Best wireless home alarm system

[simonpolly]

You could look into a hybrid system where only the pirs and door contact are wireless

 

[bernardgreen]

Very few companies
fit wired systems in existing properties!

That is mainly because the customers, often misled by advertisment that say wireless is the latest and therefor the best, want an alarm installed with the minimum inconvenience.

The basis law of radio communication hasn't changed no matter how modern are the times. Channel blocked ?, then system modules cannot communicate with each other.

 

[EightyTwo]

We fit wired alarms - no problems with interference, signal strength, low batteries when it's cold, supervision failures, sleeping detectors, government frequency sell offs, being tied to one manufacturer or having to change expensive batteries every year.

Of course, there are some domestic customers who think that wireless is better than wired so we fit wireless too.

Has anyone ever installed a wireless system in commercial/industrial premises (other than Grade 1 listed buildings)?

 

[JohnD]

That is mainly because the customers, often misled by advertisment that say wireless is the latest and therefor the best...

That's one guess. However my guess is that they are mainly chosen by DIYers who want to pay £150 for a kit they can install straight out of the box and have it working in less than half a day without having to pay an installer. People in rented homes in particular have no interest in investing in a wired system, and may be attracted by the idea of unscrewing it when they move and re-installing it in their next home at zero incremental cost. Also people who have sheds, outbuildings and caravans around their homes where wiring would be inconvenient.

 

[britishboy7]

Good debate so far guys, and love the different opinions! I'm thinking now, as we will be staying here for a good few years and will be refurbishing most rooms over time, maybe a wired system wont be too much more hassle? I can run the 8-core cable in as bernardgreen suggested, and connect us as and when each rooms completed.
Is there a guide as to where you would need sensors, and what types? I'm thinking door sensors on front, back and french doors. What is preferred window switches/sensors or PIR's?

 

[bernardgreen]

Has anyone ever installed a wireless system in commercial/industrial premises (other than Grade 1 listed buildings)?

The only one I can recall being involved with was in a museum where sensors on free standing exhibits were linked by wireless to the security system. That system used two way communication on a licenced frequency allocated to the museum for that purpose. My involvment was linking the security system to the paging system which alerted staff and told them which exhibit had raised an alarm. That is the only commercial application of wireless linked alarms that I can recall.

 

[EightyTwo]

Is there a guide as to where you would need sensors, and what types? I'm thinking door sensors on front, back and french doors. What is preferred window switches/sensors or PIR's?

Contacts on the doors, of course. As for PIRs, one in the hall, one in each downstairs room except for the loo (and, possibly, the kitchen), one on the landing and one in each bedroom with easy access (from a balcony or flat roof). Consider adding smoke or heat detectors if you're opening up ceilings or floors.

Contacts on every opening window are a pain to cable. Also, if an intruder doesn't open the window, they're useless! It's much better to use PIRs, acoustic break-glass detectors and/or vibration sensors (vipers).

 

[bernardgreen]

Break beam sensors are good for covering windows and French doors.

 

[Europlex]

Bernard, get with it, who in their right mind is going to fit Active IR Beams around their property, the cost would be prohibitive . No 'normal Joe' is going to spend that sort of money.

Due to the layout of property, gardens and grounds any number of beam sets could be required.

ps Forget about the cheapo sets, designed for external use in name/description only.

Sorry for the Americanism

 

[bernardgreen]

I am not talking about external perimeter protection. What I suggested was internal sensors with beam(s) across window(s). Effective even when the intruder cuts the glass without disturbing the magnetic reed sensors or vibration ( breaking glass sensors ). A 5 metre break beam sensor adequate for domestic use would be about £30 to £40. Even less if one could trust items purchased from E-bay suppliers.

That said an intruder who will cut glass is not your common smash, grab and run criminal.

 

[Europlex]

You can't cut the glass, with a glasscutter, eg scratch it, it's not cut through. It still has to be broken, this causes high frequency vibration that is detected by, vibration contacts. Get it, that's what they are for.

Demo'd this to many 'know it all customers' over the last 40+ yrs or so, they never listen. Still, it always costs them the time and inconvenience.
Also they have to do the repair and spend money.

Glasscutter + elbow, goes off every time. Never been cut or had to clear up etc

It has something to do with high frequency vibration AND the requisite number of detectors fitted correctly, and knowing what you are doing (following instructions always helps.

Edit. There are audio breakglass detectors also, no comment.

 

[britishboy7]

Thanks all
We will need pet-friendly PIR's as we have a cav king charles spaniel (she's about 9 or 10 Kg I think), whats the best/favoured hard wired pet friendly PIR?

 

[PBC_1966]

Break beam sensors are good for covering windows and French doors.

And where a little time and trouble for installation isn't a big deal (e.g. in fitting something into my own long-term house) I would much prefer them over IR motion detectors.

As regards the Californian comment, anyone ever seen or researched USA alarm equipment?

I've never really looked at the wireless stuff here that closely or examined the protocols used in any detail, as I would have no interest in installing it in my own home, but I believe the different manufacturers use various FCC-allocated frequencies in a variety of bands from 300 up to 900+MHz. I heard something recently about a class-action lawsuit against ADT after some of their wireless alarm systems were deliberately jammed.

 

[bernardgreen]

In the UK users of equipment on licence exempt frequencies such as 433.92MHz have to accept that their equipment can be affected by other equipment operating legally on that frequency. There is no recourse if the equipment fails to operate as intended due to transmissions from other legal licence exempt equipment.

There is recourse if it can be proven that the other equipment is not compliant with the terms and conditions applicable to the design and use of equipment on that licence exxempt frequency. Obtaining this proof and then getting a sucessful and on going ban on the use of the non compliant equipment is expensive.

In terms of domestic intruder alarms it would be much cheaper to pay for the installation of a fully wired system than to try and legally prevent non compliant equipment rendering a wireless alarm system useless

 

[bernardgreen]

I heard something recently about a class-action lawsuit against ADT after some of their wireless alarm systems were deliberately jammed.

I have heard that a company had faced action over claims that its wireless communications equipment ( licence exempt frequency ) could not be blocked. Users of the equipment had found it could be put out of action for long periods of time by jamming of the wireless channel used.

Assuming my source is accurate the company "escaped" due to small print that differentiated between jamming and blocking

The small print defined blocking as transmissions from other compliant equipment which could seriously delay but not totally prevent operation and jamming as transmissions from non compliant equipment which could prevent operation.

Jamming is malicious and illegal and therefor our equipment cannot be expected to work while being jammed. Blocking is accidental and our equipment will operate at reduced efficiency while intermittant blocking is present

During the out of court settlement the company's marketing methods were described as unethical in that the wording of the sales contract put the onus on the end user to recognise and understand the difference between blocking and jamming.