Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

Following on from my earlier post I now have to decide which type of
alarm to get, initially I thought wireless for ease of fitting but some
posters dont appear to rate wireless so had a look on the internet re
wired. The wired for comparitive types appear to be cheaper but how easy
to install? I am ok for following instructions and DIY stuff.
Electrics only if it is basic as I wont risk otherwise.

I am only looking at a basic type unit a couple of PIR and a couple of
door contacts.
I would probably go with Yale on a wireless but any recommendations for
a wired system. My budget is no more than £150.

thanks

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On Jan 24, 8:47 pm, ss wrote:
Following on from my earlier post I now have to decide which type of
alarm to get, initially I thought wireless for ease of fitting but some
posters dont appear to rate wireless so had a look on the internet re
wired. The wired for comparitive types appear to be cheaper but how easy
to install? I am ok for following instructions and DIY stuff.
Electrics only if it is basic as I wont risk otherwise.

I am only looking at a basic type unit a couple of PIR and a couple of
door contacts.
I would probably go with Yale on a wireless but any recommendations for
a wired system. My budget is no more than £150.

thanks

put a yale wireless in - dead simple to fit, extras available new off
ebay at better prices, works fine, remember at least 1/2 the point is
the deterrent, so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

(I requested a quote from a "pro" who wouldn't even come out to look
and just quoted me £1500 !!! which it seemed would be abt 1200 for
him....)

Insurance co discounts are not worth it so fit a wireless & don;t tell
'em.

Jim K

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article
,
Jim K wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

What on a wired alarm requires an annual service? A wireless one certainly
requires routine servicing - to replace the batteries. The main backup
battery should have a life of better than 5 years.

--
*Sherlock Holmes never said "Elementary, my dear Watson" *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On 25/01/2012 08:19, Jim K wrote:
On Jan 24, 8:47 pm, wrote:
Following on from my earlier post I now have to decide which type of
alarm to get, initially I thought wireless for ease of fitting but some
posters dont appear to rate wireless so had a look on the internet re
wired. The wired for comparitive types appear to be cheaper but how easy
to install? I am ok for following instructions and DIY stuff.
Electrics only if it is basic as I wont risk otherwise.

I am only looking at a basic type unit a couple of PIR and a couple of
door contacts.
I would probably go with Yale on a wireless but any recommendations for
a wired system. My budget is no more than £150.

thanks

put a yale wireless in - dead simple to fit, extras available new off
ebay at better prices, works fine, remember at least 1/2 the point is
the deterrent, so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

(I requested a quote from a "pro" who wouldn't even come out to look
and just quoted me £1500 !!! which it seemed would be abt 1200 for
him....)

Insurance co discounts are not worth it so fit a wireless& don;t tell
'em.

Jim K

Thanks Jim, The more I read the more one jumps between wire/wireless.
So i doubt if I will ever be 100% one way or the other. Looks like
wireless for ease of fitting (which suits me) The area is not prone to
house breaks (so far) so the deterrent factor is really my main concern
when I start to think about it, only about 20% of the houses have an
alarm so having one should put me in the top "leave that one alone group"
thanks

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On 25/01/2012 10:02, ss wrote:
On 25/01/2012 08:19, Jim K wrote:
On Jan 24, 8:47 pm, wrote:
Following on from my earlier post I now have to decide which type of
alarm to get, initially I thought wireless for ease of fitting but some
posters dont appear to rate wireless so had a look on the internet re
wired. The wired for comparitive types appear to be cheaper but how easy
to install? I am ok for following instructions and DIY stuff.
Electrics only if it is basic as I wont risk otherwise.

I am only looking at a basic type unit a couple of PIR and a couple of
door contacts.
I would probably go with Yale on a wireless but any recommendations for
a wired system. My budget is no more than £150.

thanks

put a yale wireless in - dead simple to fit, extras available new off
ebay at better prices, works fine, remember at least 1/2 the point is
the deterrent, so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

(I requested a quote from a "pro" who wouldn't even come out to look
and just quoted me £1500 !!! which it seemed would be abt 1200 for
him....)

Insurance co discounts are not worth it so fit a wireless& don;t tell
'em.

Jim K

Thanks Jim, The more I read the more one jumps between wire/wireless.
So i doubt if I will ever be 100% one way or the other. Looks like
wireless for ease of fitting (which suits me) The area is not prone to
house breaks (so far) so the deterrent factor is really my main concern
when I start to think about it, only about 20% of the houses have an
alarm so having one should put me in the top "leave that one alone group"
thanks

One more thing, is there any advantage/disadvantage with having a
control box as opposed to a control panel, I suppose they do the same
job, one is bigger and looks like it should be attached to a wall the
other looks more portable.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On Jan 25, 10:08*am, ss wrote:
any advantage/disadvantage with having a
control box as opposed to a control panel

Control panel & Box integrated...
Clumsy large box will lots of wires leading to it (or one big multi-
core wire). May be limited to 1.2Ah backup battery (not much if a lot
of PIR sensors).

Control panel & Box separate...
Discrete control panel with 1 small wire may be located by a door in
the hallway etc. Box can be located elsewhere, with GSM diallers,
other equipment etc and often permits a 7Ah or larger battery.

Talking of batteries, buy a decent Yuasa 7Ah if you have regular power
cuts. Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries lose capacity over time such
that a generic 1.2Ah can be pretty weak capacity after a couple of
years.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

Well as a radio comms and broadcast engineer I wonder why I have most
everything here wired rather than "Wireless"?..

The main problem is that these devices operate in licence exempt
frequency bands and several devices and other equipment's share
frequencies and channels . OK if you live in the middle of nowhere but
even in this somewhat secluded area I can "see" no less than 12 wi-fi
nets here, only half of them secured properly!..


(I requested a quote from a "pro" who wouldn't even come out to look
and just quoted me £1500 !!! which it seemed would be abt 1200 for
him....)



Insurance co discounts are not worth it so fit a wireless & don;t tell
'em.

Jim K

--
Tony Sayer

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

Well as a radio comms and broadcast engineer I wonder why I have most
everything here wired rather than "Wireless"?..

Same here. Years of experience with radio mics. ;-) Only reason to use a
radio link is where it's impossible or inconvenient to use a cable - like
say with moving objects. None of this applies to an alarm. Or a doorbell.

--
*Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article
,
Jim K wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

What on a wired alarm requires an annual service?

The service normally involves schecking that everything is working.

A wireless one certainly requires routine servicing - to replace the
batteries. The main backup battery should have a life of better than 5
years.

Batteries are also fitted to wired alarms. When there is s local amins
failure, you can tell how many batteries have failed ;-)

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.16

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
charles wrote:
In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article
,
Jim K wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

What on a wired alarm requires an annual service?

The service normally involves schecking that everything is working.

So even more so on a wireless one?

A wireless one certainly requires routine servicing - to replace the
batteries. The main backup battery should have a life of better than 5
years.

Batteries are also fitted to wired alarms. When there is s local amins
failure, you can tell how many batteries have failed ;-)

Yes indeedy. But decent ones last much longer than a year.

--
*How's my driving? Call 999*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
Jim K writes:
so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

That absolutely guarantees no one will take any notice if it
goes off for real.

My normal recommendation when you install an alarm is not not connect
up the external sounder until you've managed something like 3 months
with no false alarms. That way, you don't destroy any goodwill in
your neighbours with the initial teething problems.

(A wireless alarm might not have an option not to have the external
sounder active, whilst having the rest of the system operating.)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

Huge :
On 2012-01-25, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

Well as a radio comms and broadcast engineer I wonder why I have most
everything here wired rather than "Wireless"?..

Same here. Years of experience with radio mics. ;-) Only reason to use a
radio link is where it's impossible or inconvenient to use a cable - like
say with moving objects. None of this applies to an alarm. Or a doorbell.

Hear, hear. As an aged IT bod and radio ham, I'd run wires.

I'd run wires as well. Wires are trustworthy; radio isn't.

--
Mike Barnes

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In message , tony sayer
writes
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

Well as a radio comms and broadcast engineer I wonder why I have most
everything here wired rather than "Wireless"?..

The main problem is that these devices operate in licence exempt
frequency bands and several devices and other equipment's share
frequencies and channels . OK if you live in the middle of nowhere but
even in this somewhat secluded area I can "see" no less than 12 wi-fi
nets here, only half of them secured properly!..

Just make sure that the wireless alarm doesn't use the 433MHz allocation
- especially if you have a radio amateur in the neighbourhood who might
use the 70cm amateur band.
--
Ian

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
(Andrew Gabriel) writes:
In article ,
Jim K writes:
so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

That absolutely guarantees no one will take any notice if it
goes off for real.

My normal recommendation when you install an alarm is not not connect
up the external sounder until you've managed something like 3 months
with no false alarms.

and I should have added that you must also have identified and
fixed the cause of all false alarms you do have, so they can't
happen again. (That applies to any false alarm at any time.)

That way, you don't destroy any goodwill in
your neighbours with the initial teething problems.

(A wireless alarm might not have an option not to have the external
sounder active, whilst having the rest of the system operating.)


--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On 25 Jan 2012 14:36:36 GMT, Huge wrote:

The Po-lease will not respond to newly installed alarms for several (2?)
weeks after installation, to allow you to get false alarms out of your
system.

The police won't attend alarms unless the call has come from a
monitoring station or the caller says they can see intruders still
present.


--
Cheers
Dave.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
charles wrote:
In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article
,
Jim K wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless
you really want the home automation type features it was just sour
grapes from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and
butter" income for both install and yearly "services".

What on a wired alarm requires an annual service?

The service normally involves schecking that everything is working.

So even more so on a wireless one?

A wireless one certainly requires routine servicing - to replace the
batteries. The main backup battery should have a life of better than 5
years.

Batteries are also fitted to wired alarms. When there is s local amins
failure, you can tell how many batteries have failed ;-)

Yes indeedy. But decent ones last much longer than a year.

They should do indeed. With commercial alarms, you have to replace every 5
years, but we did a pair (good make) that only survived for 2 years.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.16

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In message , Mike Barnes
writes
Huge :
On 2012-01-25, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I too read the wired vs wireless debates and concluded that unless you
really want the home automation type features it was just sour grapes
from "professional" alarm installers losing their "bread and butter"
income for both install and yearly "services".

Well as a radio comms and broadcast engineer I wonder why I have most
everything here wired rather than "Wireless"?..

Same here. Years of experience with radio mics. ;-) Only reason to use a
radio link is where it's impossible or inconvenient to use a cable - like
say with moving objects. None of this applies to an alarm. Or a doorbell.

Hear, hear. As an aged IT bod and radio ham, I'd run wires.

I'd run wires as well. Wires are trustworthy; radio isn't.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The wiring can act as an
efficient aerial system on the lower frequency amateur bands. If they
are not designed to operate in moderately high RF fields, wired systems
can be very susceptible to RF interference, and go off. If your nearby
radio amateur is not likely to use the 70cm band, you're probably better
off with a wireless system (even a crappy one on 433MHz).
--
Ian

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article
,
Jim K writes:
so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

That absolutely guarantees no one will take any notice if it
goes off for real.

My normal recommendation when you install an alarm is not not connect
up the external sounder until you've managed something like 3 months
with no false alarms. That way, you don't destroy any goodwill in
your neighbours with the initial teething problems.

I do not believe that false alarms on new systems are that common that you
need to keep the sounder off for 3 months. I must have installed (or at
least second fixed) 30 to 40 alarms over the last 12 months. I have not had
to re-attend any on them for false alarms and can only recall one occasion
in the last 10 years where I have had a false alarm on a system I have
installed.


A 48 hour test would be fine IMHO.

--
Adam

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In article ,
ARWadsworth wrote:
I do not believe that false alarms on new systems are that common that
you need to keep the sounder off for 3 months. I must have installed
(or at least second fixed) 30 to 40 alarms over the last 12 months. I
have not had to re-attend any on them for false alarms and can only
recall one occasion in the last 10 years where I have had a false alarm
on a system I have installed.

Usual trouble starts when the carpet fitters come in. ;-)

--
*Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
ARWadsworth wrote:
I do not believe that false alarms on new systems are that common
that you need to keep the sounder off for 3 months. I must have
installed (or at least second fixed) 30 to 40 alarms over the last
12 months. I have not had to re-attend any on them for false alarms
and can only recall one occasion in the last 10 years where I have
had a false alarm on a system I have installed.

Usual trouble starts when the carpet fitters come in. ;-)


I have never laid an alarm cable directly under a carpet or behind carpet
grip:-)


Or the door fitters if you have door contacts. They just cut the wires and
do not care unless you stop their cheque.



--
Adam

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:47:50 +0000, ss wrote:

Following on from my earlier post I now have to decide which type of
alarm to get, initially I thought wireless for ease of fitting but some
posters dont appear to rate wireless so had a look on the internet re
wired. The wired for comparitive types appear to be cheaper but how easy
to install? I am ok for following instructions and DIY stuff.
Electrics only if it is basic as I wont risk otherwise.

I am only looking at a basic type unit a couple of PIR and a couple of
door contacts.
I would probably go with Yale on a wireless but any recommendations for
a wired system. My budget is no more than £150.

thanks


If you can, get one on 868MHz. It won't give (or suffer from)
interference anywhere near as much as the other frequencies. The newer
models of alarms tend to use this frequency. 434MHz in particular is very
busy. Unfortunately the cheapest wireless alarms are on 434MHz - of
course!

--
Mick (Working in a M$-free zone!)
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Filtering everything posted from googlegroups to kill spam.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On 27/01/2012 20:24, mick wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:47:50 +0000, ss wrote:

Following on from my earlier post I now have to decide which type of
alarm to get, initially I thought wireless for ease of fitting but some
posters dont appear to rate wireless so had a look on the internet re
wired. The wired for comparitive types appear to be cheaper but how easy
to install? I am ok for following instructions and DIY stuff.
Electrics only if it is basic as I wont risk otherwise.

I am only looking at a basic type unit a couple of PIR and a couple of
door contacts.
I would probably go with Yale on a wireless but any recommendations for
a wired system. My budget is no more than £150.

thanks


If you can, get one on 868MHz. It won't give (or suffer from)
interference anywhere near as much as the other frequencies. The newer
models of alarms tend to use this frequency. 434MHz in particular is very
busy. Unfortunately the cheapest wireless alarms are on 434MHz - of
course!


Out of interest is it possible to reduce the volume on the external
alarm, probably be a Yale wireless.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:09:28 +0000, ss wrote:

Out of interest is it possible to reduce the volume on the external
alarm, probably be a Yale wireless.

Yes empty a can of squirty foam into it and wait, just like the tea
leaves do before breaking in...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:09:28 +0000, ss wrote:

Out of interest is it possible to reduce the volume on the external
alarm, probably be a Yale wireless.

Yes empty a can of squirty foam into it and wait, just like the tea
leaves do before breaking in...

Something to be said for fitting the sounder box out of easy reach.

regards


--
Tim Lamb

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On Jan 25, 2:02 pm, (Andrew Gabriel)
wrote:
In article ,
Jim K writes:

so make sure you let it off "by accident" a *few* times
once installed.....

That absolutely guarantees no one will take any notice if it
goes off for real.

I don;t mean let it go off for 15minutes - I mean allow it to sound
for 15/30 seconds or so *by accident*, so that people get used to the
fact that it exists & whose & where it is.


My normal recommendation when you install an alarm is not not connect
up the external sounder until you've managed something like 3 months
with no false alarms. That way, you don't destroy any goodwill in
your neighbours with the initial teething problems.

depends how its been installed, and the ability of the user I spose

(A wireless alarm might not have an option not to have the external
sounder active, whilst having the rest of the system operating.)

mine does if I wish it

Jim K

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

On Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:05:34 +0000, Tim Lamb wrote:

Yes empty a can of squirty foam into it and wait, just like the
tea
leaves do before breaking in...

Something to be said for fitting the sounder box out of easy reach.

Q) Is 20' above the ground in the middle of a bare gable end wall
"out of easy reach"?

A) No, that's where the sounder for the local Co-op is but it didn't
stop it getting filled with foam a few years back. Open area/car park
on Front Street in plain view with commercial/residential properties
all round.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Alarm, Wireless V wired
 

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:05:34 +0000, Tim Lamb wrote:

Yes empty a can of squirty foam into it and wait, just like the
tea
leaves do before breaking in...

Something to be said for fitting the sounder box out of easy reach.

Q) Is 20' above the ground in the middle of a bare gable end wall
"out of easy reach"?

Well out of my reach, anyway:-)

A) No, that's where the sounder for the local Co-op is but it didn't
stop it getting filled with foam a few years back. Open area/car park
on Front Street in plain view with commercial/residential properties
all round.

Transit tipper with an upturned broom and a set of extending ladders?

I had a closer look at one of my spare boxes today. It appears to have a
festoon halogen and possibly an led potted in plastic. I will attack it
with the multimeter and try to establish if there is already a resistor
in series.

regards


--
Tim Lamb