One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of PIRs & an
external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free system.

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the spawn
of Satan.

Is he biased or is this the case. I notice Yale have a range
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...20347&ts=37383

Strong brand name? Are they OK?

Failing that, any suggestions on a basic wired system?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

The Medway Handyman wrote:
One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of PIRs
& an external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free system.

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the
spawn of Satan.

Is he biased or is this the case. I notice Yale have a range
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...20347&ts=37383

Strong brand name? Are they OK?

Failing that, any suggestions on a basic wired system?

My only experience of wireless systems is of constant false alarms caused by
poor RF immunity, things may have improved in the last 4 years since I had
involvement - but I doubt it. For a wired system I would recommend Texecom
kit. Never had a duff board or sensor from them yet.

HTH
Neil

Always go wired mate - less costs, easily available parts.




"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
.uk...
One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of PIRs & an
external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free system.

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the
spawn of Satan.

Is he biased or is this the case. I notice Yale have a range
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...20347&ts=37383

Strong brand name? Are they OK?

Failing that, any suggestions on a basic wired system?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Owain wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of
PIRs & an external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free
system.

A lot of them come with keyfob on-off switches, which is not a lot of
use if the householder loses it along with their house keys.

Have you suggested the customer get a free home security check from
the local police? Costs you nothing, may bring in added business for
locks etc, and adds to the professional and responsible image.

I already have a link on my website, but regretably however our local plod
don't seem to have crime prevention as a high priority - more interested in
speed cameras.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Hi Dave
Without wanting to open a long standing thread from
uk.tech.electronic.security about radio alarms on this site here are a few
pointers.

In the past 3 yrs we have fitted over 100 radio alarm systems to all types
of properties this number is growing .

Even put one in a converted church in Hackney.

These days RFI problems are very rare in the professional equipment and
battery life of 3yrs means low maintainance .
Add to this ease of instalation and a base kit cost of less than £400 and
the choice becomes clearer.

For small systems a basic wired kit can be as little as £150 but what cost
the labour?

Whilst the Yale,DIY store and ASDA type kits are cheeper I cannot comment on
their reliability other than to say we replaces 2 last month with Gardtec
systems.


As for suppliers as already posted Texecom are a reputable supplier (use
them all the time) for small systems the Veritas range of panels is good.
They are also in the process of launching a radio system .
Check www.texe.com.
Also ADE, Scantronic and Risco group (Gardtec) manufacture radio
systems.(and hard wired)

We fit Gardtec radio equipment normally as the price is right and their main
office is only a few miles from us but do use Scantronics equipment when
needed,

Available sensors are door contacts,pir's,vibration sensors (introduced
2mths ago) and keyfob with PA.

They also do a radio bell box for one of their systems ,

HTH
CJ

The Medway Handyman wrote:

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the spawn
of Satan.

Decent ones seem ok. I fitted:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...ain/index.html

for someone, and he has not had any interference problems or false alarms.

The basic unit can be used as a basic system, although it can grow to
include loads of extras (home automation, remote monitoring, GSM comms,
fire and flood sensing etc)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:18:45 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of PIRs & an
external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free system.

It is worth reminding your customer that the only people who respond
to "bell only" (Type B) systems are the local authority noise
abatement team. The police do not respond to reports of alarms going
off. From the ACPO guidelines at
http://www.bsia.co.uk/web_images/pub...s/ACPO2006.pdf :-

"To obtain police attendance, Type B systems will require some
additional indication from a person at the scene that a criminal
offence is in progress which indicates that police response is
required. This will require human intervention such as member of
public, owner or agent visiting, or viewing the premises. "

http://www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention/alarms.htm is also useful.

It is also usually a bad idea to tell your insurance company you have
one as it may give them an excuse to invalidate any claim you may
later make unless you can show the alarm went off.

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the spawn
of Satan.

Not far off. They come in several classes defined in BS6799 which
govern such things as vulnerability to interference and whether the
sensors have two way communication with the control panel. At the
lower end of the scale where the likes of the Yale are found the
whole system can be dead but look quite serviceable to the user.

Interference problems have diminished recently in the Class 1-3 units
but in many cases only by altering the way it is handled. Instead of
producing an alarm it now does nothing :-). Loss of link between the
sensor and panel is not continuously monitored in many.

For all radio security systems including the Class 6 it is worth
noting that claims of being "Jam resistant" are, without exception,
false. What they mean is they are spoof resistant. All RF systems
are very simple to disable.

Failing that, any suggestions on a basic wired system?

They would be better off spending their money on improving perimeter
security and fitting a false bell box with flashing light from a well
known supplier.
--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

John Rumm wrote in
:

The Medway Handyman wrote:

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are
the spawn of Satan.

Decent ones seem ok. I fitted:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...Index/Wireless
_index/ESP_Infinite_Main/index.html

for someone, and he has not had any interference problems or false
alarms.

The basic unit can be used as a basic system, although it can grow
to include loads of extras (home automation, remote monitoring,
GSM comms, fire and flood sensing etc)

I fitted an ESP Infinite wireless alarm system + conventional external
sounder driven from a wireless interface module. I have 2 door sensors
+ 3 PIRs + remote control panel. No interference or problems in just
over a year.

I also have the phone dialler option, connected to a standard BT PSTN
line. The whole thing works well, at least when tested - it's not been
tried 'in anger' as it were.

Having an IT background, I also fitted the serial interface which
allows programming from a locally attached PC (there is a software
application to do this which comes with the interface). This is
actually quite useful, as the device has as astonishing number of
options. While the system can be setup from the screen menu system,
doing it from a PC (in my case, a laptop with a USB-serial converter)
is much easier IMO and allows settings to be saved and restored.

When I get a round tuit, I'm planning to fit the X.10 module to switch
the garden lighting and fountain off/on, plus a couple of standard
lamps. I guess I'm just a gadget freak...

I didn't fit the GSM dialler option - it seemed a bit expensive, and
mobile phone reception at the point where the control panel is fitted
(no, it's not by the back door) is a little weak.

I should mention that there is an alarm monitoring service available
from a company called Intamac.

Hope this helps

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

Neil wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of PIRs
& an external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free system.

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the
spawn of Satan.

Is he biased or is this the case. I notice Yale have a range
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...20347&ts=37383

Strong brand name? Are they OK?

Failing that, any suggestions on a basic wired system?

My only experience of wireless systems is of constant false alarms caused by
poor RF immunity, things may have improved in the last 4 years since I had
involvement - but I doubt it. For a wired system I would recommend Texecom
kit. Never had a duff board or sensor from them yet.

HTH
Neil


A few years ago at the old place, I was unwillingly able to "interfere"
with an alarm system some 100yds away but only when I transmitted about
5kW ERP on 144MHz in that direction. It went on for about 6 months
before, thankfully, the problem went away... either because the people
got fed up with false alarms and switched the alarm off altogether or
they had the RF vulnerability problem solved. I never found out.

I don't know whether this was a wired or wireless system as both could
be affected by a big(ish) RF field, in different ways.


Hopefully things have improved with regard to RF immunity as there is
really no excuse for systems to fall over even in the presence of large
amounts of RF. But I would think it possible that a wireless system
could be confused, at least, by jamming, i.e. a very large signal on the
frequency to swamp the low power devices that the alarm uses. Obviously
this is unlikely and would take a very determined burglar!



Steve

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
.uk...
One of my customers wants a very basic alarm system, a couple of PIRs & an
external box. Installation lends itself to a wire free system.

My local security centre/locksmiths reckons wire free systems are the
spawn of Satan.

Is he biased or is this the case. I notice Yale have a range
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...20347&ts=37383

Strong brand name? Are they OK?

Failing that, any suggestions on a basic wired system?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257


I've fitted a Visonic Powermax+ system. Uses the 868MHz spectrum, which
means that is supposedly far less prone to interference. I've certainly had
no false alarms. It is almost infintely extensible with all kinds of sensors
available. Not that cheap I guess, but there are some reasonable prices to
be had on t'internet - I used these: www.quick2fit.co.uk.

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:57:13 GMT, The Medway Handyman wrote:

regretably however our local plod don't seem to have crime prevention as
a high priority - more interested in speed cameras.

Cumbria Police are quite active on the crime prevention front and I think
all forces are under an obligation to offer a free home security check.
They also like speed cameras but with our much lower population density
and relatively poor roads they aren't quite so lucrative as the high speed
south. B-)

As for alarms I'd avoid wireless, far to easy to jam, note that they are
only ever "resistant" not "proof". Installers love wireless 'em as they
can bang a system in in half a day instead of spending several days
routing wires, *if* done carefully and neatly.

Personally decent dead locks and prickly bushes are much more of a
deterrant than an alarm. Not to mention the problems associated with
police (none) attendance unless the alarm has been verified and with
insurance companies if you tell 'em (or not) that you have an alarm.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail