Force armable requires code??

bjhotch

New Member
Greetings All,

I've been lurking for a while, but now need to ask a question. First, the setup:

I have an M1G currently with only 4 zones (all doors). The mudroom door is set as Force Armable, since this is where we enter and exit the house from. I do not require a code to arm the system.

Now, my problem..... if I open the mudroom door, the keypad display shows READY FORCE. If I hit the EXIT button to arm the system, it just beeps at me. It will not let me arm the system while the door is open....UNLESS I enter my code first. If I enter my code with the door open, it beeps at me as if I just disarmed the alarm, then I can hit EXIT and arm the system. If I close the door instead, I can also arm the system.
I must admit this isn't how I would expect it to work. Am I mistaken, or is there something I'm doing wrong? Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Brian
 
The M1G Install manual, page 32 under Force Armable, says Quick Arm can't be used and you need to enter your user code twice. It appears if you have to enter your code just once, then something is amiss.
 
FYI
M1 Firmware Release 4.4.2:

"Force arming - It is no longer necessary to enter a user code twice when force arming. The system can be force armed
with one or more zones violated provide the zone(s) have all been enabled with the force arm option. This included interior
motion detectors which might happen to be aimed in the direction of a keypad location."
 
Thanks, I don't remember seeing that. So basically, it's a "feature" that I'm stuck with.

Actually, here's an odd one then.... I can arm it in STAY mode, with the door open, without entering my code, but I can't arm it in AWAY mode without a code. Unless I just disarmed it, then at least for a period of time, I can rearm it in AWAY with the door open without reentering my code. Hmmmm......

Thanks again!

Brian
 
FYI
M1 Firmware Release 4.4.2:

"Force arming - It is no longer necessary to enter a user code twice when force arming. The system can be force armed
with one or more zones violated provide the zone(s) have all been enabled with the force arm option. This included interior
motion detectors which might happen to be aimed in the direction of a keypad location."


Excellent. Where does one find the summary of changes? I've had my M1G for less than a month, it came with firmware ver 5.1.4, and the manual isn't current by at least one firmware update.

[ Never mind; the release notes are with the firmware updates in the dealer section of Elk's site.]
 
When you disarm you enter in your code. The system retains your code for a set period of time so any subsequent commands are done under that code that you have just entered. This is why you can arm in away just after disarming without the code.

Is the ready light on when you have the mud room door open. In my experience, you can only arm by pressing the away button if the green ready light is on. I have a similar issue, where the garage door is set up as a FA zone, but I still have to enter the code to arm. That may be because I have not set up the PIR that faces the keypad as a FA zone though. (In my case the ready light flashes slowly which is die to the PIR toggling from violated to secure as we pass through its field of view).

I cant answer you as to why stay mode will arm without a user code - I never use stay.

Mick
 
There was some changes in the last released software on Force Arming.

M1 upgrade version 4.5.6 and 5.1.6 is a week or so away from release provided all the beta testing is complete.
 
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