Re: Napco MA3000 - Dialer Test on both Lines?

["Robert L Bass" <robertlbass@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I openly admit I don't know anything about this
> particular panel, so maybe I am missing something.
> Let's go through this step by step...

Ok.  Two programmable relays are set to interrupt a  24-hour test zone and
to short phone line 1 at the designated time.  This causes the panel to
report the 24-hour zone as a silent alarm, but the code/zone is configured
at the c-station to be viewed as a test signal.  A third relay can be
triggered by "general trouble" and run in series with the phone shorting
relay so that line 1 will not short out if the panel is currently
experiencing a trouble condition.

Here's an interesting thing about the MA3000 when used with the 2-line
dialer board.  If either line develops a trouble condition during a
reportable event the panel will only display and attempt to report the
trouble after finishing the original report.  What happened with this
sequence was the panel would report the 24-hour zone and the line would
immediately restore.

The MA3000, unlike most commercial fire alarmcontrol panels, is also an
extremely flexible burglar alarm / automation system.  Because I liked
tinkering with Napco panels I learned a few things they could do that even
Napco tech didn't always know about.  I've installed a lot of them, even
used one as a 2-line dialer when taking over a system in a church / daycare
site.

> As I understand it, you want to use a programmable relay
> to interrupt  the primary phone line at a predetermined
> time.  The phone line monitor detects the  "bad" primary
> phone line and sends a phone line trouble report using
> the secondary phone line.

Not quite right.  The panel wasn't actually sending a phone line trouble
signal.  It was simply reporting a 24-hour zone when triggered by another
programmable relay.

> This means a good test signal consists of a phone line
> trouble report.

Nope.  I wouldn't do that for two reasons.  First, you wouldn't want to
defeat th4e abaility of the panel to report a true phone trouble condition.
Doing so would cause the C-station to view such a trouble as a test -- not
good.  Second, as you mention, that would create a daily trouble alarm on
premises -- also not good.

> I am not surprised that an AHJ approved something like
> this.  AHJs approve stupid things sometimes, because
> their level of technical expertise is not all that high.

Carl Earn of W Hartford, Ct fire dept. (NBFAA Fire Marshal of the Year some
years ago) was one of the AHJ's who routinely examined my systems.  I used
this on several installations in W Hartford when we took over and replaced
panels after the WHPD ceased running an in-house C-station receiver.

> So, as I understand your plan...

Actually, you didn't understand it but had it been as you surmised it would
indeed have been a bad idea.  Perhaps if you had asked for more details
first...

Nah, that's not SOP in ASA.  :^)

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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