Alarm Recommendations

[Mrdjc]

I am looking into an alarm system to put into an old house over the next few months (The property is in Slovakia)

We are looking for an unmonitored system which will put granny's mind at rest, being all alone at home and vulnerable etc (You know how it is!)

The house is a "bungalow" as such as that all the living spaces are on one floor.

It is divided into two different sections. Red will be house part A and Green house part B.

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• Mrdjc
• 31 Jan 2012
• 1

Granny will be staying in part B (Green)

We would like to be able to arm both parts of the house individually, so when the person living in part A goes away, it can be locked down.
Visa versa, if person in A is there and granny goes away, she can arm her side.

If either wants to go into the other part to pick up something or whatever, they should be able to go via the hallway and disarm part A from within the house and easily.

She is currently 74 years old, and the idea of her memorising codes to get into the house isn't so good, so perhaps a proximity keyfob which she can hover in front of a panel with a simple system of holding it there for a longer time to do various things.

For example flash fob in front of panel for a sec (At entry 2 inside hallway where she enters the house) disarms and arms her side, holding it there for 2 seconds arms and disarms whole house, indicated by LED's or a tone or something.

Same for the other side of the house, person should be able to arm the WHOLE house and the separate zones. Also a keypad backup in case fobs run out/fail/get lost.

Is there a system that can do this type of thing?

Zones for each room, then sub divided into two different sections?

With option of heat/smoke detection to be added.

Also all of it should be wired to keep down all the signals in the air as all this wireless technology is absolutely nuts with the amount of noise in the air with interference etc.

And a dialler if alarm is triggered and not disarmed in X seconds to send text messages to friends and family, with the option of disarming it remotely if needed.

I was looking at the Honeywell ADE variations which seem to go for peanuts relatively, here in Slovakia they have a habit of overcharging for products by about 150 - 200% of the UK going rate, exclusive of labour, hence the DIY approach.

Just chasing walls for cables and stuff at the moment, renovating the house step by step, but it's getting there and I want to make sure all the existing conduit is inside the walls to install the alarm at some point without having to knock half the house to bits again later.

So, zoned by room and then subdivided into two different sections.

Proximity fob activated

Dialler (SMS)

Option for Smoke/heat detector

Option for PIR and contact sensors, maybe also shock sensors for broken glass etc.

Could someone point me in the right direction please?
I have had a look at TLC and diy-alarms.co.uk to see what's available and prices but I dont know what kind of panel I am looking for

 

[Alarm]

All can be done, apart from the "proximity" tag with timed "holding".
There will need to be a button pressed at some stage, or a touch screen ( gets more expensive)
But at minimum you will need a keypad at each entry/exit point or a proximity device.

So two keypads at minimum, and two prox devices and a bit of tricky programing or 4 keypads with prox readers.

This needs some decent kit so Galaxy (Honeywell) or Texecom and or Cooper. All good equipment, I would use Galaxy myself for this.
But this is not client supported, so Texecom would be the next best in this issue.

All of your issues can be addressed, it is down to the programing.

 

[Mrdjc]

Can a proximity reader replace a keypad all together, or are there only certain brands that can support that?

I was thinking (hoping) to get away with one keypad with integrated fob reader for the top side of the house in the drawing, and just a proximity reader for the bottom side of the house for granny.

Programming shouldn't be an issue hopefully! (Then again... )

Is there a technical term for - and here is my logical word choice - rooms in two different zones.

(Why did they use the term zone to describe a level of device/area rather than the area it is protecting?! )

In my logic there's 3 things.
1. Device
2. Room
3. Level of observation / how to react.

Instead all three are combined in a quirky way and called "zones".

Touch screen sounds fun... and looks quite good too, however the thought of granny having to remember numbers and get her reading glasses out to see the screen so she can arm/disarm every time she comes in the house is far from ideal.

Point is ideally we'd end up with something discrete that is easy to use for her side, not two huge panels on the wall.

Do you know of any products that would let you choose which area of the house to disarm and would indicate the arm status using LED's?

Can you mix and match different brand sensors and keypads or do you need to stick to the same brand for everything?

As I understand the sensors are simple Open/Close devices. But the keypads are more complex, I have no idea how they communicate with the master panel.

Cheers

 

[Alarm]

First of all most items your going to need will not indicate set status, its against regulations. You can sue outputs to do this so not insurmountable.

You can mix and match all detection items but the keypads and or prox readers need to be the same make.

Quirky or not that is how things have been called since the year dot. ZONES.

As before your going to need a keypad at each point to give dual setting. Otherwise a prox reader could be used on its own just to set and unset each area.
But to do the whole house you would need to exit one area at a time, with keypads you could do it from one point.

What is going to be good for you is the first issue, Cooper/Menvier are nice but the blue back lighting is not good for older people with poor eyesight. ( From experience I have found this, and it is annoying as it is just a fad IMHO) The Scantronic range therefore is better. Otherwise Texecom or Galaxy.

Thinking about it Texecom have a larger lcd display, is I think the way we want to go.
Possibly a Premier 48 as it has more flexibility.

Take a look at it here http://www.texe.com/downloads.php?page=34
Click on the relevant links for the information.

Have a read and get back with even more questions

 

[Mrdjc]

Just had a play in Photoshop...

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• Mrdjc
• 1 Feb 2012
• 1

Bathroom windows will be so small it will be almost impossible to get in, and about 2.5M off the ground outside.
Plus I *think* there is a regulation against having LV items in a bathroom here, unless they have the appropriate IP rating, from what I can see there is nothing specific for bathrooms, but someone in the trade like yourself might know more about that subject.

What would you fit there anyway, PIR with heat/steam might give false readings, Microwave (I believe) messes up with steam as well.

So you'd need something to detect window breakage, and window being opened. Being Double glaze units at 2.5M off the ground of 90X60cm I wish them good luck, in any case they can't steal anything from the bathroom bar a bar of soap and some toothbrushes, the PIR would detect them as soon as they came into the rest of the house.

Do you know if the Ceiling mounted 360 deg PIR's can see almost directly below them, or do they have a blind spot? It's a rather tricky hallway since its very narrow, has 3 doors and 2 windows.

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• Mrdjc
• 1 Feb 2012
• 1

And again, Areas A and B
4 different zones.

Intermediate for A and B and Entry for A and B.
I'd love it if the alarm panel would show which sensor is triggered and give a name for it, example "Bedroom 2 triggered 06/04/2012 06:22AM".

Instead of "Zone X triggered."

When you read a product and it says 8 zones, does that mean a maximum of 8 devices for end of line connection? (If you want to give each device in each room throughout the house a separate call sign)

How would granny know whether or not her side is set if she has no visual confirmation? Sound?

With the keypad, how easy would it be to switch between A and B?

Does she just need to push "1" and then wave the fob in front of the reader?

I don't know how functional these systems are, I'm a Mechatronics student who plays with lots of different sensors and micro controllers in Basic language, could you for example "arm" the system, and if no movement is detected throughout the entire house (bar at the keypad) it would arm the whole house?

Or likewise, if there is movement detected in the front part of the house, it would only arm her side?

I think I might have found a calling to specialise in when I finish Uni
More functional products!

Will have a read up and get back to you at some point later. Many thanks for your help so far

 

[sparkymarka]

premier 48 2 prox keypads one in each area eg house A grannyflat B. contacts on both sets of doors and interconnecting door contacts on both sides, set keypads to local keypads, example grannie comes in her door exit tones start swipe fob on keypad turns her area off only, wants something from main house goes through interconnecting door swipes fob turns off house and so on.

 

[funnysambam]

premier 48 2 prox keypads one in each area eg house A grannyflat B. contacts on both sets of doors and interconnecting door contacts on both sides, set keypads to local keypads, example grannie comes in her door exit tones start swipe fob on keypad turns her area off only, wants something from main house goes through interconnecting door swipes fob turns off house and so on.

i'll second that.
the accenta range would be good for this purpose, but the premier excels it since you can have areas.

 

[Alarm]

Sparky has hinted at what I was suggesting.
Although not ideal, it is a work around with multiple door contacts, although there is one you can use if still available with two reeds in one housing.

But the gist is the same and you will need at minimum two keypads but 4 would be the best. No ways of errors then, with each allocated to an area.
You could use just two keypads and have the "walk through" zones as appropriate.
Its just easier with 4.

But all is possible here.
Tell us what you want and bobs your aunty

 

[9651]

For this i'd also suggest a premier or Menvier panel. Galaxy can do it no bother, but when proxes get involved they do become fussy. I can just imagine granny toggling groups off and on. Lots more simpler on a Menvier for instance.

 

[funnysambam]

if you're doing it DIY, avoid galaxy!

 

[Alarm]

9651 m8, I would love to suggest a Gal.
But, as you say it will get a little complex for "granny"
Menvier, as I said the blue back lighting is a ****er for old and or bad eyesight, trust me on this. Had to take a few out after they were fitted.
Texecom have a great large lcd screen, actually Castle do too but hate them from ID years ago.

So Texecom is the way here IMHO.

 

[Alarm]

if you're doing it DIY, avoid galaxy!

Galaxy will not talk to a DIYer anyway.

Good for them!!!!

 

[9651]

Wish they'd all follow that

We had Texe telling one of our contracted customers to power cycle system to clear a CIE fault. (which he did) yeah, but it was monitored.





Boiled my **** that.

 

[Mrdjc]

This will be an unmonitored uncertified system for ease of mind, so don't worry chaps, not putting you out of business!

The Alarm systems for sale here are HUGELY expensive, DIY makes much more sense for the wallet and has the same outcome.

 

[Alarm]

Wish they'd all follow that

We had Texe telling one of our contracted customers to power cycle system to clear a CIE fault. (which he did) yeah, but it was monitored.





Boiled my p**s that.

Tell a certain person on here that (Also on the trade sites run in tandem)
Ask the mods if your unsure ( not here obviously).
Or pm me.