Problem with DSC 832 system

[flash1944]

I have a problem with my DSC 832 PC5010 v2.0 system with 3 LCD5501Z keypads. I installed and programmed this system in my home 20 years ago. I set it up to call my cell phone and my wife’s cell phone via our home magicJack phone system. It has worked for 20 years without a problem until recently. Actually, only had a few alarms over those years for faulty smoke detectors. I test the system about every 6 months to verify correct operation and the phone calls to our cell phones. The problem now is it will not call our phones. We have 2 portable phones attached to the magicJack and they work fine. If I instigate an alarm, the magicJack acts like it senses the alarm system and is waiting for the touch tones just as if I use a portable phone and push the talk button before inputting the number. But no touch tones are indicated on the magicJack window on the computer. The TLM system does not indicate a problem unless I disconnect the phone line.

I made the assumption that the DSC 5010 panel had failed and found a old stock new panel on eBay. I installed the new panel and programmed same as my original programming from 20 years ago. The new panel acts exactly the same – all functions work except the calling. It seems unlikely that both panels have the same problem, so hoping that someone can suggest a solution.

Here is my coding pertaining to the phone calling:

015 1 2 4 7 on

160 002

310 1111

320 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

321 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

360 03 (not sure why I did not use 05 originally, but 03 worked for years)

361 1 on

365 1 on

380 1 5 on

301 XXXXXXXXXX (phone number only)

303 XXXXXXXXXX (phone number only)

Even though this programming worked for 20 years, I also tried various HEX “D” *4*, “E” *5* and “F” *6* digit additions to these phone numbers with no change noted. I did power down and restart the panel each time as it has been noted that a power down and restart procedure may be needed on some of the DSC panels to accept the phone number change. The HEX additions do cause the “Post Dial Wait Time” to increase over the preset 40 second wait before an attempt to redial takes place (about 2 seconds per HEX digit). With 2 phone numbers and 2 dial attempts programmed, there are 4 dialing attempts, all with no touch tones indicated on the magicJack window. The house phone line does get dropped (phones show “no line”) during all the dialing attempts so the DSC 832 does appear to be trying to make the calls.

Can anyone who knows these panels tell me if I have tried everything?

 

[ChosunOne]

Welcome to the forum. First of all, thank you for being explicit, concise, and articulate about the symptoms and what you have done so far in your troubleshooting: It makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot when I know what's happening.

My first guess is that at some point your landline has been "upgraded" (sarcasm) from POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). And yes, I understand you're using MagicJack, but that connects to the landline I'm talking about. If it goes through any of the telephone networks, it probably uses a VoIP line somewhere along the way.
Alarm Panels do not communicate well over VoIP. This is true of all Panels, whatever brand or model. Sometimes they work, sometimes (usually) they don't.
VoIP wasn't that common 20 years ago, but now there just aren't many places left where you can have POTS all the way from caller to callee.
I'm actually surprised you made it work this long.

The way to check this is to use a phone butt set to listen at the Panel's Tip & Ring phone connection at the right end of the Terminal Strip. Your troubleshooting seems pretty thorough, so I assume the reason you haven't already done this is that you don't have a butt set. I see one of the area codes programmed is western and central Maryland. I'm located south of Frederick and I'm retired with time on my hands, so if you're anywhere nearby, I'd be happy to lend you the use of my butt set, which I've barely used these last 15 years I've been retired. (I still service a few of my personal customers; and I frequent various DIY forums to lend advice, so I'm not totally rusted.

Full disclosure, I've been retired about 15 years now and have only worked on one DSC 5010 Panel in that time, but your problem has become pretty commonplace (among all brands) in the last few years as VoIP has replaced most POTS lines.
But I recommend you re-post your question in this forum:
https://www.doityourself.com/forum/electronic-home-security-systems-alarms-devices-87/
so you can get a second opinion. That forum is specifically for DIY alarm systems and there are plenty of pro's there familiar with the DSC 5010.
There is a third-party device that uses cell service, but I'm not familiar with it (since it's less that 15 years old) and I doubt your Panel supports it, but it's something you can discuss with one of the experts in the DIY Alarm Forum.

Edit: Oops, I didn't think to check the referenced Forum before I posted. I see you posted there earlier. Be patient, sometimes it takes awhile, but one of the Pro's will respond.

 

[flash1944]

Welcome to the forum. First of all, thank you for being explicit, concise, and articulate about the symptoms and what you have done so far in your troubleshooting: It makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot when I know what's happening.

My first guess is that at some point your landline has been "upgraded" (sarcasm) from POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). And yes, I understand you're using MagicJack, but that connects to the landline I'm talking about. If it goes through any of the telephone networks, it probably uses a VoIP line somewhere along the way.
Alarm Panels do not communicate well over VoIP. This is true of all Panels, whatever brand or model. Sometimes they work, sometimes (usually) they don't.
VoIP wasn't that common 20 years ago, but now there just aren't many places left where you can have POTS all the way from caller to callee.
I'm actually surprised you made it work this long.

The way to check this is to use a phone butt set to listen at the Panel's Tip & Ring phone connection at the right end of the Terminal Strip. Your troubleshooting seems pretty thorough, so I assume the reason you haven't already done this is that you don't have a butt set. I see one of the area codes programmed is western and central Maryland. I'm located south of Frederick and I'm retired with time on my hands, so if you're anywhere nearby, I'd be happy to lend you the use of my butt set, which I've barely used these last 15 years I've been retired. (I still service a few of my personal customers; and I frequent various DIY forums to lend advice, so I'm not totally rusted.

Full disclosure, I've been retired about 15 years now and have only worked on one DSC 5010 Panel in that time, but your problem has become pretty commonplace (among all brands) in the last few years as VoIP has replaced most POTS lines.
But I recommend you re-post your question in this forum:
https://www.doityourself.com/forum/electronic-home-security-systems-alarms-devices-87/
so you can get a second opinion. That forum is specifically for DIY alarm systems and there are plenty of pro's there familiar with the DSC 5010.
There is a third-party device that uses cell service, but I'm not familiar with it (since it's less that 15 years old) and I doubt your Panel supports it, but it's something you can discuss with one of the experts in the DIY Alarm Forum.

Edit: Oops, I didn't think to check the referenced Forum before I posted. I see you posted there earlier. Be patient, sometimes it takes awhile, but one of the Pro's will respond.

Thanks for your input ChosunOne. I have checked for touch tones with a phone connected to the alarm phone output and I can hear the alarm system sending tones which sound similar to the tones I hear when calling with a phone. But the magicJack does not seem to sense those tones like it does the phone tones. Again, thank for the help.