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MM
 
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Default Euro-Meridian home security system

My new house is equipped with a Euro-Meridian home security system,
but I have yet to get round to arranging a contract with the
installers. On Saturday all hell broke loose at around noon as a power
cut, closely followed by restoration of power, closely followed by
ANOTHER power cut happened in quick succession. The security klaxon
then went off, which was so loud all I could do was rush to the
consumer unit and flick the main switch. This stopped the klaxon, but
immediately switched on the outside wall alarm. So I switched on the
power again, breathing a sigh of relief that all noise had ceased,
only then to discover that by moving from the garage (where the
consumer unit is) back into the house, the movement detectors were now
all wide awake and the klaxon started up again!

Eventually, after ten minutes of rushing around, thinking I'd get my
sledge hammer and knock the f***ing klaxon off the wall, I instead
removed the cover and disconnected one of the cables. That killed the
little ******* stone dead, heh heh! Thankfully, I then only had to
contend with mild beeping for 20 minutes from the keypad unit on the
hall wall.

Of course I don't know any security number/pass code/secret handshake!
Like I said, I never got round to setting up a contract yet, although
this will be my first job tomorrow morning.

On speaking to the emergency number, where the guy was incredibly
helpful, but said he couldn't send an engineer out as I was not on
their books yet, apparently I should have been told a pass code.
Apparently I should have been given a "tag" which you wave at the
keypad to silence the alarm.

I've never had a security system (and never been burgled). I didn't
buy the house on the basis of its being equipped with a security
system. It was just some other bit of gubbins which the developer had
had installed, but would be of little concern to me if it simply
wasn't there.

How can a powercut cause mayhem like this? Supposing I am away on
business or on holiday and a powercut occurs? Do the neighbours have
to suffer (for 20 minutes?) until I return in two weeks? Or do the
police break in and steal all my arthouse movies?

I finally got round to reading the Operator Handbook, and this thing
is so complicated I'd rather learn how to fly crop sprayers. How on
earth any normal person without a degree in electronics and a hotline
to specially trained security gurus is expected to understand it all
is totally beyond me. I've read the booklet from cover to cover and
it's all as clear as mud. Maybe there are training courses on themes
like: "How to Live in a Security Conscious Home". In my Handbook there
are schemes for leaving a window open intentionally, tests for walking
around ("WALK TEST COMPLETED"). I mean, anyone would think this is a
mini version of Fort Knox they're trying to protect! All, I believe, a
tad excessive for a quiet backwater such as this. How much did this
whole system cost the developer, I wonder?

MM
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Dave Plowman (News)
 
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In article ,
MM wrote:
How can a powercut cause mayhem like this? Supposing I am away on
business or on holiday and a powercut occurs? Do the neighbours have
to suffer (for 20 minutes?) until I return in two weeks? Or do the
police break in and steal all my arthouse movies?


Sounds like there's no back up battery - or it's flat. A power cut
shouldn't set an alarm off. Or alter its state.

--
*I don't have a license to kill, but I do have a learner's permit.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
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MM
 
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On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 12:01:55 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
MM wrote:
How can a powercut cause mayhem like this? Supposing I am away on
business or on holiday and a powercut occurs? Do the neighbours have
to suffer (for 20 minutes?) until I return in two weeks? Or do the
police break in and steal all my arthouse movies?


Sounds like there's no back up battery - or it's flat. A power cut
shouldn't set an alarm off. Or alter its state.


Funny you should say that because the read-out on the key pad says
"Call Engineer: Battery fault 100"

Never mind. The klaxon is unhappily dangling from the wall on its
single wire and will remain there as punishment until Monday morning.

Could it be that a battery is housed in a big white box mounted on a
wall in one of the walk-in wardrobes? I asked the developer what that
was and he simply said, Oh, that's to do with the alarm system. You
don't need to worry about that.

MM
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Dave Plowman (News)
 
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In article ,
MM wrote:
Sounds like there's no back up battery - or it's flat. A power cut
shouldn't set an alarm off. Or alter its state.


Funny you should say that because the read-out on the key pad says
"Call Engineer: Battery fault 100"


Never mind. The klaxon is unhappily dangling from the wall on its
single wire and will remain there as punishment until Monday morning.


Do you beat your car with a branch if it won't start? ;-)

Could it be that a battery is housed in a big white box mounted on a
wall in one of the walk-in wardrobes? I asked the developer what that
was and he simply said, Oh, that's to do with the alarm system. You
don't need to worry about that.


I'm not an alarm expert, but in mine it's inside the main control panel.
There's also another one inside the external bell box which should cause
it to sound if things are tampered with while the mains are off.

Seems to me you need to get the owner's instruction manual for the system
and read it. To stop one ringing if it's been set off you merely need to
enter the user code - which you can choose yourself. There's little point
having an alarm system if you don't know how to use it. Some would say
there's no point in them anyway. ;-)

IMHO, to be of any real use, it should also have an additional keypad
situated beside the usual exit. Fiddling around in cupboards to set it
means it won't be used.

--
*I can see your point, but I still think you're full of ****.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
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Lurch
 
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On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 12:19:12 +0000, MM strung
together this:

Sounds like there's no back up battery - or it's flat. A power cut
shouldn't set an alarm off. Or alter its state.


Funny you should say that because the read-out on the key pad says
"Call Engineer: Battery fault 100"

That's that then, one knackered battery, and possibly panel.

Could it be that a battery is housed in a big white box mounted on a
wall in one of the walk-in wardrobes? I asked the developer what that
was and he simply said, Oh, that's to do with the alarm system. You
don't need to worry about that.

More than likely, all the important bits are in a nice metal box that
can be hidden away in a more secure location so all you see is the
keypad on the wall.

Somewhat pointless me going into detail here if you are going to have
an engineer come and sort the system out as I would prefer to describe
all the functions of the system on a one to one basis. The book
usually doesn't make sense if you've just had the alarm chucked at you
but once a competent engineer has been through the system with you it
will probably make more sense.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject


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MM
 
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On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 21:56:46 +0000, Lurch
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 12:19:12 +0000, MM strung
together this:

Sounds like there's no back up battery - or it's flat. A power cut
shouldn't set an alarm off. Or alter its state.


Funny you should say that because the read-out on the key pad says
"Call Engineer: Battery fault 100"

That's that then, one knackered battery, and possibly panel.

Could it be that a battery is housed in a big white box mounted on a
wall in one of the walk-in wardrobes? I asked the developer what that
was and he simply said, Oh, that's to do with the alarm system. You
don't need to worry about that.

More than likely, all the important bits are in a nice metal box that
can be hidden away in a more secure location so all you see is the
keypad on the wall.

Somewhat pointless me going into detail here if you are going to have
an engineer come and sort the system out as I would prefer to describe
all the functions of the system on a one to one basis. The book
usually doesn't make sense if you've just had the alarm chucked at you
but once a competent engineer has been through the system with you it
will probably make more sense.


Yes, I've given them a call and set up a contract. £45 a year it's
going to cost me. But they can't come until next Tuesday. Oh, well.
I'll just have to fight off intruders, if they dare...

MM
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MM
 
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On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:44:26 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
MM wrote:
Yes, I've given them a call and set up a contract. £45 a year it's
going to cost me. But they can't come until next Tuesday. Oh, well.
I'll just have to fight off intruders, if they dare...


IMHO, you'd be mad to pay for a 'contract' on an alarm - unless it
includes response to an 'intruder'.


I have to get the installers to set it up for me personally. At the
moment it is only set up with the factory default settings. Also,
since the powercuts which set it off, the keypad display says "Call
engineer - Battery Fault 100", so I've got to get them to come out
anyway. Also, the annual fee includes a yearly check on how the system
is functioning. Personally, I couldn't care less about an alarm
system. It would never be on my shopping list. But it came with the
house, so when I sell the house, I shall really make a big thing of
the alarm. Many older people are very security conscious, so the alarm
system could be a big selling point. Certainly, at the moment other
houses on the development are being sold by their initial owners (who
bought speculatively, I believe) and they are being snapped up the
moment they come on to the market.

MM
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Dave Plowman (News)
 
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Default

In article ,
MM wrote:
Yes, I've given them a call and set up a contract. £45 a year it's
going to cost me. But they can't come until next Tuesday. Oh, well.
I'll just have to fight off intruders, if they dare...


IMHO, you'd be mad to pay for a 'contract' on an alarm - unless it
includes response to an 'intruder'.


I have to get the installers to set it up for me personally.


A short reading of the manual should allow you to set it up for your
actual requirements. An installer might have different ideas on this. Not
knocking true professionals in this field, but you might have problems
finding one. And it sounds like those who installed yours have left it in
an unsatisfactory state.

At the moment it is only set up with the factory default settings. Also,
since the powercuts which set it off, the keypad display says "Call
engineer - Battery Fault 100", so I've got to get them to come out
anyway.


If it is new, you shouldn't have to pay to fix faults.

Also, the annual fee includes a yearly check on how the system
is functioning.


I'd think an annual check just isn't adequate. You need to understand the
way the system works and make sure it does so all the time - not rely on
just a check.

Personally, I couldn't care less about an alarm
system. It would never be on my shopping list. But it came with the
house, so when I sell the house, I shall really make a big thing of
the alarm. Many older people are very security conscious, so the alarm
system could be a big selling point. Certainly, at the moment other
houses on the development are being sold by their initial owners (who
bought speculatively, I believe) and they are being snapped up the
moment they come on to the market.


Hmm.

--
*Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
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