Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Support
317-885-6330 x3
support@omnisite.com
MON – FRI: 8a – 5p EST
Do you have guides that will help me with the setup of my OmniSite device?
Yes, you can download and print our setup worksheets from the activation page at www.omnisite.com/activate.
How do I acknowledge an alarm notification?
If you have received an automated phone call from your OmniSite device, you can acknowledge the alarm by pressing “7” at the end of the message.
OR
If you have received a text message, email or phone call from your OmniSite device you can call our alarm acknowledgement number at (317) 296-7357 (you will need your voice PIN).
OR
Log in to GuardDog and acknowledge the alarm on the Notifications page. You can access the Notifications page by clicking the menu item at the top of any page labeled Notifications.
How do I find out what my Voice PIN is?
You can find your Voice PIN within your GuardDog account. Upon successful login, hover over “Setup” at the top of the webpage, and then select Account Management. Within the Account Management page, you will be able to see the Voice PIN for each User under the User Manager table.
How can I tell if my unit is working?
For XR50 and Crystal Ball (and old-style Viper):
Check status LEDs on the unit at the station. Signal Strength LED solid Green, Ready To Transmits LED solid Red, RTU Running LED blinking Red (for XR50 only), Display showing Main Menu or scrolling through status screen, RTU System Disabled LED off.
Also, you can test an alarm input to see if the unit reports. Test an alarm by turning on an input, and verify Transmitting LED blinks and then turns solid red, transmits the state change, and then returns to Ready To Transmit.
Finally, you can check GuardDog Status History page for the unit. This would indicate whether or not the unit is reporting. Verify it has had recent TSRs (Time Scheduled Reports), verify that it reports a state change when testing an alarm input at the station.
For Viper:
Use Push-to-Test button on front cover. Hold in for 3 seconds and then check GuardDog Status History page for this station to verify it has reported a Push-to-Test report, and then verify that the person on your Push-to-Test callout list was called from our Voice Server. At the Viper, use the status button under the Display, and verify each input is showing CL (for closed) when you test each input, and then OP (for open) when you turn the input off again.
For SmarteLight:
Test the input, by turning it on and keeping it on for 5 seconds, and verifying that the SmarteLight LED light turns on. Verify that GuardDog shows an Input State change on Status History page.
How can I tell if my backup battery is good?
For XR50 and Crystal Ball (and old-style Viper):
In the Display menu -> Main Menu Diagnostics RTU Status check the Battery voltage displayed. It should be above 13V. Then remove AC power from the unit, and verify that the voltage stays above 12V and then after its Time Delay (usually 60 seconds) the unit should transmit a report that AC Power has been lost. You can see this transmitted report in GuardDog on Status History page.
For Viper:
When you remove AC power, the Power LED will blink, and then after its Time Delay (usually 60 seconds) the unit should transmit a report that AC Power has been lost. You can see this transmitted report in GuardDog on Status History page.
For SmarteLight:
When you remove AC power, after its Time Delay (usually 30 seconds) the unit should transmit a report that AC Power has been lost. You can see this transmitted report in GuardDog on Status History page.
How can I tell if my unit is enabled?
For XR50 or Crystal Ball (or old-style Viper):
The RTU System Disabled LED is not lit. Also, in the Display menu -> Main Menu Diagnostics RTU Status RTU Enabled indicates YES. Also, if you request an Input/Status report from the unit in GuardDog, or if you initiate an input alarm, it will post the Status on Status History page. Under STATUS column, Red indicates unit is disabled, Green indicates unit is enabled.
For Viper:
The Power LED indicator on the front cover is on Solid when Viper is enabled, and flashing 1 blink/second if unit is disabled. Also, if you request an Input/Status report from the unit in GuardDog, or if you initiate an input alarm, it will post the Status on Status History page. Under STATUS column, Red indicates unit is disabled, Green indicates unit is enabled.
For SmarteLight:
If you request an Input/Status report from the unit in GuardDog, or if you initiate an input alarm, it will post the Status on Status History page. Under STATUS column, Red indicates unit is disabled, Green indicates unit is enabled.
How do I determine if my unit is activated?
If your unit is activated, it will be viewable as a station on your GuardDog website to monitor.
If it is not on your GuardDog site, it is not activated. Also, for an XR50, Crystal Ball or old-style Viper, the Ready To Transmit will blink twice and then pause and repeat that pattern.
How do I determine if my unit is reporting Standard (once a day scheduled reports) or Elite (once every 15 minutes scheduled reports)?
You can determine this from your GuardDog website. Under the Status button Logs Device Activity, you will see recent activity posts, date- & time-stamped. For a unit reporting Elite, you will see Time Scheduled reports posting 15 minutes apart, and for a unit reporting Standard, you’ll see Time Scheduled reports posting 24 hours (1440 minutes) apart.
What is Elite reporting?
Elite reporting is a level of wireless service that sets your unit to send Time Scheduled Reports more frequently than Standard reporting service. A unit that is set for Elite reporting will report 1 type of report, user-selected, every 15 minutes. The other Time Scheduled Reports will post once a day. The type of report for Elite reporting is usually Analog reports, but the type of report can be selected in the Timed Reports menu of the unit, in the Rep1 setting, and can be any of these types: Alarm Status, Pump Calcs, InFlow Data or Rainfall.
What can I do if the Signal Strength is poor at my station?
Signal Strength worse than -98dB is considered an unacceptable signal, and will result in a Signal Strength alarm be reported for the unit. So if your unit consistently reports with -100db or -102db or worse, this is a problem that should be addressed.
If your unit is reporting with poor signal strength, or perhaps missing reports because of very poor signal strength, there are a few options that could help. There are installation factors that could be considered, such as electrical interference at the unit, or even heavy tree growth around the antenna. Also, if the unit is mounted in a metal enclosure, it is important to make sure the antenna is mounted outside of the metal cabinet.
In addition, OmniSite offers longer coax cable assemblies for customers that want to raise the antenna mounting higher. The higher the antenna is the better signal it is likely to receive. If signal strength is -100dB or -102dB or even worse, then perhaps a marine antenna kit would be a solution. The marine antenna is a 4-ft high outdoor antenna and it is a high gain antenna, up to 9dB of signal gain.
What kind of Analog devices can I connect to my unit?
For the Crystal Ball
Contains 4 inputs that accept analog signals in the range of 4 to 20mA. The Crystal Ball can also source 12VDC for an analog device wired to its input as a loop-powered analog device. You can also provide the power to your analog device, and wire the analog 4-20mA signal to the Crystal Ball as an externally powered analog input.
For the Viper
Can be ordered with an Analog Input card as an option that accepts a 4-20mA signal, but cannot provide power to the analog device.
Who do I call to get technical assistance for configuring my unit, or wiring to my unit, or configuring my GuardDog site and monitoring my unit?
For technical assistance, you can call OmniSite Tech Support at 317-885-6330 ext 3. Our hours are 8am-5pm Eastern Standard Time, and you can call after hours and leave a message for a technical support representative to call back. (There may be a fee for afterhours support, depending on the support required.)
Who do I call to get service work done on my unit?
You can call your OmniSite Distributor or Value Added Reseller for service on your unit at its station. They have personnel who have had training on the installation and configuration of OmniSite devices; click here to find a representative in your area.
For a unit that has failed, and cannot be fixed in the field, you can call OmniSite Tech Support at 317-885-6330 ext 3 to arrange for an RMA (Return Material Authorization), and send the unit to OmniSite for a quote to repair.
