Why Am I Getting Supervision Trouble On My 2GIG FT6e-345?

You are getting supervision trouble on your 2GIG FT6e-345 because the proper process was not followed when replacing an old sensor or moving the zone from one Smart Area Partition to another. This issue can also be the result of the wrong Equipment Code being used when programming the zone.

The 2GIG FT6e-345 is an encrypted wireless flood and temperature sensor for the 2GIG GC3e and 2GIG GC2e. It follows the same rules for supervision trouble as the other 2GIG eSeries Encrypted Sensors. Normally, supervision trouble means that the alarm panel has not received a check-in signal from a programmed sensor within a certain period of time. In most cases, this is either because the sensor is not powered on, because it has been moved too far away from the system, or because something in the environment is blocking its RF transmissions. When you see this type of trouble, your first instinct is normally to check the sensor to make sure that it is powered on and within range of the system. After fixing the problem, you can clear the trouble. This FAQ shows how to clear a trouble condition on a 2GIG GC3e, but GC2e users must follow a different process.

However, it is known that 2GIG eSeries Sensors like the 2GIG FT6e-345 may cause supervision trouble for other reasons. These reasons usually involve programming the sensor incorrectly. To be more specific, these conditions tend to occur when a user replaces a sensor or moves a sensor to a new partition without clearing the zone and reprogramming entirely. These issues also occur when a user sets up the zone for a 2GIG eSeries Sensor with an incorrect Equipment Code. Keeping these concerns in mind and taking steps to avoid them will help to ensure that you do not get any erroneous supervision trouble conditions on your system.

If you ever go to replace an existing sensor on a system zone with a new sensor, then you must delete or clear that zone and reprogram it from the beginning. You should not simply erase the Serial Number and auto-enroll the new one. Even if the new sensor is the same model and using the same Sensor Type or Response Type, take the extra time to delete the zone, and then reconfigure it just like you would for a new sensor. We recommend that GC3e users check out this helpful FAQ on replacing sensors for more information. For GC2e users, the same principles apply, but your programming process will be different. See this handy FAQ for programming zones on a GC2e.

You should also delete and reprogram a zone whenever you are moving a sensor to operate on a different system partition. You should not simply change the Partition Assignment to a new selection while leaving all the other zone settings alone. Instead, clear out the zone, and then reprogram it from scratch, this time using the new Partition Assignment. You only need to worry about this possibility if you are a GC3e user with Smart Area Partitions enabled in Q69 of System Configuration. The GC2e is a single-partition system, and it does not have this setting. You can review this FAQ on making partition changes for more information.

One other thing to keep in mind is to always use the correct Equipment Code when setting up 2GIG eSeries Sensors. If you use the wrong Equipment Code, even if it's one that seems like it would be a suitable equivalent, then your system will likely show supervision trouble. In the case of the 2GIG FT6e-345, the correct Equipment Code is 2065. You may want to refer to this FAQ for more information about Equipment Codes.