Sapphire - Smart Alarm

Installing A Visonic Powermaster Alarm System

Introduction.

Please note that this is  a general guide. Please refer to the full installation manuals when installing your system

The Visonic Powermaster alarm systems are all totally wireless and are based around four control panels - Powermaster-10, 30, 33EXP and 360R.  The four panels are operationally similar with minor variations in their features.  Refer to the Visonic Powermaster Comparison Table for the main differences.  

Visonic supply the Powermaster 10 and 30 as pre-enrolled kits.  However these standard kits are rarely suitable for the required installation and extra devices are usually installed.  Luckily, adding and configuring extra devices is very easy.

The following basic steps should result in a trouble-free installation.

Install The Control Panel

Before installing the control panel consider the following regarding its physical positioning.

• Try to site the Control Panel at the centre of your installation so as to minimise the distance to remotely sited devices.
• The Control Panel should be fitted at least 1 metre above ground level as (the earth absorbs wireless signals).
• The Powermaster-30 model has optional voice prompts such as 'ARMING AWAY - PLEASE EXIT NOW'.  If you have the control panel sited where you cannot hear the prompts then you will have to do without them.  Panels with internal sounders can also  be difficult to hear if the panel is hidden away.
• The main control anel needs to be powered from the mains power.  This requires standard 2 core cable and can be fitted with a mains plug. However, we recommecn that the panel be wired through an un-switched fused spur rated at 3 amps which should be installed by a qualified electrician.  The fuse should be removed from the fused spur during installation of the control panel

Tip:  If you position the Control Panel in its proposed final position and power it up on its battery you can walk around the various proposed detector positions and check the visual signal strength indicator on each device.  It should be noted that in a typical property you are unlikely to get transmission problems.

First Power-up

Once you have decided where to fit the control panel, it needs to be firmly fixed to a stable surface using the fixings supplied.

With the panel fixed in its final position connect the mains cable to the power supply inputs on the control panel.

1. Fit and connect the battery in the control panel.
2. Fit the control panel cover.
3. Fit the fuse into the fused spur. (if installed)

On powering up the panel you may get various trouble messages.  There are two types of trouble message;  READY-MEMORY and NOT READY-MEMORY.  These can be ignored for now.  If you want to see what the messages are you can press OK repeatedly to show the troubles.  Typically they will be AC FAILURE, CPU TAMPER.

Installing Devices

If you are installing a pre-enrolled kit, install the detectors in their required positions ensuring that the detector covers are correctly fitted. The control Panel should now read READY-MEMORY.  You can press the OK button repeatedly to show the troubles that are in the memory.  These trouble messages will disappear when the system is armed and disarmed.

If you are installing a system from components or adding extra detectors to a pre-enrolled system

Adding Devices (Pre-enroll method)

Enter Master Installer Mode on the control panel.
Scroll to 2. ZONES / DEVICES - press OK
ADD NEW DEVICES is displayed - press OK
ENROLL NOW or ENTER ID is displayed

Enter the 7 digit device ID found on a printed label on the device - press OK.
Continue through the install menu to set the device location and zone type.
Exit Master Installer Mode.

A trouble message will be displayed such as Z04 NOT NETWORKED
Install the detector and trigger it to make it communicate with the control panel.
Trouble messages will clear when the system has been armed and disarmed.

Repeat the above for all the other detectors.

Defining Zone Type & Name

When enrolling detectors a location and zone type are entered into the system. These settings can be changed at any time.

Because the zone type can be a little confusing the following explanation should help to clarify zone types.

The following zone types are available.  A full explanation of the zone types is given in the Appendix of the Installation manual.

1. Inter-follow
2. Perimeter
3. Perim-follow
4. Delay 1
5. Delay 2
6. 24h silent
7. 24h audible
8. Fire
9. Non-alarm
10. Emergency
11. Gas
12. Flood
13. Interior
14. Temperature
15. Home/Delay

From a purely burglar alarm point of view the Powermax has two settings - HOME and AWAY.  In the AWAY setting mode all the zones with detectors enrolled are active.  In HOME mode only zone types defined as Perimeter, Perim-Follow and Delay are active.  Note: a delay zone is also a perimeter zone by definition.

For more information see Powermaster zone types explained.

Take the following example.

Our typical property is a three bedroom semi-detatched house with two ground floor reception rooms and a kitchen.  Each of the ground floor rooms has 1 window.  Ther is also a front and rear door.  The property is always entered and exited through the front door.  we have decided to protect the property as follows.

• Front door - Magnetic Contact set as a DELAY zone.  Named FRONT DOOR.  Note the delay timers are set in the DEFINE PANEL menu.
• Back door - Magnetic Contact set as a PERIMETER zone.  Named BACK DOOR
• Reception Room 1 - 1 x PIR set as an INTERIOR zone.  Named LIVING ROOM, and 1 x Shock sensor (fitted to the window frame) set as a PERIMETER zone named LIVING ROOM (note; we could define a custom name for this)
• Reception Room 2 - 1 x PIR set as an INTERIOR-FOLLOW* zone.  Named DINING ROOM, and 1 x Shock sensor (fitted to the window frame) set as a PERIMETER zone named DINING ROOM (note; we could define a custom name for this).  *This is set as an INTERIOR FOLLOW zone because the control panel is fitted in this room and is thus temporarily disabled if the DELAY zone(s) have first been activated.
• Kitchen - 1 x PIR set as an INTERIOR zone.  Named KITCHEN, and 1 x Shock sensor (fitted to the window frame) set as a PERIMETER zone named KITCHEN (note; we could define a custom name for this)
• Hall - 1 x PIR fitted at the top of the stairs set as a DELAY zone.  Named HALL.