Alarm system: glass break detector

[henniae]

Just curious, where are you getting your prices on the Concord4? I am not disputing them, but it may increase my interest in this again.

I am installing a GE concord 4 right now. Here are the prices I found at spytown.com. The Concord panel comes with a power supply but I want the X-10 power supply because I have some old X-10 stuff that I want to use. I plan on hard wiring many of my sensors because I have easy access to pull most wires in my house.

GE-80-966-4-KIT Concord 4: ATP1000 2x16 LCD Touchpad,

Transformer, Phone Cord and RJ31X Jack 122.00

GE-60-783-02 GE ITI SuperBus 2000 RS-232 Automation Module 57.95

GE-600-1024 16.5 VAC GE Class 2 Transformer (X-10) 27.00

BD712 12 Volt 7AH Battery 22.00

GRI DS-01T White Door sensor switches ($3 each x 10) 30.00

[dgbrown]

^ Dan ... Alan's spot on. I'm in the same boat. Recent local pricing. You can check online too.

http://www.home-technology-store.com

http://www.homesecuritystore.com

http://www.safemart.com/GE-Concord-Kits/GE-Security-Concord-4-Starter-Kit-80-860-4-KT.htm

If you need a hand and/or want me to pick some stuff up here and ship let me know.

/Dave

[akg4y]

Just a note... I read a lot of bad reviews about spytown before I ordered my Concord4 panel. I ended up ordering from home-technology-store.com or something like that.

[dgbrown]

Just curious' date=' where are you getting your prices on the Concord4? I am not disputing them, but it may increase my interest in this again.[/quote']

I am installing a GE concord 4 right now. Here are the prices I found at spytown.com. The Concord panel comes with a power supply but I want the X-10 power supply because I have some old X-10 stuff that I want to use. I plan on hard wiring many of my sensors because I have easy access to pull most wires in my house.

GE-80-966-4-KIT Concord 4: ATP1000 2x16 LCD Touchpad,

Transformer, Phone Cord and RJ31X Jack 122.00

GE-60-783-02 GE ITI SuperBus 2000 RS-232 Automation Module 57.95

GE-600-1024 16.5 VAC GE Class 2 Transformer (X-10) 27.00

BD712 12 Volt 7AH Battery 22.00

GRI DS-01T White Door sensor switches ($3 each x 10) 30.00

Alan - Is there a reason you went with a roller ball instead of a traditional reed contact for your doors ?

[henniae]

Alan - Is there a reason you went with a roller ball instead of a traditional reed contact for your doors ?

First I have to say I have never installed an alarm system before. So I am a novice.

I selected the roller ball because I have seen several alarm companies in my local area using the.

The roller ball switches I used have a reed switch in then. The roller ball actually depresses a small magnet and moves it to activate the reed switch. I took on of them apart to see how they worked. Just curious.

I like that they are recessed and installed in the door jamb so you really don't see them. It is also easy for me to drill a 3/4 inch hole in the door jamb (hinge side) and a hole up through the sub floor rum my basement into the wall cavity by the door and fish the wires. The were also only $3.00 each (in a 10 pack).

[ILoveC4]

I would imagine the roller ball sensors will be much more accurate in showing whether or not a door is "cracked" open or not. I know that the recessed magentic sensors in my doors will show the door is closed if it is really only half way closed....if that makes sense....

[dgbrown]

Alan - Is there a reason you went with a roller ball instead of a traditional reed contact for your doors ?

First I have to say I have never installed an alarm system before. So I am a novice.

I selected the roller ball because I have seen several alarm companies in my local area using the.

The roller ball switches I used have a reed switch in then. The roller ball actually depresses a small magnet and moves it to activate the reed switch. I took on of them apart to see how they worked. Just curious.

I like that they are recessed and installed in the door jamb so you really don't see them. It is also easy for me to drill a 3/4 inch hole in the door jamb (hinge side) and a hole up through the sub floor rum my basement into the wall cavity by the door and fish the wires. The were also only $3.00 each (in a 10 pack).

I had been doing some research on this very issue and the impression I got was that it was a matter of preference ... plunger vs. traditional contact (the former has moving parts and may be more prone to failure + easier install, the later more difficult install), terminals vs. leads on the contact switch, NO vs. NC contacts (the former won't weld shut that's why smokes are NO, but NC's are more versatile) ..... There are some intricacies with this stuff that just amount to a matter of installer preference. The only common theme I latched on to was run wires where possible.

Thanks for the back ground. Novice here too.

Best,

Dave

[dgbrown]

I would imagine the roller ball sensors will be much more accurate in showing whether or not a door is "cracked" open or not. I know that the recessed magentic sensors in my doors will show the door is closed if it is really only half way closed....if that makes sense....

Yup - Just checked the spec's on Alan's plunger .26" is the depth of the plunger. Mechanics aside with that "make" alone they're going to be more accurate.

[henniae]

Just a note... I read a lot of bad reviews about spytown before I ordered my Concord4 panel. I ended up ordering from home-technology-store.com or something like that.

I have not ordered my panel and system parts yet, just the switches.

I would be interested in finding out more about your experiences with DIY alarm vendors? What was so negative about them?

[henniae]

... NO vs. NC contacts (the former won't weld shut that's why smokes are NO, but NC's are more versatile) ..... There are some intricacies with this stuff that just amount to a matter of installer preference. The only common theme I latched on to was run wires where possible.

One of the main reasons for using normally closed switches is hooking up sensors in series. If you use NO switches and hook them up in series the alarm will not activate if only one sensor is tripped.

[dgbrown]

^ What would happen with N/O 2 wire smokes wired in series ? One smoke trips, the second one in series doesn't, no alarm and the house burns down

Haven't checked this ... just asking though

Edited :

Alan +1 - Smokes should be wired in parallel

From Wikipedia:

Logic functions. For example, the boolean AND function is realised by connecting normally open relay contacts in series, the OR function by connecting normally open contacts in parallel. The change-over or Form C contacts perform the XOR (exclusive or) function. Similar functions for NAND and NOR are accomplished using normally closed contacts.

[akg4y]

I would imagine the roller ball sensors will be much more accurate in showing whether or not a door is "cracked" open or not. I know that the recessed magentic sensors in my doors will show the door is closed if it is really only half way closed....if that makes sense....

Yup - Just checked the spec's on Alan's plunger .26" is the depth of the plunger. Mechanics aside with that "make" alone they're going to be more accurate.

They are very accurate... I have them and when my garage door is closed (even latched) but not *entirely* latched it shows them as open...