Hi All,
very very new to vera! and by new I mean vera 3 has been pre-ordered for here in Australia. EXCITING TIMES!
My wife and I are about to move in to a ground floor unit and I want to install Vera 3 and an alarm system from scratch and slowly automate other areas of the house.
I read around on the forum and DSC seems to be a great system.
I was wondering how it all connects? From what I can ascertain you have two options an IT-100 interface or an envisalink. Are there any advantages to the IT-100 vs the envisalink?
Is it like the following?
Buy Powerseries alarm (any model recommendations?) i was looking at
Is that model compatible with a wireless keypad which would work with vera or does it need to be wired at this stage?
We’re in a unit so we’ll need 4 sensors. I read wireless has a lag of a around 6 seconds would it be best to get them wired in?
Install the alarm but at the same time get the electrician to wire from the keypad to the IT-100? or is there a control module the keypad ultimately ends up at so the it-100 can sit in a lock box with the powerseries stuff and then connect them up in the box?
Run an ethernet cable to vera?
Install luup software from miro website?
Thanks so much. I’m just very new to it and would like to know how to hook it all up.
Whether you can get the DSC system working here in Australia is currently an unanswered question. Technically as well as legally. I for one would love if you can report your results when you succeed.
I don’t have any specific answers for your questions because I use a different alarm panel (Networx NX, same as the GE Caddx mentioned on the forum), which I know works here. I suppose that’s a fallback option if the DSC doesn’t work out.
Oh, I can answer this question: ALWAYS wire the sensors and keypad in if you can. Wireless should be considered a last resort. (Also, it sidesteps some of the grey-market troubles with differing national radio-frequency regulations.)
2. Is that model compatible with a wireless keypad which would work with vera or does it need to be wired at this stage?
All keypads with the Power series need to be hard wired; however there are a couple of people working on building specific control pads into android devices, and some of the iOS/MiOS apps support arming and disarming already. Think in terms of a tablet that you would wall mount, or have mobile!
4. We're in a unit so we'll need 4 sensors. I read wireless has a lag of a around 6 seconds would it be best to get them wired in?
The wireless motion sensors are a bit slower than their hard wired cousins, so I recommend them, otherwise the door and window ones aren't so bad!
5. Install the alarm but at the same time get the electrician to wire from the keypad to the IT-100? or is there a control module the keypad ultimately ends up at so the it-100 can sit in a lock box with the powerseries stuff and then connect them up in the box?
You can put the IT100 (or 2DS) anywhere, as its wired in parallel with the Keybus wires that the keypad is on.
6. Run an ethernet cable to vera?
Ethernet from Vera to your panel is your best bet, as you can use this to either run a 2DS via ethernet, or an IT100 via RS232, or via Ethernet with and RS232 converter such as a WIZnet.
7. Install luup software from miro website?
I think you have a typo there, but I assume you mean the MiOS apps site or the Wiki? The Wiki normally has the latest version, but the MiOS apps site is easier.
Wow thank you so much for such a comprehensive reply I really do appreciate it!
You said
“You can put the IT100 (or 2DS) anywhere, as its wired in parallel with the Keybus wires that the keypad is on.”
so how does that look? say i have my keypad just beside the door of the unit and then in the bedroom closet. This closet backs on to my living room where our modem/router and soon to be vera will live…
If I have the alarm box with the IT100 or 2DS inside it would there be 2 wires coming from the keypad one going to the alarm and the other going to the 2ds?
I just thought it might be neat to put the 2ds inside the alarm cabinet and then run an ethernet cable through the wardrobe wall to a cat 5 outlet in the living room right next to where vera sits on a table which would look quite neat because i’d just run a cat 5 from the vera to a wall jack…
I was wondering why you mentioned legality out of interest? and technically? I wouldn’t want to buy something that doesn’t work so it’d be great to know why you have those reservations if possible?
and Futzl are you using a 2ds and where did you happen to get your alarm?
I am just trying to work out… how do you hook up the IT-100 to vera? directly via the serial cable? or do you then need a serial to ethernet? OR is that why the 2ds is easy? you just connect the 2ds to the keypad, then ethernet straight in to vera?
Do the wireless door/window contacts work locally?
Well when I say in parallel, that also means you can have it in the alarm panel itself (best place anyway)! Inside the panel there are various mounting points for various add on boards, and in mine I have an IT100 and a 2DS.
Once you run CAT5/6 wire to your Vera from the panel, you have the option to either use that wire for RS232, Ethernet, or Keybus depending on whether you go for an IT100 or 2DS and where you locate it!
I wasn’t aware that there was an Australian distributor for the DSC alarm panel. I see that there is; good. They will have gone to the expense of getting ACMA compliance for the electronics (required for anything that connects to the phone network). They will also have ensured that the wireless frequency for sensors is one approved in Australia. That sorts out most of the grey legal areas. Whether you disobey Australian regulations about homeowners running wires behind drywall without a licence is up to you!
My panel is a Networx, not the same equipment. (I wrote the Vera plugin for it. But that’s off-topic. Enjoy your DSC panel, and let us know how it goes.)
I concur with the above. Australian frees are different to the US and were based on the EU. Hardwire. Except of you want key fobs you need to add the wireless receiver.
I also currently have both and they are in the can as a test harness. I have had DSC equipment in my home for the last 10 years and they never failed at all.
They both require the same wiring to the panel however this can be either home run or via another device wired to the keybus. It is only four wire in the keybus wiring.
IT100 the sound and reliable but not updatable.
2DS rapid development of new feature being delivered via firmware and provide local and remote interfaces via web. Currently remote monitoring is not for AU. This would be a better choice given it is upgradable and the work done so far has been excellent.
If you don’t see yourself expanding the 1616 has 16 zones and takes all the same add on available to the power series.
There is one seller on eBay AU and he is cheaper than most resellers. Other than wireless and the main board all my component were from the US. If you go down the DSC line and need software manual etc Send a message and I should be able to assist. Last point if you get a quote ensure you ask what firmware the panel is because it may make a difference to using the programming softwAre.
Basically had the IT100 for automation purposes for about year and a half, as that used to be that was available, and only got the 2DS a few months back once they released their automation interface and the monitoring option.
I’m currently running 2 Vera’s, one has the 2DS as a test device, and the other (my main one) with the IT100. Soon I’ll go exclusively to the 2DS on my main system!
In Australia. Alarm installer are not always electrician and therefore ensure they are licenced to do Mains wiring. It is a good setting and you may wish to consider extra sensor that maybe required to integrate with the automation of Vera. They are cheaper and normally more robust. It would be better to do this now at the start then get someone back later. Write you security list and drawing of where you think you need sensors. then your sensor that would be used to trigger you HA events, you may find a slight relocation can serve both purposes. Good luck.
I’d be getting our licensed electrician to install the alarm so no problems there. Sorry i don’t know what you mean about an extra sensor?
I was just going to use the dsc alarm and it’s wired sensors then have it communicate with vera via a 2ds. I don’t understand why you’d then want an extra automation sensor on top of that? I thought the 2ds would allow that communication.
[quote=“thomen, post:12, topic:171272”]T
Sorry i don’t know what you mean about an extra sensor?
I was just going to use the dsc alarm and it’s wired sensors then have it communicate with vera via a 2ds. I don’t understand why you’d then want an extra automation sensor on top of that? I thought the 2ds would allow that communication.
Thanks,
Tom[/quote]
Hi Tom,
I’ll try to explain, I have sensor that there primary purpose is security I.e sensor at the door in a room etc.
I also have extra of the security sensor that the primary purpose is there for switch on a night light when we go to the kids bathroom or to check them in the night. I really do not nEed one in the kids halway as it is only internally accessed and to get there you would have to breach other sensor. So as we walk though the house the light will turn on to the desire level do we don’t look like a kangaroo on the side of the road at night. So the Vera really only needs that and Vera sets the levels etc. I ALS have sensors in room and if there is no activity it will turn off light after a determined time.o
E.g we have one in the pantry so when the door is opened the light comes on and turns off when the door is closed. Otherwise my wife left the light on.
So by placing the sensor correctly in the rooms, I used the security sensor to turn on the night lighting and in the pantry, it is a security sensor not there for security but only for HA. I do not have every light wired but ensured the sensor are in place should I desire too do that in the future being if I had to get more hard wired in the future, it is expensive activity more then a light switch because of pulling wires through takes longer.
The 2DS is there to enable them to talk and do that communications.
You’re welcome. Have you purchase the system yet. The best deal I have seen here in currently on eBay au out of WA it is the PC1864 with the latest firmware. Any questions this forum is full of very helpful people and I will help we’re I can.
Please search ebay for DSC alarm or http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DSC-power-series-PC1864-v4-5-AUS-security-home-alarm-system-/110858957436?pt=AU_Home_Personal_Security&hash=item19cfb5727c.
It is a Power Series 1864. Which is the 64 zone if expanded and would be more then you should need but it is cheaper than the other seller for the 1816. They have some addons as well.
Note the cost you see in this forum for the USA are a lot cheaper than Oz. It appears to be an alarm company and it only contains the basic keypad. In saying that when I recently purchased new keypads, I got them for the US via ebay and qty 2 with freight was cheaper than qty 1 from a dealer here.
By the way, I have nothing to do with that ebay seller and I am on the otherside of the country…
The comments from @Brientim are dead on, from an automation sense. Once you have an Alarm panel in place, it’s trivial to automate a bunch of stuff… And you start to ‘wishlist’ a bunch of locations where you really wanted to have additional sensors. Whilst these my not make sense for a pure alarm system, they often make sense in terms of home automation.
I’m just starting to fill these gaps now, mostly using wireless, but I some retrofitted wired also. These include areas like the following (to give you some ideas):
a) motion sensors in the master closet (so you can automatically light it)
b) contact sensors on the garage door, and PGM (relay outputs) so you can pulse it to close.
c) external/perimeter motion sensors,
d) driveway contact sensors for integration of suitable driveway sensors.
e) motion sensors near the central hall/coat closet so you can light it
f) motion sensors in hallways so you can light them
None of these have a security context about them, but having them lends a lot to home automation (and WAF), and in cases where you can combine with control, they can lead to significant power savings also (since true presence can be determined in order to shut things down…)