I have a question about programming a zone on a DSC power 632 panel. I want to basically see the status of my overhead garage door contact without it having any effect on the actual system. Basically i just want to look at a keypad to see if it's open or closed but i dont want it to set off the system or prevent the system from arming. i understand i can bypass the zone each time i arm but i would prefer it to be automatic. What I have done is wired my garage door opener to a PGM output and now i want the status of the door so i know whether or not i need to close it at night. Thanks for your help,
Joe

 

There is zone type 26: 24 hour non-alarm; These zones are active at all times but do not cause an alarm, and do not show up in alarm memory. Zone Attributes such as Zone Bypassing and Door Chime affect the functionality of this zone. A 24-hr Non-alarm zone may be used for Zone Follower automation applications.
NOTE: This zone type will be active in Walk Test. Tampers and Faults. Zones programmed as 24-hr Nonalarm type will not cause alarms.

There may be other tweaks you can do to the zone attibutes if this doesn't work for you. Some systems have a zone type that allows you to "force" arm if the zone is open, but to do that with a 1555 means monkeying with the zone attribute section of the programming. Not especially hard, but not something done casually.

 

thanks for your help, i'll give that a try. I didn't see a zone type 26 in the manual so i never knew about it. i know how to change zone attributes so i should be ok there. Thanks again.
Joe

 

I was looking at a version 3.2 manual. For the older models, the only way to pull it off may be to mess with the zone attributes.

 

yeah, i tried it and zone definition 26 didn't show it open. What definition should i use with what attributes?? I am not super familiar with the features of the attributes and how they will affect my system as i haven't changed them for a client before? I would use a 24 hr supervisory zone but all i have left for zones are on keypad zone expander slots and the manual says that wont work, again haven't tried this before so maybe the 24 supervisory zones will work on the keypad zone expander slot. I want to do this without having to rework everything if possible. I was thinking maybe one of the other 24 hr zones and making it a silent alarm but i don't want all the memories in the keypad if possible because it ight throw other people off. Is there a way to make those just a status zone without an alarm?? If none of this will work is there a DSC powerseries panel that will allow me to do the zone definition 26?? Thanks again for your help.
Joe

 

ok so what i did is set the garage door as a zone definition 02 (delay 2) and set delay 2 at 255 seconds. I changed the zone attributes for that zone to a silent alarm and force arm on so it shouldn't affect the system exceot for some alarm memories but other then that has been working fine so far. Thanks for your help, hopefully this helps someone else out. My advice, just get a better panel, but this was the cheap way of doing things.....
Joe

 

Systems are constantly evolving. The more recent versions of the same panel you have have the specific zone type that was pretty close to what you wanted to do. At least there was a way to set a zone type to "brute force" your way into the configuration you wanted.