Going wireless on Texecom - reliability

[PASUK]

Hi all:

I long while ago I posted on this forum asking which alarm system I should install across some popular brands. I received some great advice and ended up installing a wired texecom premiere elite 48 and it has worked so well over the years. In fact I've installed a few since for family and friends and I couldn't be happier with the reliability and performance.

I've now come across a house where I can't find practical routes to get the wiring to the correct places and need to look at wireless.

I am looking at the TEXECOM RICOCHET PREMIER ELITE 64-W WITH SOUNDER KIT 2 (KIT-0002). Plus adding a speech/sms dialler and PA button.

The 3 PIR sensors, keypad, door contact and PA button are all going to be within 8 metres of the panel and the walls are standard residential 1950/60 build.

I am concerned about reliability of a wireless system, not having installed one in a very long time (my pre-texecom installation days).

Can anyone please give me advice about whether texecom wireless has been a reliable system?
Are the PIRs good?
Do people get more false alarms even if installed well?
Any ways to mitigating faults/false alarms with wireless systems specifically?

Thanks v much in advance for your help

 

[Alarm Engineer]

Texecom Wireless is very good, never going to be as good as hardwired but it’s not far off!

 

[Superials]

The biggest thing I've found is engineers not letting the devices "mesh" for 20 minutes. If you learn them, site them and leave the panel in commissioning mode for 30 mins you are definitely doing yourself a favour.

PIR's are fine, I personally don't get any false alarms as I follow the goldern rule above

 

[PASUK]

PIR's are fine, I personally don't get any false alarms as I follow the goldern rule above

Many of the kits online are the cheaper PIRs: Premier Compact PW-W. Have you used these ones? I have only had experience with the Elite QD (wired) and these are great but not sure what the PW-w are like?

 

[Alarm Engineer]

The PW-W is a QD you just remove the pulse count link to make it a QD or fit it to make it a PW. (Newer ones have a sticker on the back stating this)

 

[secureiam]

interesting the PW-W, the manual states as downloaded today that the pulse count 1 and 2 are for different animal weights and the KIT I bought last work which was literally just out of the factory door, had no such stickers stating anything about QD mode and nothing in the manual.

can you send an image? also does it state removal of the pulse link, just some were saying pulse count one selected, and as the PIR's I have in this kit don't state anything other than the device version number.

I don't like petwise sensors due to the way they work, and its so much easier to be robbed and the alarm do nothing with a petwise sensor, especially by those vertically challenged burglars.

 

[E999]

Make sure before you buy, you can get all the pcs required for complete system........Apparently Tex have serious delivery issues on Ricochet right now
due to component supply lead times which is affecting manufacturing - don't know how true this is BUT ADI have certainly had issues recently.....

I just prefer the Enforcer set up, less complex ,no issues at all apart from the dodgy cameras they released last year - these have now been obsoleted
as Hikvision will release a new range of cams to work with Enforcer panel

 

[secureiam]

demand has been high and remains so, ADI certainly have been able to supply a few suppliers have had issues with shock sensors, not getting them fast enough, but believe that's solved or at least the suppliers I have chased have got them now.

never got to play with cameras on pyronix, but certainly may see them come into there own with HIK backing

 

[PASUK]

Thanks all. I have just placed an order for Texe Kit-0002 + a couple of usual extras.

I would appreciate some advice on wireless diallers/notification methods please.
Again I have put in wired diallers in the past, in fact @secureiam and others will be aware of my obsession with testing TAP gateways and sharing results over the past few years!

I have no ability in this property to hardwire communications so I am left with exploring wireless based communications. The property has good internet wifi coverage in the property, it also has very good indoor mobile phone coverage.

Should I be looking at something like:
Texecom Connect SmartCom Ethernet and Wifi Intelligent Communicator CEL-0001
Texecom Premier Elite ComGSM
Or third party GSM module

I'd be very interested in your experience and advice on what is the best approach.

The users want a notification on alarm conditions, as normal. It would be great to give them a little more, such as status msgs and provide myself the ability to view logs and make config changes via wintex but these are nice to haves.

Thanks

 

[secureiam]

third party diallers are limited, ie SMD from a third party GSM module would give you a fixed SMS message, 10 xones go into alarm the message is the same, and no way of knowing if its the same one (well 10 messages you could assume that its from more than 1 device as you would get upto 3 messages before the zone is locked out so another 6 activation suggests it could be other devices).

the elite com gsm, would give you messages for each zone that was activated, advantage being 2 or more zones active, unlikely to be a false alarm and you can see where they were last before entering the property, advantage need gsm signal and panel will support it if mains is off as long as battery in panel is good. each message is paid for, but sms isn't expensive and unless you are getting sms for everything, ie armed disarmed etc then its relatively cheap and £10 will last ages, just need to keep the sim alive.

the smart com as with the gsm and an easier interface for some extra features, once connect to internet via wifi or Ethernet module its free downside no mains, no smart com message as it needs to router to be working, so no UPS and it will fail.

Using both, I would have he smart com do all notifications and gsm module only do alarm notifications

 

[PASUK]

Thank you @secureiam . I've lost count how many times you've responded to my posts with advice!

I'm looking at the price of getting both from Texe...
Gsm-Com about £150
Smart-com about £60

That's more than the budget for this property.

I think the owner of the property will be ok with basic GSM alarm notifications as a backup to getting the detail from Connect.

can anyone recommend any good third party daillers at a lower cost than Texe?

Thanks

 

[secureiam]

third part diallers on gsm wont be from the major alarm manufacturers if your ona tight budget, ebay may get something cheap, there is a post on here recommended a cheap one I have tested, last I heared though was they were struggling to get parts, but looking at around £30 for it.

what you would need is a gsm module that will take a 12V trigger, theres plenty of them, those with the mainstream manufacturers are probably more expensive significantly so.

 

[sparkymarka]

Just tried a mini air from CSL , it does push notifications via the bell trip Gsm/gprs or SIA 3 via the comm2400 ( dial capture ) inc zone text around the £35 mark per year inc SIM card and costs

 

[secureiam]

now theres a great solution, shame I fell out with CSL ?

pm me with some info, cant find any details, has to go through the installer though?

 

[E999]

now theres a great solution, shame I fell out with CSL ?

pm me with some info, cant find any details, has to go through the installer though?

How did you manage to fall out with CSL
Matt