help please - new alarm choice

[pchelpman]

I currently have an old self-installed hard wired alarm system at home ... usual kit ... control panel/several PIR zones/one final exit/entry magnetic door contact/full anti tamper/external SCB siren and so on.

The thing is I want to rip the whole lot out, ditch the cables and start again with a wireless kit.

I read that shop bought kits (e.g. the Yale HSA3600 system stocked at Homebase stores) are on UHF short range frequencies leading to false alarms and unreliability. The preferred choice (apparently) is for a system built round VHF transmission/reception for more stability, fewer false alarms and less problems with interference.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Any suggestions welcome for a good wireless kit and/or places to go to buy it.

Many thanks in advance for all your help.

PCHM

 

[Steve]

you're mad. keep the wired kit. wireless are nothing but trouble. what if the neighbours get one?

 

[pchelpman]

Trouble is the current system keeps breaking down (it's old, like I say) and I'm fed up with having to chase/replace cables all over the house, track down cable breaks and so on. Not to mention that the wires have, over the years, become an unsightly mess in cornices and alcoves.

I get your point but this is the very reason I ask the question. My immediate neighbours have monitored systems from ADT and I'm thinking the VHF signals won't interfere with them. So fas as I know it's the UHF systems that cause the trouble with false alarms, interference etc.

Any more thoughts?

 

[RF Lighting]

Get a wired one.

 

[Steve]

Cables dont just break, you must be damaging them somehow. You'd be best going with a new wired alarm system.

Wireless alarms, no matter what frequency range they operate in, will always be susceptible to interference from many, many sources. The airwaves are becoming increasingly crowded and frequency ranges getting closer together.

And everyone on this forum will say get a wired alarm, because none of us enjoys being woken up or otherwise disturbed by noisy false alarms from unreliable alarm systems.

If you can get under the floorboards, its a doddle.

 

[breezer]

see this

 

[pchelpman]

Thanks everyone. All comments duly noted and much appreciated.

Like you all here I had thought a wired system was superior. That's why I fitted one in the first place. However, you can imagine ... a 4 zone panel when I started, house has had 3 extensions added over many years .... new cables added to the alarm system as well .... all grown like topsy. I now have multiple PIRs on each zone. I have replaced backup batteries, malfunctioning PIRs etc. from time to time.

Due to age, I suspect, something somewhere in the system has caused it not to work at all. I fully arm the system but nothing triggers an alarm condition. I'm sure it's going to take me ages to track down the fault(s) and I'm dreading it!

I have the feeling that the time has come for a fresh/new entire system - much bigger control panel, one PIR to each zone, new external sounder/SCB and so on.

However, I'm older than I was when I started all this and am less fit! I can't face the thought of running new cables everywhere with new kit. In other words ... starting from scratch again. The enthusiasm's not there like it used to be.

Maybe I should get it professionally installed. Any recommendations? South east/south west London border.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[pchelpman]

Doing more research.

Have had good reports of professionals fitting scantronics wireless home systems with great sucess and overall good system reliability.

Any thoughts on those systems, anyone?

 

[breezer]

yes, they are rubbish.

mate of mine installed them, yes at first great, then wait for the problems to come

all radio alarms are rubbish, what part of radio is rubbish do you not understand?

 

[pchelpman]

what part of radio is rubbish do you not understand?

OK OK ... your views received and understood!

 

[breezer]

its not just me, look at the others too