DSC PowerSeries PC1832 Control Panel

The DSC PowerSeries PC1832 is the mid-size PowerSeries panel. It is the common choice for larger homes and small businesses that need more zones than a PC1616 and separately armed areas, without the full capacity of a PC1864.

At a glance

When partitions help

Partitions let one panel behave like several systems: a home and an attached office, a main house and a detached garage, or two units in a small building. Each partition arms and disarms separately, and user codes can be limited to certain partitions. Keypads can be assigned to a partition or set up to control several.

Trouble codes are the same across PowerSeries panels: press * 2 when the Trouble light is on. See DSC PowerSeries trouble codes. On partitioned systems, troubles that belong to the whole system (AC, battery, phone line) show on every partition's keypads.

A code works on one keypad but not another

That user code is probably limited to a partition, and the other keypad belongs to a different partition. The installer or master code can change which partitions a user can access.

One partition will not arm

Check that partition's keypad for open zones; zones only block the partition they belong to. See alarm won't arm.

Other common fixes

• Backup battery and power outages
• Communication failure (troubles 3 and 4)
• User codes

Same as the rest of the PowerSeries family: full-message LCD, icon, and LED keypads; the 8-zone expander; and IP or LTE communicators. Full-message LCD keypads are worth the extra cost on partitioned systems because they show which partition and zone is involved.

• Enter programming with * 8 + installer code. See DSC installer programming.
• Plan the partitions before wiring: assign each zone and keypad to a partition, and decide which users need access to which.
• With several keypads and expanders, check the total current draw against what the panel's auxiliary output can supply; add a power-supply module if needed.