alarms

[Steve]

I'm looking into installing an intruder alarm in my parent's house. Nothing fancy. Just a straight wired system that sounds an alarm outside when its activated, possibly with a dialler to phone my dad's mobile. Is this something a DIYer should be doing? I feel confident to install it myself!

Oh, and is there any security difference between the systems where the keypad is the wiring hub and those that have the wiring centre hidden, say, in the loft, with a remote keypad? I preferably want a small, remote keypad rather than a bulky wiring centre, in the hall!

What kit to avoid? Best places to buy? Any decent online suppliers? recommended kit? Compatibility issues with different manufacturers (can you mix and match, do they work the same etc)?

 

[domroe]

Hi. If I were you Crafty, I would put that same post in this forum

http://www.thesecurityinstaller.co.uk/community/index.php?showforum=79

They are the experts and will point you in the right direction. From reading alot of posts, they might discourage a DIY install but will still help. Scantronic seems to be the most favoured DIY panel,

Cheers, Dom.

 

[Steve]

my grandma has a scantronic panel, i posted a picture of it here a while ago, and someone commented it was a poor panel. Still, i guess installers have their preferences.

I have been looking at the ADE optima/accentaG3 installation manual on tlc, and it seems fairly logical. Will do more research first. thanks for the link!

 

[domroe]

I have an Optima panel. It is dead easy to wire, 6 core cable, 2 for switch, 2 for tamper, 2 for power. You can use any PIR's, and has all the functions you are looking for. I would advise you get a bell box that includes a strobe. If the alarm sounds it will reset after your programmed time, then if the Zones are clear it will reset itself but the stobe will still flash.

 

[Hacman]

Scantronic 9448+ or ade optima are both a doddle to wire and have plenty of features for what your after.

Such as panic alarm, chime extra internal sounder etc.

Any good wholesaler will stock them and I recommend a texecom oddessy 1 or 3 to go with whichever panel you decide upon.


With a remote keypad 1. it is more visually pleasing and 2. Harder for a would be criminal to stop your alarm sounding. (They can smash it off the wall but the tamper circuit will kick in causing it to full alarm)

 

[Hacman]

sorry texecom is the bell box with integrated strobe.

 

[Lectrician]

A good diy panel is a texecom veritas R8 - remote pad version.

Better than this is the excel and then premier. Better keypads with LCD on these.


Menvier kit is also good.

 

[Spark123]

Have installed a few veritas R8 panels myself, never given any problems to press touch wood. Pretty easy to wire. Remote keypad means the guts can be hidden away instead of burglar finding and putting hammer through main panel to stop it dialing out.

 

[Har_vey]

I fit veritas R8 panels. Have done for years. Don't think I have ever had a problem. Installer and end user friendly.

 

[offroader]

Ade Accenta G3 panels are dead easy to install, very simple to use, and dont look too bad either, as for the Scantronic 9448+, hmmmm, well depends on weather you gotta look at it everyday I suppose, I def wouldnt use one. Optima's are basicly the same as a Accenta G3, just got the built in RKP, its all down to personal taste and neatness, well for me it is, you could even add a Simpleset prox reader to make it even easier to use. We supply and install hundreds of Accenta/Optima panels, and we do find they are very reliable, however I've always found them to be very DIY'ish. Scantronic rule, but lately noticed software problems on a few.

Scantronic 9651 is aimed at residental installations, but from a DIY point of view, maybe a little too complicated for someone new to alarms.

As for price the G3 and the 9651 are around £50 or less.

As for bell boxes Flashgaurd Xtra are good, a little more expensive than the Oddy's but a better box.

Menvier (scantronic) make the SD1+ speech dialer, good bit of kit, esp the SD2, around £90.

http://www.beattheburglar.co.uk/default.aspx?page=sd1_uk_sd1_e_european

 

[Lectrician]

The new texecom dialler is good - This can SMS aswell. I recall the Menvier SD2 does aswell.