AC601: False alarms

Firstly, we want to reassure you that if you are hearing the Alarm from your monitor it indicates that your monitor is working as it should - the Nursery Unit is not receiving any signals from the Sensor Pad to indicate movement is detected so the monitor is alarming.

It is therefore set to alert you once it does not detect your baby`s movement on the surface of their mattress for 20 seconds.

Young babies do have different sleeping/movement patterns compared to adults when sleeping, this is normal.

As baby grows, becomes more mobile in the crib coupled with extra layers, wet nappy, lying on their sides, hunches and in a favourite corner of the crib - these can make it harder for the pad to detect baby's movements.

In such instances the sensitivity may need adjusting to allow for this as, the Sensor Pad can detect movement over the whole of the surface of your baby’s mattress, from corner to corner if it is at the correct level. Additionally it may be that the sensitivity has accidentally been changed in the settings, this can happen.

Therefore, we firstly need to establish why this is occurring, whether your Sensor Pad is at the correct level for your baby's mattress so can you please carry out the “Four Corner Test”, please see below for information on how to do this:

Four corner test

NOTE: Please follow step 2 within 20 seconds after turning ON both units otherwise the movement alarm will sound. Your baby must NOT be in the cot during this test:

• Check that the sensitivity on the back of the Nursery Unit is at level 3 (factory setting), if not move dial until at number 3
• Check that the wing on the Front Right Hand side of the Nursery Unit is set to monitor either - Movement & TIC OR Movement Only (detailed on back of Nursery Unit)
• Check that the Sensor Pad is in the middle of the cot underneath the mattress

Ensure that the Sensor Pad cord is fed through the base of the cot using the cord cover kit to secure the cord

All cords must be kept out of reach of your baby at all times

The Nursery Unit must be at least 3ft away from the cot

• Plug the Sensor Pad jack into the Nursery Unit
• Switch the Nursery Unit & Parent Unit ON
• *Gently place your hand in the furthest corner of the mattress & and wait for 20 seconds - if the green movement light flashes on the Nursery Unit the sensitivity is correct
• Repeat in the remaining corners- if the green movement light flashes on the Nursery Unit the sensitivity is correct
• Remove your hand from the mattress and step away from the cot. The Sensor Pad is sensitive enough to detect your movement if you are touching the cot
• **Due to the lack of movement, after 15 seconds a single beep (The Rouse Alarm) will be emitted from the Nursery Unit
• After a further 5 seconds a series of continuous beeps (The Main Alarm) will sound from the Nursery Unit & Parent Unit
• Place your hand on the mattress and after a few seconds the alarm will cease as the Sensor Pad will have detected your movement

*If the green movement light does not flash and the monitor alarms after 20 seconds, please adjust the sensitivity by turning it up another 1/2 notch and repeat the Four Corner Test again.

**If however the monitor does not alarm when you step away from the cot reduce the sensitivity down 1 level and repeat the Four Corner Test, keep adjusting this until the alarm sounds ensuring that the movements is still detected in all four corners.

Establishing Power Supply to your Monitor

It is important to establish which component is causing the problem should you be experiencing a loss of power to your monitor:

Firstly, remove all batteries from the Parent Unit. If the unit is powered by batteries this will not allow us to test the mains power effectively

• Switch the AC Adaptors between the units. The adaptors are interchangeable
• When the mains power is established to the Parent Unit the green power button will light up
• If the green power button does not light up it will be the AC Adaptor at fault
• Now insert your rechargeable batteries
• When the Parent Unit is plugged into the AC Adaptor for re-charging purposes, the Parent Unit the green power button will light up and also the sound lights on the front will rise
• This indicates that the batteries are charging

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If the Four Corner Test does not resolve your query

• Is your baby asleep when you go in to check

If yes, this would indicate that your baby is in a deep sleep as the alarm has not woken baby

• When you check on your baby does the alarm continue or does it cease on its own

If the alarm ceases on its own this will be because the alarm has re-established your baby’s sleeping pattern

If the alarm does not cease on its own please let us know

• Does the alarm only happen at night

If yes this is because you baby, as with adults can go into a deeper sleep at night rather that when they nap during the day

• Is there a particular time that this is happening

Baby’s have sleeping patterns when they go in to deep sleeps and because of this the alarm can go off at certain times in the night

• Are you using additional sleep aids such a Sleepyhead, Cocoonababy etc

We do not recommend the use of the Sleepyhead with the Angelcare Movement Monitor, as this could mask the movement of baby. We have had parents contact us with this issue when using the combined products

• What type of mattress are you using

We know that the Sensor Pad will work effectively with a standard hypoallergenic, spring, coir (and spring/coir combined) mattress as these allow your baby’s movements to be transferred down on to the pad.

We also know that the Sensor Pad will NOT work with a Hollow Framed, Dual Sided, Memory Foam Mattress;

A Hollow Framed Mattress is mainly a US product, it is basically a number of poles that are fitted together with a tight cover fitted over this. As a result of their being nothing actually inside the mattress (hollow) no movement is transferred down to the Sensor Pad. As a result the monitor may false alarm indicating that baby`s movements are not being detected by the Sensor Pad.

A full Memory Foam or Dual sided Memory Foam Mattress masks the movement of your baby on the surface of the mattress due to the density of the foam and baby`s movements do not transfer down to the Sensor Pad. As a result the monitor may false alarm indicating that baby`s movement is not being detected by the Sensor Pad