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Switched to lithium batteries on my panel backups and got humbled fast
I read all the hype about lithium batteries being the future for alarm panel backups. So I swapped out my standard SLA batteries on 5 residential jobs last month. Three of them threw low battery trouble signals within 2 weeks. Turns out the charging circuits on those older Vista panels can't handle the voltage curve right. Went back to sealed lead acid on those houses and no issues since. Anyone else find that lithium only works with newer panels or specific charger boards?
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wadepalmer7d ago
Oh man, "got humbled fast" is the perfect way to put it. I did the exact same thing on a Vista 20p last year, bought a fancy Lithium battery from a battery shop. It worked for about a week, then the panel started screaming low battery every night. I was pulling my hair out, thought the panel was bad. Same thing, the charging circuit just couldn't keep up with the Lithium's higher voltage needs. I had to swap it back to a cheap SLA and it's been fine ever since. Those old Vista boards definitely seem like they weren't designed for that kind of battery at all.
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