Panel is powered on. Both supplied power adapter and battery are properly connected. When I tap the settings button, the keypad appears and quickly disappears and says can not access during power failure. Here’s the strange part. I unplug the battery and panel stays on. I can then enter the setting/home control area. Seems like the battery is cutting the AC ?
In order to best assist, we would need to know the model of Alarm panel you are currently using. Could you provide the model?
IQ PANEL QS-9004-VRZ
I do believe I have actually seen a similar case previously with that panel. Does your battery show any signs of swelling?
No signs of swelling. This is a brand new panel. Here are different things I have done.
Removed power and battery pack. Plugged in battery alone and panel turned on and stayed on.
Removed power and battery pack. Plugged in both AC and battery and started seeing power failure only when I went to settings or home control.
Removed power and battery pack. Plugged in ONLY AC and panel was fully operational.
I used a brand transformer as well.
Are you using the included transformer with the Qolsys Panel?
With both the battery and transformer connected, if you go to Settings - Installer Code - Panel Tests and select to run the Battery and AC Status tests, what are the results?
Yes I’ve tried two Qolsys transformers.
I am not able to access the system test options with both the battery and ac plugged in
That is very strange, and you can access it with just the AC connected?
Do you have anything else wired into the Qolsys Panel terminal block?
If you have tried two Qolsys transformers, does that mean you have access to multiple panels? Are you able to try a different battery? When removing the battery make sure to Power Down first from the settings menu.
It’s extremely strange. I’ve been installing Qolsys since they have been released and never been faced with this issue.
Nothing else is connected. This was an existing keypad spot so wire was preexisting. I did try using another battery already. Last resort is a new panel.
Are you aware of a maximum wire run for 18/2 gauge wire? The panel is about 70 feet from transformer. I’m wondering if there is power loss. I will be returning to try a different location if needed.
Are you aware of a maximum wire run for 18/2 gauge wire? The panel is about 70 feet from transformer. I’m wondering if there is power loss. I will be returning to try a different location if needed.
Ah, well I can’t confirm that this is a natural result of underpowering the panel, but yes voltage drop at that distance would be a certainty. Ideally you would want to halve that length or better if possible.
Will test that. I know a lot of technicians prefer installing the new panels at the existing spot when doing take overs. Would be a bit of an inconvenience if this was a result of long wire run. Any suggestions otherwise?
Yes, it is common to reuse existing wiring. 70 feet is much longer than I would advise. Qolsys’ recommended cable length for 18AWG is 25 feet.
You can double up on conductors to effectively use a larger gauge if there are additional conductors available. This can help combat voltage loss. However, if additional conductors are not already present you would be better off shortening the run, or mounting the panel in an alternate location.
What’s the voltage at the panel end? and Amperage? You might be able to up the power adapter to a 6V one and get away with it. The initial increase in voltage of 0.5V (the stock power adapter supplies 5.5v) shouldn’t cause the panel to freak out during initial connection. And you’ll be able to get a higher voltage at the device end over a long cable run. Might be just enough to make it work. Of course, this won’t be how the manufacture designed it. However, the low amperage overall shouldn’t cause any issue with 18awg wires.
Of course, run this at your own risk. I am sure the manufacturer doesn’t condone it. I don’t understand why Qolsys designed the system to run on 5V, instead of 12-15V. It doesn’t help that the panel is very sensitive to voltage drop, either.
If you have an outlet just below the panel location. I’ll try to drop the original power adapter there. It’s a wireless system after all. So the wire doesn’t carry any data anyway.
I don’t understand why Qolsys designed the system to run on 5V, instead of 12-15V
The user here was referring to the QS-9004-VRZ, the original Qolsys panel. The Original IQ Panel uses a 12 VDC transformer.
You might be able to up the power adapter to a 6V one and get away with it.
Of course, run this at your own risk. I am sure the manufacturer doesn’t condone it.
I understand this is probably in reference to the IQ Panel 2, which uses a 5.5 VDC transformer, and there are some limitations due to the design, I agree, but I want to call out that I very strongly recommend to never use an alternate power source for the alarm control panel. Damage due to incorrect power specs is not covered under warranty and is a very possible result even when careful. It’s typically not worth the risk.
If you have an outlet just below the panel location. I’ll try to drop the original power adapter there. It’s a wireless system after all. So the wire doesn’t carry any data anyway.
This is true, and the direction the industry seems to be heading is toward panels which are not necessarily intended for wall-mount. The IQ Panel 2 is probably the first that I actually prefer on a desk or table. It can be mounted of course, but yes the power cable length is a limiting factor.