Recommendations for replacement wired home alarm systems?

[JOEPRO]

Yes thats what I mean…many alarms are wired by running from sensor to sensor, reducing your zoning options along with the amount of cable used. Is your EE zone also pir?

EE = Entry Exit?

Yes they are PIR and will be programmed as such. I can have a short delay time on the door nearest the keypad. And for the other access door to house have that one programmed as another entry route with slightly longer delay time.

Both garages will be set as an inner room type deal so as soon as they would trigger the alarm will go off. (Can't recall the terminology but I understand that the PIRs have to be programmed correctly according to my layout)

 

[jimbo84]

A big internal sounder in the shed or garage is a good idea too…if anyone gets in the louder it is the more worried they are supposed to be.

These make it near on impossible to be in the same space as them.

 

[addjunkie]

These make it near on impossible to be in the same space as them.

View attachment 455337

My thinking exactly. Or a two mile siren!

 

[JOEPRO]

The first stage for me is to get the house up and running again as before but obviously with the newer better system.

Then I will check what is the best option for the existing garages. It will be difficult to run alarm cables through to the inside garage for a start as I will need to track a wall. But I can do that.

Then when in the inside garage (meaning under house roof) then I may look and see if an expander would offer any benefits for that garage and to connect onward to the external garage. So both garages would essentially be on one zone but with benefit of being able to add more devices such as door contacts should I wish utilising the expander.

Texecom do a 8 zone expander. If anyone is willing to explain what those do and how they are wired in simple terms I would be grateful

 

[MetalMonkey]

The expander gives you eight more zones from one cable back to the control panel.

You connect the expander to the "network" connection on the control panel, you can also daisy chain multiple expanders using the in and out connections.Each expander has connections for the zones and some aux channels for sounders etc

I'd also suggest rather than running a tamper loop you also consider FSL using EOL resistors instead. Its better and gives you an extra pair.

The PIR needs setting to the right height which you can alter with a sliding adjustment inside.

 

[JOEPRO]

The expander gives you eight more zones from one cable back to the control panel.

You connect the expander to the "network" connection on the control panel, you can also daisy chain multiple expanders using the in and out connections.Each expander has connections for the zones and some aux channels for sounders etc

I'd also suggest rather than running a tamper loop you also consider FSL using EOL resistors instead. Its better and gives you an extra pair.

The PIR needs setting to the right height which you can alter with a sliding adjustment inside.

That's great thanks I understand most of that!

I would use tamper on my external garages and will look at the End of line / fully supervised loop method for them. The PIRs I got have inbuilt resistors with jumpers too. For my house zone PIRs I'll leave them as they were but the garage wires will be exposed to outside to reach the external garage so they will require some form of tamper protection.

The height adjustment is nifty I have been setting those carefully.

 

[MetalMonkey]

If you haven't already I'd strongly suggest you get a copy of Wintex and use that to configure it - I believe you can do that via the SmartCom module without the additional programming lead.

 

[JOEPRO]

If you haven't already I'd strongly suggest you get a copy of Wintex and use that to configure it - I believe you can do that via the SmartCom module without the additional programming lead.

I have emailed Texecom asking for a copy of the wintex software explaining I am a homeowner so will see if they send it- good idea.

 

[Robotstar5]

Thanks for this- I have 8 zones available on my panel:

View attachment 455327

My house had 6 PIR sensors so those are there taking up 6 slots. Then one garage in Z7 and the other garage in Z8. (1x PIR per garage)

So each PIR has its own cable and own zone termination on the board if that is what you mean yeah?

Have you got an entry/exit contact on the front door or relying on a PIR?

 

[JOEPRO]

Have you got an entry/exit contact on the front door or relying on a PIR?

Relying on a PIR its how its always been from the last pro installation and running wires is not handy would need walls tracked to get to the front door which is also a new PVC item with side panels

 

[addjunkie]

For your garage doors, Id suggest fitting heavy duty door contacts. So in theory it goes off before they are in there. Just loop them off the pir to save cable runs.

I also think a door contact on the EE is best.

Im assuming Pets have been considered.

 

[JOEPRO]

I finished the control board wiring this evening. Again, was working with very short cables from the last installer and moving the panel up was not an option






Cover test fit - all good

 

[DAPPH]

These make it near on impossible to be in the same space as them.

View attachment 455337

A screwdriver , biro or pencil rammed into the vane vent holes silences them , put them high up out of reach & away from being able to being smashed off the wall. Thieves don't give a toss what damage they cause.

 

[JOEPRO]

The expander gives you eight more zones from one cable back to the control panel.

You connect the expander to the "network" connection on the control panel, you can also daisy chain multiple expanders using the in and out connections.Each expander has connections for the zones and some aux channels for sounders etc

I'd also suggest rather than running a tamper loop you also consider FSL using EOL resistors instead. Its better and gives you an extra pair.

The PIR needs setting to the right height which you can alter with a sliding adjustment inside.

Thinking about the expander I have ordered a new one on ebay auction for £20. A Texecom 8XP.

Since those are connected to the network (4 wires) then is there any difference to taking them from the control board directly or can I tee off from the keypad?

I see no difference in functionality since it will all end up the same connections anyway. Eg, if the cable was carried on through the house and connected to the same terminals on the board- connections wise it's all the same result anyway as its the same connections available at the keypad terminals already in my mind.

If this is possible to add the expander coming off the same 4 terminals on the keypad it would be a HUGE advantage and would save tracking walls etc and a half day or running a cable. Because the key pad in kitchen is on the same wall as my internal garage. So I can just drill through the wall at the keypad and use surface mount containment in the garage side and go on from there.

Since I have 2no spare cores at that keypad too I could also take the garage tamper circuit to the control panel that way.

Would wintex allow programming of the expander zones individually or does it see those as one Zone?

Edit: looks like I can but I may need to have the network from control board going into the expander first then have the keypad wired from the output on the expander? Which would be doable. And to set the jumpers.





Picture from ebay of inside a 8XP:

 

[brewdexta]

My last alarm system was the Comfort system by Cytech, but that was 20 years ago and after several renovations, I turned it off. The good news is that I flood wired the house with alarm and cat5 when I was renovating it so little or no wireless needed. The stone walls in the house limit wireless use, I have had to install multiple access points to get around that. The Comfort was quite advanced for its time with home automation features, and not cheap but I want to use something from closer to home and Texecom are just down the road in Rossendale. I'll take a look at Honeywell too.

It's something that has been on my todo list for a while but it has suddenly risen to the top. Last night, around 11:45, my neighbour had their quad bike stolen from an outbuilding only a few meters from their house. If they had an alarm they would have been aware and called the police or scared them off with the alarm. As it is, all we could do this morning was watch the CCTV of the 3 of them with hoodies/scarves on while they broken open the outbuilding door and wheeled it out. The police took footage from the CCTV, more for the timing of the events, not much use other than that.

I have recently bought a Kawasaki Mule, I need to do a bit of painting underneath so it will be on axle stands from this afternoon which will limit its mobility, however I need to get the house and outbuildings on an alarm pronto. I also want an beam set up on the driveway, I find perimeter PIRS not much use for this, too many sheep/deer./badger/foxes, but could be wrong.

 

[Robotstar5]

<snip>
I have recently bought a Kawasaki Mule, I need to do a bit of painting underneath so it will be on axle stands from this afternoon which will limit its mobility, however I need to get the house and outbuildings on an alarm pronto. I also want an beam set up on the driveway, I find perimeter PIRS not much use for this, too many sheep/deer./badger/foxes, but could be wrong.

Is it worth installing a tracker while you're working on it?

 

[MetalMonkey]

Thinking about the expander I have ordered a new one on ebay auction for £20. A Texecom 8XP.

Since those are connected to the network (4 wires) then is there any difference to taking them from the control board directly or can I tee off from the keypad?

I see no difference in functionality since it will all end up the same connections anyway. Eg, if the cable was carried on through the house and connected to the same terminals on the board- connections wise it's all the same result anyway as its the same connections available at the keypad terminals already in my mind.

If this is possible to add the expander coming off the same 4 terminals on the keypad it would be a HUGE advantage and would save tracking walls etc and a half day or running a cable. Because the key pad in kitchen is on the same wall as my internal garage. So I can just drill through the wall at the keypad and use surface mount containment in the garage side and go on from there.

Since I have 2no spare cores at that keypad too I could also take the garage tamper circuit to the control panel that way.

Would wintex allow programming of the expander zones individually or does it see those as one Zone?

Edit: looks like I can but I may need to have the network from control board going into the expander first then have the keypad wired from the output on the expander? Which would be doable. And to set the jumpers.

Pretty sure you can just wire it off the keypad, IIRC there is a jumper on the control panel if you are swapping between star or daisy mode.
If in doubt, just wire it temporary and test it does what you want before drilling any holes

You can program the expander zones exactly like you would the main panel zones. You can add several expanders but if you have more than one you need to assign them addresses using the dip switches. Same with keypads.
You can leave expander 1 as "1" and keypad 1 as "1" on the nework and they won't interfere with each other, it is only when you add a second you have to increment the address.

 

[JOEPRO]

Pretty sure you can just wire it off the keypad, IIRC there is a jumper on the control panel if you are swapping between star or daisy mode.
If in doubt, just wire it temporary and test it does what you want before drilling any holes

You can program the expander zones exactly like you would the main panel zones. You can add several expanders but if you have more than one you need to assign them addresses using the dip switches. Same with keypads.
You can leave expander 1 as "1" and keypad 1 as "1" on the nework and they won't interfere with each other, it is only when you add a second you have to increment the address.

Great job thanks for that advice. I will get it going Friday or Saturday with the expander panel connected daisy chained off the keypad and see if it picks it up OK as you say. (It should work OK)

So initially I will have the expander running but not fully wired up will just be interested to see if the Wintex can see the expander OK for future programming purposes.

I will most likely have a PIR, pedestrian door contact and a break glass sensor per garage so 6 extra sensors. I may use EOL wiring to reduce the number of cores required for the external garage which will require the cables to be exposed and ran on a wall externally.

 

[brewdexta]

Is it worth installing a tracker while you're working on it?

I've got trackers on the Ranger and Bobcat,I may end up doing that.

 

[DAPPH]

My last alarm system was the Comfort system by Cytech, but that was 20 years ago and after several renovations, I turned it off. The good news is that I flood wired the house with alarm and cat5 when I was renovating it so little or no wireless needed. The stone walls in the house limit wireless use, I have had to install multiple access points to get around that. The Comfort was quite advanced for its time with home automation features, and not cheap but I want to use something from closer to home and Texecom are just down the road in Rossendale. I'll take a look at Honeywell too.

It's something that has been on my todo list for a while but it has suddenly risen to the top. Last night, around 11:45, my neighbour had their quad bike stolen from an outbuilding only a few meters from their house. If they had an alarm they would have been aware and called the police or scared them off with the alarm. As it is, all we could do this morning was watch the CCTV of the 3 of them with hoodies/scarves on while they broken open the outbuilding door and wheeled it out. The police took footage from the CCTV, more for the timing of the events, not much use other than that.

I have recently bought a Kawasaki Mule, I need to do a bit of painting underneath so it will be on axle stands from this afternoon which will limit its mobility, however I need to get the house and outbuildings on an alarm pronto. I also want an beam set up on the driveway, I find perimeter PIRS not much use for this, too many sheep/deer./badger/foxes, but could be wrong.

Pulnix used to do double knock dual narrow beam sensors that had to have power to the sender & the receivers. They mounted on posts or set in stressed brick pillars , ideal for setting at the desired height to avoid sheep rabbits etc . I usually set them in opposing criss-crosses up to 40 mtrs apart in places like caravan storage yards to get maximum coverage and along the fence lines .

I've often thought about stone walled places which have a high metal content to the stone . Would an aerial loop similar to the deaf hearing aid induction loops at both ceiling levels be enough to carry WIFI trigger signals to the panel . putting in such a loop during renovations or when having skirting or carpets fitted might be the way forward .