Old AT&T security system. #2

[Kingludd]

Hello @ChosunOne ,
I saw that you were active on MakerPro recently, so I thought I'd ask you about my AT&T 8000 security system. I'm in Woodbridge, Virginia and you may have installed the system in my house in the early 1990s. That would be a heck of a coincidence.

We still use the system every day. Except that it eats 9v batteries, it's been a good system for us and seems robust enough. We disconnected the dialer decades ago.

I've been having no check in trouble codes recently for the two transmitters that are farthest from the central controller.

I saw in some online documentation that there is an antenna. Maybe I knocked something loose when I replaced the big backup battery.

Can you recall anything about the antenna? What does it look like? Is it part of the power supply? Any help is greatly appreciated. MC


Moderators note :This is separated from this old thread:

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/old-at-t-security-system.283266/

 

[ChosunOne]

I apologize for taking so long to respond, Kingludd. I've searched through my alarm literature and I don't seem to have a hardcopy of the AT&T Installation manual. I was hoping going through it might jog my memory. I found one online and looked it over, but it didn't help jog loose any memory that wasn't already there.
I should mention that I was never really very experienced with the AT&T 8000, even though I worked with a few of them over a period of about a year; but the company I was working for at the time only had a few of those in the field---maybe a hundred or so(?), I didn't/don't have any qualms about working with them as long as I have a manual at hand---most alarm system problems are generic and occur in systems of any brand.

I assume you found the AT&T 8000 Installation Manual, but JIC, here's the one I found:
https://device.report/m/b2a0ef4408d1d0e686ffa1223038d0b0ed1bc86df33615e80308ddc2501b4780.pdf

In your case, a "no-check-in" Trouble is a fairly common problem among wireless/hybrid systems; so there's no need to get hung up on the model of your Control Panel---although it's ALWAYS good to start problem descriptions with the make & model of your Panel.
(Take note that in the alarm industry, "Panel" refers to the Control Panel, NOT a keypad, touchpad, or what AT&T called a "universal remote", i.e., the interface between the User and Panel. Sort of like old desktop computers lived in a "Tower" and not in the screen or keyboard, which were interfaces. Just so we're on the same page when talking about the Panel.)

I doubt the trouble is with the antenna. If it were, I suspect you'd see the Trouble from more than just those two far-out transmitters. I would still check the antenna connection, though, if you can find it. Look for a fat wire connected to the Panel somewhere, and no, it doesn't have anything to do with the power wires on Terminals 3&4. Sorry, I don't recall ever having to work with the antenna, so I don't remember where it's connected.

I'd check for anything that has changed since before you started having the problem: If you've had renovation, or new furniture, or anything that can cause RF interference. For instance, If you got a new dresser with a large mirror, or moved an old one, or installed a mirror in your foyer, mirrors block RF signals like sheet metal. Walls with metal lathe are anathema too.

If you can, it might help to take down the two transmitters in question, along with their magnets, and set them near the Panel long enough for them to Check In, to see if that stops the problem---that won't solve it, but it'll let you know whether distance & barriers between is what's causing it; then you can work from there.

Finally, if you want a second opinion, try this DIY Alarm site that has a number of pro's and some of them may be more familiar with the AT&T 8000, even though I doubt your problem is brand-specific. Be prepared to be encouraged to buy a new system. I personally like Users who manage to keep a working system alive as long as they can, and kudos to you for keeping your going this long.

I'll respond to your PM now.

 

[ChosunOne]

Oops, just realized too late to edit that I didn't put in a link to the DIY Alarm site.

https://www.doityourself.com/forum/electronic-home-security-systems-alarms-devices-87/