Yale 6400 its a mystery

[cazzanne]

Hello, can anyone help me with this puzzle. I have the Yale 6400 and the alarm worked perfectly last week then all of a sudden the key fob didn't work thought it was the batteries and replaced them, still didn't work. Went into the alarm box system deleted the key fob and tried to re-learn but nothing happened, so I got my other spare key fob and that didn't work either. Further investigation determined that the control box had stopped talking to all devices (pir's and door contacts) so tried to re-learn them and they kept coming up with stupid names the first door came up as gas sensor GS others had FP whatever that it. My key fob came up as a fixed panic alarm. After many hours of messing about I took the control box out factory reset it in the garden and re-programmed the key fobs and they worked perfectly also did the back door contact worked perfectly, all pir's in the rear of the house learnt perfectly. Activited door chime and perfect. Feeling happy I brought the whole lot into the house and put it back where it was before and yes you've guessed it, it didn't talk to any devices just set up. Took it outside, yes it worked. We haven't had anything done in the house in the last week or so, nothing has changed. I went and bought a new control panel thinking mine was faulty and it is still the same. All wi-fi has been turned off and everything that is capable of transmitting a signal has been turned off.

Any ideas?
Help very much appreciated, this is driving me mad!

 

[JohnD]

could still be an interference problem. It seems to be related to the position you have put the panel. Or it might be the mains adaptor.

Try it in a different part of the house.

So you say you have turned off your cordless phones and your mobiles, and your bluetooth TV, and your laptop and your ipad, and your cordless doorbell, and your baby alarm, and your remote-control lightswitches, and the blippers for your car alarm. And none of your neighbours has a taxi transmitter, or an electric drill, or a walkie-talkie, or a drone, and they have turned off their router and other devices.

See if interference stops when you turn off the main switch in your consumer unit.

 

[bernardgreen]

Have you or your neighbours had a Smart Meter fitted ? These can interfere with other wireless linked items.

 

[cazzanne]

Our neighbours are a far distance away enough to not interfer. The houses close to us are empty.
No smart meters fitted either side or here.
Everything has been turned off except the consumer unit, tried it nothing at all.
Changed the mains adaptor, did that first.
There is nothing different or new from months ago and everything was great so could there be an interference now - is that possible with existing equipment not changed?
In the process of trying again in the house with the control panel and trying to "learn" the front door and it keeps coming up as "control panel"? It is almost like everything is confused including us!

Help appreciated.

 

[JohnD]

Try it in a different part of the house.

 

[cazzanne]

Thanks but no joy

 

[JohnD]

I took the control box out factory reset it in the garden and re-programmed the key fobs and they worked perfectly also did the back door contact worked perfectly, all pir's in the rear of the house learnt perfectly. Activited door chime and perfect. Feeling happy I brought the whole lot into the house and put it back where it was before and yes you've guessed it, it didn't talk to any devices just set up. Took it outside, yes it worked.

I find it easy to believe that something inside the house, most likely electromagnetic radiation, is causing the problem. Some Wifi extenders carry the signal around the house circuits.

I find it difficult to think of any other cause.

Did you say you had tried turning off all power in the house at the Main Switch?

 

[cazzanne]

Yes, we have turned all power off, perhaps need to try this again. We don't have any Wifi extenders. As the control panel can be used from the garage it does sound as though it is electromagnetic radiation but at a loss as to what. Could this happen with something we have had for some time (4 months) with no previous problems, ie. Google Home?

 

[JohnD]

if it continues even with the main switch off, it may be something unusual, like a fault on the incoming supply, or a battery-operated device continually transmitting. Which seems unlikely, unless a baby alarm or similar. I would expect an alarm sensor that was continually transmitting to run down quickly. The remote unlocker on a car keyfob might do it.

A phone might last a week or so. Wireless central-heating thermostats might run for two years. Wireless smoke alarms too.

An electronics hobbyist or radio amateur might be able to track down the source, but they are not widely found. If you have been bugged the bug would be concealed.

There is a faint chance a burglar is deliberately jamming your alarm, but although this is a theoretical possibility, I don't know anyone who has ever seen it happen in an ordinary domestic house, apart from hobbyists making up their own experimental devices.

 

[The Pars]

I would advise you should buy a 2 way wireless system if the problem cannot be solved.

 

[bernardgreen]

I would advise you should buy a 2 way wireless system if the problem cannot be solved.

If there is persistant blocking / jamming of the channel then the operation of a two way system will be compromised. It will cope better in that if a sensor's alarm transmission is not acknowledged by the panel then the sensor will repeat the alarm transmission until it is acknowledged. But if the blocking / jamming is continuous then no messages will be received by the panel no matter how many times the sensor sends it.

 

[JohnD]

If you have an insoluble problem with radio interference, I'd just go straight to a wired system. It can need e a bit less attention.

 

[cazzanne]

Value your help. We have been at this all day now, thought we had it working then it went off, used tin foil to shield worked for a time then off. All pointing to something interferring but who knows what? I'll keep you posted how we go on at the moment it is as much use as a chocolate fire guard but now really do want to know what is causing it! Thanks again.

 

[cazzanne]

Next chapter.... Got up this morning and the alarm is working perfectly. It was doing some strange things yesterday saying "wrist band" when trying again to "learn". We have checked everything "learned" all including remote keypads - all ok. Any ideas? All electrical equipment is on. Not sure if we trust it now though?

 

[Nintendofan]

Next chapter.... Got up this morning and the alarm is working perfectly. It was doing some strange things yesterday saying "wrist band" when trying again to "learn". We have checked everything "learned" all including remote keypads - all ok. Any ideas? All electrical equipment is on. Not sure if we trust it now though?

Has the council recently changed the street lamps for smart LED types? I've heard this can cause issues.