enough.

I got texts telling me that the mains had gone and texts telling me that I had turned off the alarm.

But it is still ignoring my texts now that I have turned everything back on again.

Was it the control panel that you powered down? The GSM M unit is a metal box around the size of a corn flake box, the screw for opening it is on the right side half way down front surface.
If it was the panel then the screw would be on the top midway across.

inabina

I opened the GSM unit, yep the screw was exactly as you described. I opened it up, disconnected the battery. given I had mains power off and battery disconnected, I assume that is the full power down that I needed to do? there was no other obvious place to power down inside the box..no switch ect.

kub

inabina wrote: »

I opened the GSM unit, yep the screw was exactly as you described. I opened it up, disconnected the battery. given I had mains power off and battery disconnected, I assume that is the full power down that I needed to do? there was no other obvious place to power down inside the box..no switch ect.

Just so we are clear, did the external siren activate when you disconnected the battery within the GSM unit?

inabina

yep, sure did!

altor

inabina wrote: »

yep, sure did!

Did you down power both units?
There should be a 12V from the alarm to the GSM-M?

kub

inabina wrote: »

yep, sure did!

Ok being completely honest, it should not have, by all means if it was the control panel then yes but an external bell voltage connected to a GSM unit is strange.

I think it might be time to call in someone to have a look at your system, sounds like it might need a once over.

altor

Sounds like the battery is gone in the main control panel.
Might be causing the problem.

kub

altor wrote: »

Sounds like the battery is gone in the main control panel.
Might be causing the problem.

Agreed, it had a short life span didn't it?

altor

kub wrote: »

Agreed, it had a short life span didn't it?

18 Months for a back up battery is a short life span. I would expect 5 Years plus depending on the location of the control panel.
A low battery can do strange things to an alarm system

kub

altor wrote: »

18 Months for a back up battery is a short life span. I would expect 5 Years plus depending on the location of the control panel.
A low battery can do strange things to an alarm system

Indeed, so what is our advice? I think it might be time for a techy to check it, what do you think?