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Hi,
I am looking to get some advice and opinion on my home alarm situation.
I moved into my property about 3 years ago and had a full alarm installed with multiple wired contacts and sensors throughout the house with a maintenance contract with Secom. At the time I was very busy with work and my newborn so didn't do my research so went with cost and ease. I ended up with a rather costly maintenance and service contract and a Pyronix Euro 46 system branded by Secom which, whilst fairly efficient, lacked any configurability from an end user point of view. I recently cancelled the maintenance contract and am now looking at my options. My primary goal is to achieve IP based control/monitoring/enable/disable/silence alarm etc but would also like SMS alerts if possible (although thinking about this if I have the api for an IP solution I can set up a forwarding SMS system).
I have done a fair amount of research into my options. First I started by looking at the Pyronix offering as it seems most sensible to integrate something into my existing installation but its limited to a PyronixCloud which is their IP service. This requires a new keypad – HomeControl+ and either a GPRS module or Ethernet module for the panel. These modules don’t seem readily available, pricey and there’s little to no feedback about PyronixCloud (good thread here though). My biggest hesitation with this is it being dependent on their cloud and their systems which from an end user point of view are only accessible from a smart phone app – as an IT professional I am looking for a system I can manage and tinker with. The SMS function either via PSTN or one of the GSM/GPRS modules which would be good seems impossible to find documentation on to setup. My current install has the PSTN module which was being used for Secom's remote monitoring but I haven't been able to reprogramme it since leaving the contract to directly SMS me nor can I find documentation confirming this can be done anyway. Also although I have been given the engineer code for this system the documentation is bad and the programming seems complicated and I would probably need to start from scratch installing any new modules for Homecontral+ and PyronixCloud.
So I continued my research and came across the Envisalink 4 which is perfect for what I want. It has a published API, has loads of information out there, integrates into existing home automation systems and is very reasonably priced for its features. The big snag is its only compatible with DSC and Honeywell systems. So I’ve now begun looking at buying a DSC panel and keypad. There’s many DIY guides and help as to installing this and my early price analysis has shown it would be a reasonable option financially. I feel fairly confident in tinkering and getting the parts all set up however whilst I’m a professional in IT and love a bit of tinkering and DIY I do not have any specialism in electronics or alarm systems. Also I forsee a few massive issues for this route – compatibility with current wired sensors, lack of any labelling on the current sensor wires leading back to the panel and (the big one) my ignorance in electronics and wiring - how safe is it for me to remove existing system and install new one in terms of any direct wiring into the mains and the backup battery.
Here are my big questions about DIY installing a DSC 1864 into my current set up:
1.) Do the majority of alarm systems use similar wattage – would I be able to use the existing battery/mains install?
2.) Are the sensors generic – can I remove the Pyronix panel and put in the DSC and hook up the existing wired sensors?
3.) Are sirens generic – will the current siren on the front of the house work ok?
4.) It looks as though there are 3 extender panels EURO-ZEM8+ to cater for the multitude of sensors in the house - is there any chance these a compatible as extender zones for DSC -again poor documentation so just wondering if anyone has any ideas.
5.) Some of the sensors in the house – certainly the movement sensors and some of the window sensors seem to have in built red LEDs – is it a fairly standard thing to have a test mode on an alarm panel to make this led flash so as to identify the wires coming into the panel to the sensor the lead back to?
6.) My current system seems to have about 32 inputs does this amount add to the complexity of programming and installation beyond that of a first timer?
7.) Would I be better off getting an installer to come and do this? (I’m reluctant to do this as I like to know how a system works so I can manage it properly going forward.
Again thoughts, help or advice would be greatly welcomed! I hope to post some pictures soon.
I am looking to get some advice and opinion on my home alarm situation.
I moved into my property about 3 years ago and had a full alarm installed with multiple wired contacts and sensors throughout the house with a maintenance contract with Secom. At the time I was very busy with work and my newborn so didn't do my research so went with cost and ease. I ended up with a rather costly maintenance and service contract and a Pyronix Euro 46 system branded by Secom which, whilst fairly efficient, lacked any configurability from an end user point of view. I recently cancelled the maintenance contract and am now looking at my options. My primary goal is to achieve IP based control/monitoring/enable/disable/silence alarm etc but would also like SMS alerts if possible (although thinking about this if I have the api for an IP solution I can set up a forwarding SMS system).
I have done a fair amount of research into my options. First I started by looking at the Pyronix offering as it seems most sensible to integrate something into my existing installation but its limited to a PyronixCloud which is their IP service. This requires a new keypad – HomeControl+ and either a GPRS module or Ethernet module for the panel. These modules don’t seem readily available, pricey and there’s little to no feedback about PyronixCloud (good thread here though). My biggest hesitation with this is it being dependent on their cloud and their systems which from an end user point of view are only accessible from a smart phone app – as an IT professional I am looking for a system I can manage and tinker with. The SMS function either via PSTN or one of the GSM/GPRS modules which would be good seems impossible to find documentation on to setup. My current install has the PSTN module which was being used for Secom's remote monitoring but I haven't been able to reprogramme it since leaving the contract to directly SMS me nor can I find documentation confirming this can be done anyway. Also although I have been given the engineer code for this system the documentation is bad and the programming seems complicated and I would probably need to start from scratch installing any new modules for Homecontral+ and PyronixCloud.
So I continued my research and came across the Envisalink 4 which is perfect for what I want. It has a published API, has loads of information out there, integrates into existing home automation systems and is very reasonably priced for its features. The big snag is its only compatible with DSC and Honeywell systems. So I’ve now begun looking at buying a DSC panel and keypad. There’s many DIY guides and help as to installing this and my early price analysis has shown it would be a reasonable option financially. I feel fairly confident in tinkering and getting the parts all set up however whilst I’m a professional in IT and love a bit of tinkering and DIY I do not have any specialism in electronics or alarm systems. Also I forsee a few massive issues for this route – compatibility with current wired sensors, lack of any labelling on the current sensor wires leading back to the panel and (the big one) my ignorance in electronics and wiring - how safe is it for me to remove existing system and install new one in terms of any direct wiring into the mains and the backup battery.
Here are my big questions about DIY installing a DSC 1864 into my current set up:
1.) Do the majority of alarm systems use similar wattage – would I be able to use the existing battery/mains install?
2.) Are the sensors generic – can I remove the Pyronix panel and put in the DSC and hook up the existing wired sensors?
3.) Are sirens generic – will the current siren on the front of the house work ok?
4.) It looks as though there are 3 extender panels EURO-ZEM8+ to cater for the multitude of sensors in the house - is there any chance these a compatible as extender zones for DSC -again poor documentation so just wondering if anyone has any ideas.
5.) Some of the sensors in the house – certainly the movement sensors and some of the window sensors seem to have in built red LEDs – is it a fairly standard thing to have a test mode on an alarm panel to make this led flash so as to identify the wires coming into the panel to the sensor the lead back to?
6.) My current system seems to have about 32 inputs does this amount add to the complexity of programming and installation beyond that of a first timer?
7.) Would I be better off getting an installer to come and do this? (I’m reluctant to do this as I like to know how a system works so I can manage it properly going forward.
Again thoughts, help or advice would be greatly welcomed! I hope to post some pictures soon.
