Control4/Security Systems

What GE Security or Honeywell System (make and model) works best with Control4?

What GE Security or Honeywell System (make and model) works best with Control4?

GE's Concord 4 seems to be the preferred choice to integrate with Control 4.

Thanks R_Willis for responding so fast. Do you work with security systems as well?

If you can please provide me with any other information that might be useful.

Concord 4 is plug and play with Control4... it's a pleasure to work with..

Our Concord system integrated pretty quickly and painlessly with Control4. I will give a couple of caveats, though. First, we had a bad RS232 module from GE which was causing the alarm to misbehave. Once we got that replaced our installer was able to see the serial connection, but it would not auto-learn. Turns out the system is rather particular about how the cable is wired. He'd used a Cat6 cable between the two and had used two wires in a twisted pair. Once he switched over to use wires that were not twisted it all worked fine.

One question I have, though, is can I DISARM the system from a Control4 MTS? Thus far I've been able to arm it, and also can attach various events to sensors (so when a motion sensor in our upper hallway sees motion at night it turns on the lights to 10% as a night light) but I can't seem to key in to disarm. Is there a trick to that? Or is it not possible?

--Jason

I have an ADT alarm system that was installed with the house. It is a 16 zone system so there are a great many contacts (window / door, motion, etc...) in the house that I don't want to replace. Is there a Control4 compatible system that would be backward compatible with the ADT contacts? I realize I will need a new board to connect them to, but I really don't want to replace them all. Would the Concord system work? The other thing I'm wondering about is monitoring - would I need to find a monitoring company that can work with the new system? Thoughts?

If the ADT system is wireless it's doubtful you can make it work with another system. This is by design -- ADT sells a subsidized system and locks customers into an extended monitoring agreement, but even at the end of that agreement I believe the system technically still belongs to ADT. They discourage straying from ADT by operating on a proprietary system.

This is all old information from the cobwebs of my brain, so others with more up to date info please feel free to correct me.

With a wired system it should be easier because the contacts are more likely to be standard, but I think most ADT systems are wireless and with wireless it's a lot easier to make a system incompatible with others.

By the same token, I've never heard of another company being able to monitor an ADT system, again because ADT is making their money on the very lucrative monitoring business instead of on the hardware side. It's a bit of a screwy model, I know, but unfortunately not all that uncommon these days (printers, TiVos, XM Radio, cell phones . . . all subsidize equipment to get people locked in to monthly fees).

Hopefully someone out there has more recent info which contradicts mine and gives you better options . . .

--Jason

Hello Strange _Brew,

May I ask what brand name the hardware for your ADT system is? It should most likely be DSC,Honeywell or possibly GE.

Do you happen to know if the control panel for the security system has any extra zone expanders? If not you can always purchase extra.

It seems like with a name like Strange_Brew you must be from Canada eh?

Thanks for the replies guys.

First off, everything is wired - contacts, motions, fire d's, etc...

I took a close look inside the panel and its made by DSC. Its hard to tell what the model# might be but the most likely one I saw was PC5010??

And yes, I'm Canadian

Most likely, you'd have to replace your security panel, but if everything is hardwired, it should be compatible with a new panel.

RyanE

If it is a Power 832 panel you could even buy a new 5010 circuit board and likely use the same keypad and everything else too

I doubt it is a Power832, but if it is, I would use the new interface that provides an ethernet port (I forget the model #), it works better than the 5020.

RyanE

Thanks guys. I did a bit more research and spoke to the company that does our monitoring. Turns out it is indeed a DSC 5010 model. They have access to all of DSC's products and will work with me to make it "Control4 ready". I would prefer to stay with DSC, since it will not require a keypad change. What DSC panel would best integrate with Control4? In other words, what parts should I have them order?

Failing that, they can also put a Honeywell or GE system in place of the DSC, but that will mean changing the keypads, which I would rather not do.

Go with a Power832 panel, with the IT-100 serial module is about as good as you can get with the DSC option.

RyanE

Thanks Ryan. What would I be giving up in terms of functionality in Control4 with that option relative to the other systems such as GE Concord?

I'll tell you one... and I have found no way around it yet...

When the alarm goes into TROUBLE (ie: fire, burglar etc...) - I usually program loops like:

While Alarm is Trouble

Flash Outdoor Lights

Problem is - the IT-100 doesn't tell you when the system is reset or NO LONGER in trouble. Instead, I have to tell my customers to re-arm then disarm the system for it to send a message back to the IT-100 that's it's status is good / clear. It stinks - and it's the fault of the DSC panel!

I'll tell you one... and I have found no way around it yet...

When the alarm goes into TROUBLE (ie: fire, burglar etc...) - I usually program loops like:

While Alarm is Trouble

Flash Outdoor Lights

Problem is - the IT-100 doesn't tell you when the system is reset or NO LONGER in trouble. Instead, I have to tell my customers to re-arm then disarm the system for it to send a message back to the IT-100 that's it's status is good / clear. It stinks - and it's the fault of the DSC panel!

Could you handle this by having it just Flash Outdoor Lights for a fixed period, say 60 seconds, then check status as if from scratch and if in trouble, flash for 60 seconds, then check etc etc etc? Or would the subsequent checks not reveal the trouble even if it still existed?

--Jason

This is in response to the first section of this post. I am using the GE Networx NX-8e, with great results. The only feature that is not available via the C4 is the Bypass button. This is useful for me, because I often leave my upper floor windows open at night, and have to go to the GE panel to bypass these zones. Anyway, the NX-8e was very affordable ($120 for the main panel through www.safemart.com). I highly recommend this panel.

Jason - the "while" loop is basically doing that... if the status changes, the alarm panel will report it (or should)... so the wait 60 seconds and check I believe would result in the same problem...

This is in response to the first section of this post. I am using the GE Networx NX-8e, with great results. The only feature that is not available via the C4 is the Bypass button. This is useful for me, because I often leave my upper floor windows open at night, and have to go to the GE panel to bypass these zones. Anyway, the NX-8e was very affordable ($120 for the main panel through www.safemart.com). I highly recommend this panel.

I use that feature a lot too. Can the DSC Power 832 do bypass through C4?

Anyone have any experience with the Napco Gemini 9600 w/ home automation and C4?

There are currently no drivers for *any* Napco panels.

That I know of, there are currently no plans for creating 2-way serial drivers for Napco panels on the schedule.

The Gemini 9600 is a pretty old panel, I would suspect the protocol would not be the best automation protocol these days.

RyanE

Ryan,

Any word on a driver for the Abbra2? http://www.home-technology-store.com/home-security/ABBRA-ABN-KIT.aspx

Being that I've never heard of them before now, you can guess what the answer is...

RyanE

A little OT but if you have something like a GE Concord do you have to use their wireless sensors or are these just standard sensors and other brands can be used?