which of these wireless burglar systems for a house?

[xyz321]

hi

looking for a new burglar system. Wireless (house is decorated so dont want wires going around plus i think the wireless security and reliability is quite good now a days compared to 3/4 years ago). though i am ready to stand corrected if someone can point i am wrong about wireless systems

looking for a hybrid wireless, where control panel adn external sounder is wired while sensors are wireless. need 5 PIR sensors, 2 door contacts, 1 external sounder and 1 dummy sounder for back.

have had few quotes over the phone and would ask 3/4 to give quote in wirting but can i get some feedback on following systems,.

Scantronic Ion, Risco GT (possibly GardTech but couldnt find on their website), Castle Enforcer, Honeywell G2-20, Visonic Powerrmax and Texecom premier

sorry if its too many options but everyone obviously claims theirs is best and so i need some help.

ta

 

[Jackrae]

Have installed a Visonic Powermax+ and can vouch for their pet tolerant IR sensors - important if you want to have cat, dog, or wandering child (when in night mode) in house with alarm set.
Some other advantages are that it will ring up to 4 telephone numbers if tripped, can be set or disarmed via telephone and can be used to "listen" to the burglars whilst they rumble your house.
Bell is also wireless so no need to run wires to it.
All batteries are monitored so system lets you know in plenty of time when they are getting low.
But Visonics are not cheap but perhaps you get what you pay for.

 

[Maxsys]

If the detectors will let a child walk through the house, what's to say they will detect billy burglar

 

[Jackrae]

"Billy Burglar" has to be less than 85lbs. I suppose a 'street urchin' might get through but most burglars are generally a little heavier than 85lbs (6stone). Mind you the famous Charles Atlas was that weight before he discovered how to make a fortune.
However there is no obligation to use the pet-tolerant version.

 

[sparkymarka]

fitted a few enforcer wireless panels pretty good with 2 way radio ( detectors are awake on setting they dont go to sleep) and made in the uk unlike 90% of most wirefree panels.

 

[xyz321]

fitted a few enforcer wireless panels pretty good with 2 way radio ( detectors are awake on setting they dont go to sleep) and made in the uk unlike 90% of most wirefree panels.

thanks. Can you please explain a bit more on the 2 way radio. I had someone come around yesterday to have a look at the house and he is offering Risco GT600 system. The guy was really good, company is SSAIB approved and he runs a small business of 8 engineers. So am tempated to go with it but he was not very clear on whehter his system is 2 way or 1 way.

any idea if Gt600 offers that?

 

[bernardgreen]

Two way radio,

Many wireless alarm systems, especially the DIY low cost market are one way in that the sensors can only transmit. So when they send a message to the control panel they cannot know if the message has been received by the panel. Therefor it has to send the message several times to increase the chance of the panel receiving the alarm message. Repeating the message uses power thus shortening battery life and is also limited by the regulations that licence exempt radio equipment has to comply with.

Also the sensor does not know if the alarm is set of not set so has to send messages even though the alarm is not set.

With two way radio the panel can send an acknowledgement to the sensor so the sensor knows the message has been received or not. It can then repeat as necessary. More important the sensor knows when the channel is busy and will wait until the channel is clear before sending.

With two way when a alarm is set the panel can check the state of all sensors to ensure all is OK. With one way the panel has to rely on the last status message which may no longer be valid. It is possible to set a one way system with a door or window open if that door or window was shut the last time the sensor reported it's status. That is far less possible with a two way system.

 

[mdf290]

With one way the panel has to rely on the last status message which may no longer be valid.

With one way systems which I am familiar with the panel knows literally within three seconds if a sensor is no longer active or found in the system. I dont see the need for any greater notification than that.

 

[bernardgreen]

With one way systems which I am familiar with the panel knows literally within three seconds if a sensor is no longer active or found in the system. I dont see the need for any greater notification than that.

That suggests each sensor sends a status report every 3 seconds ? Is that a fact ?

 

[mdf290]

With one way systems which I am familiar with the panel knows literally within three seconds if a sensor is no longer active or found in the system. I dont see the need for any greater notification than that.

That suggests each sensor sends a status report every 3 seconds ? Is that a fact ?

Its how it has always worked in practice for me..

 

[sparkymarka]

change batteries every month then ?

 

[bernardgreen]

Its how it has always worked in practice for me..

Can you verify your experience with documented information on the duty cycle of the sensor'r transmitters.

 

[bernardgreen]

Its how it has always worked in practice for me..

Can you verify your experience with documented information on the duty cycle of the sensor'r transmitters.

To mdf290

I think you need to verify that the panel will detect a lost sensor, I am not talking about a sensor that has a tamper or low battery condition which it can notify to the panel. I am talking about a sensor which has lost the ability to transmit to the panel. I have reason to believe that the sensors do NOT send regular "I am here" messages.

I believe the grade 2 "smart alarms" are using two way communication and sensor loss can and is detected within 20 minutes of the sensor being silenced.

 

[mdf290]

To mdf290

I think you need to verify that the panel will detect a lost sensor

I think you need to stop making silly assumptions that are wrong

 

[bernardgreen]

The "assumption" was based on results of an assessment of various radio linked alarm sensors.

The Yale technical help desk confirmed that the sensors in the DIY system do NOT send "I am here messages" and only transmit on motion detected, tamper or low battery.