DSC PC5010 Battery Low Error

[mikee]

I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my keypad
gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery for a
new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error
message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to 10
volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm
installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my battery
to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13 volts. I
placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week later I
had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I thought my
transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC transformer.
I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery charger
again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low battery
light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may have
been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging unit,
I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new PC5010
board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the
battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the leds
coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I checked the
battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the battery,
and I get a total of 10 volts.

What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing
charged?? please help!!

 

[Frank Olson]

I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my keypad
gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery for a
new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error
message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to 10
volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm
installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my battery
to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13 volts. I
placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week later I
had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I thought my
transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC transformer.
I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery charger
again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low battery
light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may have
been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging unit,
I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new PC5010
board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the
battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the leds
coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I checked the
battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the battery,
and I get a total of 10 volts.

What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing
charged?? please help!!

What's the current draw on the aux power terminals? Your transformer
should be reading anywhere between 16.5 to 17 VAC (up to 19 VAC "free
air" - not connected). Output on the charger (battery connected) should
be about 13.6 - 13.7 VDC.

 

[mikee]

What's the current draw on the aux power terminals? Your transformer
should be reading anywhere between 16.5 to 17 VAC (up to 19 VAC "free
air" - not connected). Output on the charger (battery connected) should
be about 13.6 - 13.7 VDC.

The current draw on the aux power terminals is 12.16 VDC. The bell
terminal is 1 VDC. The terminals connected to the battery reads 12.17
VDC. The terminals to power the board from the transformer reads 17.89
VAC.

 

[Frank Olson]

The current draw on the aux power terminals is 12.16 VDC.

That's "voltage", not "current".

The bell
terminal is 1 VDC. The terminals connected to the battery reads 12.17
VDC.

Charging voltage is a bit on the low side. It should be around 13.6 - 13.8.

The terminals to power the board from the transformer reads 17.89
VAC.

That's actually good.

 

[mikee]

What else could be wrong?

That's "voltage", not "current".



Charging voltage is a bit on the low side. It should be around 13.6 - 13.8.


That's actually good.

 

[Crash Gordon]

how many devices do you have connected, what's their total current draw
ratings?
&/or measure your current draw on you aux power terminals


|
| What else could be wrong?
|
|
| Frank Olson wrote:
| > mikee wrote:
| >
| > > The current draw on the aux power terminals is 12.16 VDC.
| >
| > That's "voltage", not "current".
| >
| >
| > > The bell
| > > terminal is 1 VDC. The terminals connected to the battery reads
12.17
| > > VDC.
| >
| > Charging voltage is a bit on the low side. It should be around 13.6 -
13.8.
| >
| > > The terminals to power the board from the transformer reads 17.89
| > > VAC.
| >
| > That's actually good.
|

 

[Frank Olson]

You need to check the VDC coming from the battery leads out of the
panel (without batt. connected) to check charging voltage, NOT VAC.
It needs to be about 13.8VDC. If it's zero than replace the batt.
fuse, if it's low there is a trim pot on the board to adjust it up.

There are no "fuses" on the 5010. And they've done away with the trim
pot in favour of a "dynamic charger".

 

[Frank Olson]

What else could be wrong?

What's the current load on your aux power terminals? That's the "Amps"
setting on your meter, not "Voltage".

 

[Frank Olson]

Yeah, well... At least I know how to spell "favor".

See?? I always knew you were on the "brainy end". ;-)

 

[mikee]

Frank is right there is no pot or fuses on board for adjustment. The
battery terminals (without Battery connected) is 13.6 VDC. The battery
itself is 12.1 VDC, There are 3 devices connected to the Aux.
terminals. I just bought the battery about 1 month ago.

 

[Crash Gordon]

and in series with one of the aux terminals


| mikee wrote:
| > What else could be wrong?
|
|
| What's the current load on your aux power terminals? That's the "Amps"
| setting on your meter, not "Voltage".

 

[Crash Gordon]

What kind of battery?
You still need to measure your current draw on aux...see different part of
this thread.
Some device is probably overdrawing your aux power.

| Frank is right there is no pot or fuses on board for adjustment. The
| battery terminals (without Battery connected) is 13.6 VDC. The battery
| itself is 12.1 VDC, There are 3 devices connected to the Aux.
| terminals. I just bought the battery about 1 month ago.
|
|
| Frank Olson wrote:
| > G. Morgan wrote:
| > >
| > >
| > >>I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my keypad
| > >>gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery for a
| > >>new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error
| > >>message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to 10
| > >>volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm
| > >>installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my battery
| > >>to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13 volts. I
| > >>placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week later
I
| > >>had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I thought my
| > >>transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC transformer.
| > >>I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery
charger
| > >>again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low battery
| > >>light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may have
| > >>been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging unit,
| > >>I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new PC5010
| > >>board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the
| > >>battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the leds
| > >>coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I checked
the
| > >>battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the battery,
| > >>and I get a total of 10 volts.
| > >>
| > >>What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing
| > >>charged?? please help!!
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > > You need to check the VDC coming from the battery leads out of the
| > > panel (without batt. connected) to check charging voltage, NOT VAC.
| > > It needs to be about 13.8VDC. If it's zero than replace the batt.
| > > fuse, if it's low there is a trim pot on the board to adjust it up.
| > >
| >
| >
| > There are no "fuses" on the 5010. And they've done away with the trim
| > pot in favour of a "dynamic charger".
|

 

[mikee]

I'm having a problem with my meter. Can someone help me understand
this..I have a meter that has 2 lead connnection for Amps, One
connection states "Fused 200mA MAX" and the other states "Unfused
10A/60sec MAX". I originally tried to measure the Amps with the fused
terminal, and I had no reading whatsoever as I placed my leads on the
PC5010 Aux + and - connections. I then tried the unfused lead
connection, at a setting on the meter of 200mA. The minute I place my
leads on the Aux + and - connections, I had a brief spark! so I didn't
attempt that again.
Obviously I am doing something wrong here. ( BTW, Thanks to all for
trying to help me with this)

 

[mikee]

I was also thinking of just removing all Aux. term connections, and
then power up the 5010 and hook up the battery and then wait and see if
it charges back up.
If it did I would connect one device at a time to see what effects it
may have on the battery. What do you think about that approach?

 

[Doug L]

Remove all the wires from one side of the aux power terminals, connect one
of the meter leads to the the now empty terminal, connect the other meter
lead to the wires you just removed from the terminal.
Use the 10A connection first, if the reading is less than 200mA then switch
to the lower setting for a more accurate reading, assuming you haven't blown
the 200mA fuse in the meter.

Doug

--

 

[Crash Gordon]

deeper and deeper




| Remove all the wires from one side of the aux power terminals, connect one
| of the meter leads to the the now empty terminal, connect the other meter
| lead to the wires you just removed from the terminal.
| Use the 10A connection first, if the reading is less than 200mA then
switch
| to the lower setting for a more accurate reading, assuming you haven't
blown
| the 200mA fuse in the meter.
|
| Doug
|
| --
|
| | > I'm having a problem with my meter. Can someone help me understand
| > this..I have a meter that has 2 lead connnection for Amps, One
| > connection states "Fused 200mA MAX" and the other states "Unfused
| > 10A/60sec MAX". I originally tried to measure the Amps with the fused
| > terminal, and I had no reading whatsoever as I placed my leads on the
| > PC5010 Aux + and - connections. I then tried the unfused lead
| > connection, at a setting on the meter of 200mA. The minute I place my
| > leads on the Aux + and - connections, I had a brief spark! so I didn't
| > attempt that again.
| > Obviously I am doing something wrong here. ( BTW, Thanks to all for
| > trying to help me with this)
| >
| >
| > Crash Gordon wrote:
| >> What kind of battery?
| >> You still need to measure your current draw on aux...see different part
| >> of
| >> this thread.
| >> Some device is probably overdrawing your aux power.
| >>
| >> | >> | Frank is right there is no pot or fuses on board for adjustment. The
| >> | battery terminals (without Battery connected) is 13.6 VDC. The
battery
| >> | itself is 12.1 VDC, There are 3 devices connected to the Aux.
| >> | terminals. I just bought the battery about 1 month ago.
| >> |
| >> |
| >> | Frank Olson wrote:
| >> | > G. Morgan wrote:
| >> | > >
| >> | > >
| >> | > >>I have been stumped on this for a long time. A while back, my
| >> keypad
| >> | > >>gave me an error message, battery low. I had changed my battery
| >> for a
| >> | > >>new one and the error went away. Exactly 1 week later the error
| >> | > >>message came back up. I checked the battery, and it was down to
10
| >> | > >>volts. Not soon afterwards my board went bad. I had my alarm
| >> | > >>installer replace my board with a new one. I had hooked up my
| >> battery
| >> | > >>to a battery charger that I had and charged it back up to 13
volts.
| >> I
| >> | > >>placed the battery back in the cabinet, again exactly one week
| >> later
| >> I
| >> | > >>had the low battery light come on again. At that point, I
thought
| >> my
| >> | > >>transformer might be on the blink, so I bought a new DSC
| >> transformer.
| >> | > >>I had taken the battery out again and recharged it on a battery
| >> charger
| >> | > >>again. I put it back in. again exactly one week later the low
| >> battery
| >> | > >>light came on again. I thought at this point that my battery may
| >> have
| >> | > >>been screwed up from charging it on a seperate battery charging
| >> unit,
| >> | > >>I went ahead and bought a new battery again. I now have a new
| >> PC5010
| >> | > >>board, a new transformer, and a new battery, one week later the
| >> | > >>battery low error popped up again!!, I checked the VAC on the
leds
| >> | > >>coming from the PC5010 board and I get about 13.5 volts. I
checked
| >> the
| >> | > >>battery itself and I get 10 volts, I connect the leads to the
| >> battery,
| >> | > >>and I get a total of 10 volts.
| >> | > >>
| >> | > >>What the hell is going on here? why can't I get this damm thing
| >> | > >>charged?? please help!!
| >> | > >
| >> | > >
| >> | > >
| >> | > > You need to check the VDC coming from the battery leads out of
the
| >> | > > panel (without batt. connected) to check charging voltage, NOT
| >> VAC.
| >> | > > It needs to be about 13.8VDC. If it's zero than replace the
batt.
| >> | > > fuse, if it's low there is a trim pot on the board to adjust it
up.
| >> | > >
| >> | >
| >> | >
| >> | > There are no "fuses" on the 5010. And they've done away with the
| >> trim
| >> | > pot in favour of a "dynamic charger".
| >> |
| >
|
|

 

[mikee]

I removed the 3 aux. wires, checked it with my Amp meter and I have 2
wires at about 35mA and another at 27mA.

 

[alarman]

I'm having a problem with my meter.

No, you're not.

Can someone help me understand
this..I have a meter that has 2 lead connnection for Amps, One
connection states "Fused 200mA MAX" and the other states "Unfused
10A/60sec MAX". I originally tried to measure the Amps with the fused
terminal, and I had no reading whatsoever as I placed my leads on the
PC5010 Aux + and - connections. I then tried the unfused lead
connection, at a setting on the meter of 200mA. The minute I place my
leads on the Aux + and - connections, I had a brief spark! so I didn't
attempt that again.
Obviously I am doing something wrong here. ( BTW, Thanks to all for
trying to help me with this)

You need to put your meter in series with the load, not simply place the
leads across the aux terminals.
js

 

[alarman]

I was also thinking of just removing all Aux. term connections, and
then power up the 5010 and hook up the battery and then wait and see if
it charges back up.
If it did I would connect one device at a time to see what effects it
may have on the battery. What do you think about that approach?

I think that approach has already been offered here.
js

 

[alarman]

deeper and deeper

LOL
js