Lloyd11's advice is good: Look for the user and installation manual.
I'm not familiar with Optima panels, but I have a lot of experience with alarm systems and batteries employed in most burglar alarm systems. Most by far use a sealed lead-surphuric acid rechargable battery and, no, you cannot substitute it with a 12-Volt dry cell battery for a test. Assuming it's a "12 Volt" battery, a lead-acid battery is actually 2.2 volts per cell fully charged under light load. A nominal "12-Volt" lead-acid battery actually reads closer to 13.2 volts fresh off the charger, at light load. A battery reading of 12V would make most panels read a low-battery trouble condition, and could cause strange symptoms. If you're going to try a test with dry cells, make sure you have a 13.5 volt battery connected--assuming your panel battery is lead-acid and rated as nominal 12Volts.
The battery may not be the cause of your problem, but after 10 years it definitely needs to be changed. It's generally recommended to change them every five years.
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