Yale Alarms

[wjm]

Hi,

I am thinking about getting a Yale Wireless Burglar Alarm (specifically HSA 3500), I wondered whether anyone has this alarm and what they think about it?

Any recomendations / thoughts / concerns?

One possible concern I have is that the bell box is not solar powered and runs on a battery which has a life around 4 years, do you think it will be a problem replacing the battery after this time? any idea what sort of battery it is? I don't want to spend a 200£ on an alarm to find it all needs replacing after 4 years.

Thanks for your help.

 

[breezer]

put it this way, i have a barge pole, and it is not going near your alarm.

I shall explain.

Radio alarms by deffinition are very good, no wires, quick to install great, nice and easy.

Now read that again. NO WIRES, as it is radio it becomes suseptable to other radio frequences and interfearance.

yes they are on their own "special frequency" but that does not mean to say they can not suffer from interfearance.

Q. If a radio detector plays up what can you do ?

A. Nothing because they are radio you can not see if there is another radio signal interfearing with it.

When a professional radio alarm is installed they are supposed to test for field strengh to see is it suitable (most dont) they will also "not work" in new houses since the dry wall is foil lined and blocks the signal.

Friend of mine (alarm engineer) put one in a new show house, wouldn't work, call to manufaturer, Help line man said is it new house? "yes" forget it said help line.

to meet the B.S. 4737 standard radio alarms have to be "class 6" most are not (its nothing to worry about but alarm companies will not touch anything that is not class 6, because insurance companies do not accept them)

You are wondering about the battery in the bell box, with radio detectors you have to change all the batteries once a year, when do they send a low battery signal, when you are in bed asleep or on holiday that is when.

Because it is your alarm do you really change the battery strait away, yes? well what about that smoke detector you have with no battery?

Most people with diy radio alarms with all good intentions forget to change the batteries or "will do it later" and never do.

Even hard wired alarms have to have the control panel battery changed once every five years to ensure reliability.

I have nothing in particular against any brand of radio alarm, I after hearing just a few stories (they are true) hate all of them.

They also seem to cost more in the long run since as i said, every year you have to change the batteries with good quality (you know the brand) batteries which can be £2-3 each, now multiply that by the number of detectors and tell me its not expensive.

I would suggest always have a hard wired alarm, as yes they take longer to install but are much less hassle and cheaper in the long run.

 

[wjm]

Wow! That's a No then!

I had concerns about interference when I was considering this. On Yales website it indicates that it can't be interfered with or jammed, or at least if it is it will trigger. ?????

The house is new, but it doesn't have foil lined dry wall, it is in Spain, and the reason for wirefree in the firstplace is purely cosmetic, the house has been finished, painted etc, and I don't fancy carving the walls up just yet!

You've raised some good points though, I'll have to have a good think!
Sadly I don't think I have much option though.

Anyone else got anymore thoughts or ideas on this matter??

 

[breezer]

if it is in Spain then have wire free, we will not be able to hear it when it gores off.

Seriously, you probably would be commiting an offence if you used an English wire free system in spain, it may be on a local ambulance (for example) frequency, differnt countries have different regulations, why not take the easy option and get a Spanish company to install it for you, their general regulations as to what you can and cant do may be different.

If it does get jambed say it activtes great (so you think) what did jamb it? it may a local taxi or as i said ambulance, the neighbours will love you

 

[gimbals]

I installed the Yale system in my house two years ago. The PIRs and door contacts use regular batteries (AA or AAA or similar). The siren uses the large batteries ("D" I think). The system has a built in "low battery" detector and I have not replaced any batteries yet. The system has been trouble free since installation. Installation is very simple and consists of screwing the PIR's and Door contacts, siren and control box in position and programing the control box. No wires makes it a very easy installation. I am sure that some whiz kid somewhere could jam the frequeny to disable it but if they are THAT determined they could get past any alarm system, wired or not!

 

[breezer]

does it still wrork? have you set it and tried "breaking in"? does it go off, and is it loud?

 

[securespark]

Breezer

Professional wireless stuff is excellent.

Try A & A.

 

[breezer]

I suppose it depends on which "way " you are looking at it. I still don't like it.

 

[securespark]

Heard a few stories....Just hate them

Have you never installed a "proper" professional system?

They've come a long way since the Response .........

 

[breezer]

a friend of mine is an alarm engineer for a very big alarm company (so obviously we go out now and again) sometimes we meet his work mates and the conversation always ends up with alarms, so seeing as these guys work on them 24/7 and from my own experiance its safe to say i am taking good advice.

There was one "funny story" (quick version)

Radio fire alarm, (yes its a professional one, costs thousands) builders came in ripped down walls etc (they covered smoke detectors first as they didn't want to set it off) saw this call point, cut round it on wall, (idea being to leave it hanging untill fire engineer arived) found no wires "must be an old one rip it off" said one, they did, in the process broke glass, 3 minutes later 3 fire engines and umpteen firemen came running in asking the obvious"where's the fire"

 

[gimbals]

Yes it works fine. This weekend I had need to move a door contact so took the opportunity to walk test the whole system. No problem at all. De-activated the door contact. removed it, refitted it, reprogrammed and all is well. It may be horses for courses but I rate the Yale system highly. I have a two storey detached house with three door contacts, five pir's, a remote key fob (for activating and de-activating whilst outside the house - rarely use this though) and a remote control box in the bedroom for setting the alarm during the night. The main control box is downstairs. My immediate neighbours have far more problems with their professionally installed and monitored system than i do. They also pay more than £100 a year for a maintenance contract.