Communicator test

BradScott

Member
I've tried going to the keypad menu 8.4.3 for Communicator Manual Test silent, but when I hit the right arrow key, the keypad just returns to the Ready state.

What do I need to do to get the communicator to call? I don't have any comm failure indicated, and I have two telephones set up -- one for voice dial, and one for CID (though both are my cell phone).
 
It's early in the morning but what do you have set for automatically test communicator every X days at X time? In ELKRP it's under Communicator, System RC's. I think you need to have some time set there.
 
Every 1 day at 12:00 am

If I don't have the phone line plugged in, I do get phone faults.

The situation here is I am trying to test the communicator, and it doesn't look to me like it is even trying to do the test.

The manual states: "If there is no phone number programmed to send a test code, the test will end." But, I do not know what it means to be sending a test code. I just want to test that it dials my cell phone and gives a voice message, but without the siren going off.
 
BradScott said:
But, I do not know what it means to be sending a test code.
A test code is just that. It is a code in a certain format, i.e. ContactID, that is sent to the Central Station to test the system. The Central Station just records the test and doesn't do anything with it. If the test fails your M1 will notify you of a communication error. This is the test that is sent either automatically every X days at X time or when you send a manual test from the keypad. This is not how you test your "call my cell phone when the temperature on keypad 1 gets to 85 degrees or higher and talk the temperature." That type of call requires rules set up in ELKRP.
 
For that type of test, write a Rule in ELK-RP like:

WHENEVER ANY ALARM, ANY AREA TURNS ON
THEN DIAL <telephone entry> AND ANNOUNCE Alarm (vm302)

Or whatever message(s) you want.

Save to the control and hit the Test button on RP to cause it to execute w/o the alarm condition.
 
Okay, I see how to put it all in my rules, but why wouldn't the communicator dial the cell phone anyway? Since the cell phone is now set up as the Central Station. I know that won't do what I ultimately want (until I get this monitored), but, shouldn't the test at least dial me?
 
Brad, the docs on the manual test say:

To manually test the communicator (dialer) press the RIGHT arrow key. Testing is done using the first phone number that is programmed to send a test code. If there is no phone number programmed to send a test code, the test will end.

I'm interpreting this to mean that you have to have the "Auto Test Code" enabled. In ElkRP, this is in the Communicator/System RCs section. Ensure that "Automatic Test" has something other than 00 in the Pulse column.

Again, just an idea.

At that point, I would expect that it would dial and try to send tones to your cell setup as a reporting type 1-4 telephone.
 
BradScott said:
I know that won't do what I ultimately want (until I get this monitored), but, shouldn't the test at least dial me?
Why not set up a monitoring account with NextAlarm. It's free while you play and you then get two free months once you activate. Also, I think gcimmino is correct, you need to have something other than 00 in the pulse code for automatic test.
 
Brad,

The telephone numbers programmed as voice can only be triggered from rules. They are not tied to the reporting codes.
In order to use the communicator test report, a telephone number must be set to one of the Central Station formats. The automatic test report code must be set to non-zero and the "Global System events" enabled in the telephone options.
 
Well, I got it all working, but here is the wierd thing. It didn't run the test communication (to call my cell phone) until the next day. Then it ran them back to back. Naturally, the communication failed since my cell phone could not return the right code.

So, it did make the test calls, just not for a very long time after I requested the calls.

No problems now, just an oddity.
 
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