Awesome write up. Thanks for taking the time to put that together.
@johnfdl - Fantastic. Only one important detail you left out. When can you be at my house to do this?
The fun is in figuring it out (at least for me). Once it’s working, I feel I need to either break something else or expand so I can keep my project engaging.
Just wanted to pass on an important note that there is not only a 6 second delay on all the DSC Wireless Motion Sensors. They all seem to share a “feature” called “High Traffic Shutdown” where by after the first alarm / motion trigger occurs there is a 3 MINUTE quite time of no more event triggers being transmitted to the alarm system. They claim this is to save the battery when the sensor is installed in a Hight Traffic area where it would find itself constantly transmitting.
I already emailed their support and there is no way to disable this and they have no recommendations on any other compatible sensors…
So you have a 3 minute + 6 second delay to deal with.
Anyone know of any other manufacture motion sensor compatible with DSC???
Now you have yet another BIG reason to go with wired motion sensing. Shame I cannot.
OH and there is no way to keep it in the test constant transmit mode as after 10 triggers, the High Traffic mode reactivates.
Rich
The alternate would be to use a DSC battery operated door/window sensor (they have external contact sensor inputs), and then pair that with a more basic motion sensor perhaps that has dry contacts? I’m sure these must exist?
I like you thinking there, “more basic motion sensor perhaps that has dry contacts”
Not quite sure what you mean by “dry contacts?” Possibly an auxiliary set of contacts within the motion sensor…
Hmmm.
I’ve asked a few places, but do you know if multiple motion sensors/detectors can be placed in the same area or would they interfere with each other?
Thanks for the idea… Was oping to find a 433 DSC wireless compatable Motion Detector but possibly combining leaves hope…
Rich
You can have multiple sensors in the same area and they can cross over without any issues.
The external contact to a normal wired sensor should work as long as you can provide the power. Their are cheap battery sensor available that do provide external contact or alarm outputs in another term which could be contacted but reliability maybe be questionable.
The WTK5504 appears to be on sale now.
http://www.homesecuritystore.com/p-2439-wtk5504-dsc-2-way-wireless-touch-screen-arming-station.aspx
Does anyone know if there are advantages or disadvantages to the wtk5504 vs the wt5500? Would they both have he same functionality with a PC1864 with a TR5164?
Hello
I am new to resarching security systems and new to verda. Just reading the forums for a couple of days
So i have a question. Our builder has done basic rough in for the security system. So we have rough ins for front, back and garage door as well as a motion sensor on the main floor. Can i add wireless sensors and have a combination. I will have to add atleast 1 more motion sensor and several door/window sensors. I will need to set the same delay levels…
Yes, you can have a hybrid system of wired and wireless sensor.
The wireless motion sensor do have embedded delayed reporting and high traffic shutdown, so the are best not suited as Home Automation triggering other devices due to the delays.
Thanks. I am going through a manual and i have a few starter questions:
I will be connecting several wireless sensors
16 hardwired zones means can i connect 16 wired sensors?
Also does 32 wireless zones means i can connect 16 wireless sensors?
If yes then why do i need the TR5164 trasnsceiver
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What is the difference between hardwaired zones and wireless zones?
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what are partitions and how are they different from zones or sections?
A Zone can be a single sensor … or a set of sensors.
i.e. A Zone can be all the windows in one room or it can be a sensor on a single window. If it is a set of sensors … the sensors are connected together. If it’s a set of sensor … you can’t tell which sensor might trip … only that the zone is tripped.
Partitions are groups of Zones … that can be armed/unarmed separately.
i.e. The interior of your house as one partition … things like your garage … shop … shed … as a second.
This is used if you protect different parts of your dwelling differently.
For a small business you might have:
- Exterior Partition - Your Garage
- Interior Partition - The Public Area of your Business
- Secure Room Partition - The private Area of your Business.
You want to control access/arming of each area independently … different set of users can control each partition.
Thanks… that makes things very clear…
I am still designing my system so technically i can have all the motion sensors in one zone and all the exterior sensors (doors and windows) in the second zone…
This way i only have to bypass one zome at night as my kids may walk downstairs for water etc and i dont want to trip the alarm but protect against external intrusion…
The not so good side is that if there is a alarm i will not know from where…
Also do the sensors have to to be physically wired together into the panel? What if wireless sensors are part of the zone?
Also if the panel acceepts wireless zones then wht do i need the transceiver?
This way i only have to bypass one zone at night as my kids may walk downstairs for water etc and i dont want to trip the alarm but protect against external intrusion..
You can classify each zones …
So you can arm the non motion sensors at Night (Windows, Doors, etc) but not the motion sensors (Zones). And when you leave you arm all Zones including motion.
Things like Smoke/Water sensors are never bypassed.
You might have some motion sensors that never trip an alarm … and are only used for automation.
Alarm system motion sensors are much better than the Z-Wave variety.
If you want to use Motion Sensors and/or Door Sensors in your Automation … you will likely want a separate zone for those particular sensors.
Many of the other questions are hardware specific … I will leave them to others.
For normal situation, window, doors and internal motion, you use one zone per sensor and for smoke (except wireless) they are allocated one zone.
All wireless devices take one zone.
The 1816 has a max of 16 zones, 1832 has a max of 32 zones, 1864 has max of 64 zone. All the three panel only have 8 hardwired zones on board and above that you need to look at zone expander modules for more hardwired zones.
The Panel do not come with a wireless transceiver and this is where the TR5164 (or others) are used. The TR5164 will only enrol on Partition 1, so if you have an intent to set up partitions as detailed by Richard, you will need a wired keypad. If they is no intent to use the RFK5564 or the WTK5504, I would look at other options such as the RFK5500 which is an hardwired keypad with a wireless module. You only need and want one wireless module.
Unless you have purchase the panel, the 1864 is only slightly more expensive but 32 zones can be used up very quickly.
I dont intend to set up more than 1 partition.
I am still confused (sorry for that) on if i need the TR5164 if i can limit the number of wireless sensors and wireless keypads (2) to the number of wireless zones provided by the PC1832 or PC1864
[quote=“chetanh”]I dont intend to set up more than 1 partition.
I am still confused (sorry for that) on if i need the TR5164 if i can limit the number of wireless sensors and wireless keypads (2) to the number of wireless zones provided by the PC1832 or PC1864[/quote]
The TR5164 is used to allow the use of two way wireless devices; including keypads and some key fob.
I believe the best option for you would be a hardwired keypad with inbuilt wireless receiver such as the RFK5500 (or another to explain is is combined keypad and PC1864 together) and therefore you do not need either the TR5164 or a PC18xx at all.
Yes, it does not matter which wireless module you get, you need to enrol the wireless sensors and they only take up one zone per enrolled device.
Will additional wireless keypads enroll into the RFK5500?
the RFK unit will probably go into the basement and i will need additional kepads for other floors. I think i will be able to accomodate the wireless keypads and senors within 64 zones…
Once again… thanks for all your patience while you answer my beginner questions…
[quote=“chetanh”]Will additional wireless keypads enroll into the RFK5500?
the RFK unit will probably go into the basement and i will need additional kepads for other floors. I think i will be able to accomodate the wireless keypads and senors within 64 zones…
Once again… thanks for all your patience while you answer my beginner questions…[/quote]
This is the problem with the re-use of definition of wireless…
The range of a wireless module and wireless sensor is stated around 1000ft, you only use one wireless module normally unless you really need greater range and that changes thing as you need additional multi-wireless module and the PC18xx combination.
As to the other keypads, are the going to be hardwired to the panel, if not you are back to the TR5164 and WT5500 keypad and do not want an RFKxxxx keypad or a separate wireless module as this is preform by the TR5164. You can still use hardwired keypad in conjunction with the TR5164 and WT5500 keypad.
Thanks, now i understand… I will go on and start building my system on paper.