Right mix of hardwire vs wireless


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Old 04-13-18, 06:21 AM
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Right mix of hardwire vs wireless

Looking at a new system. Currently there is no existing wiring. I may have it the alarm professionally installed, but I like to know what I am talking about. This is my first post. I did read this forum's FAQ, so I hope to use the correct terms, but .... :-)

The dealer I was talking to started out with a Lynx system. I do have some area that makes sense to be hardwire. So then we started talking about Vista 20p and wireless adapter. Googling this morning, I saw something like 6160RF.

Now that I have a little context, here is the details as I understand it.
SHOP
The shop is detached, so I would like it to be its own partition. So I will need two partitions, one for shop the other for the house.
It is metal so all wire will be exposed, but easy to pull. I have pulled 6 cat6 wires from it to the computer closet. Two of them are for the alarm. That gives me 8 pair for sensors and keypad.
There are two single overhead garage doors and one walk-in entry.
There are 4 open/closeable windows.
House
I may have to post a drawing of rooms, windows, and door if we get into more detail, maybe I can ask my questions with this given information.
There are two doors. Front and one from garage. The garage is one we use most, but the kids have keys and they have to use the front door. My wife and I use it if we are not in our cars that have the garage door remote. So that mean I need two key pad for the house. The front door entryway is pretty complicated. I could see wireless keypad there. The garage door entry is an inside wall, with easy access to the top plate. That would make sense for the wired/wireless keypad. Again if I understand what the 6160RF capabilities are.
Then rest of sensors will either be wireless or wire depending on access to pull wire.
Home Automation
I am using HomeAssistant. I was looking at using AlarmDecoder for the bridge. This means the panel will need to support 4 keypads?

Question:
1. Will the Vista 20p do two partitions?
2. Does the 6160RF act as a bridge for wireless sensors?
3. Any better thoughts?
 
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Old 04-13-18, 03:24 PM
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Using the CAT data wire for security is not recommended (it's a little light gauge) but it will work. The way I would handle the shed is to put a keypad and a hardwire zone expander out there (only needs 4 active conductors) to handle your openings in that area.

The front door keypad doesn't need to be directly in that area if it will make placement easier. Even a 30 second delay on the entry, one can cover a fair travel distance without needing to rush.

The 6160 RF has a pretty good receiver in it. Unless the house is unusually large, or has a lot of metal in it, any transmitters will be in range.

The V20p will do two partitions.
 
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Old 04-16-18, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
I would handle the shed is to put a keypad and a hardwire zone expander out there (only needs 4 active conductors) to handle your openings in that area.
Did some googling on it, looks like a great Idea. Depending on the sensors, I may have enough pairs without it.
Does it take up a keypad address?
But ....

Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
Using the CAT data wire for security is not recommended (it's a little light gauge) but it will work
Hindsight is 20/20. We are talking about 250 feet from panel in the house to zone expander. Is that too far? Going back to enough pairs, can power be shared?


Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
The 6160 RF has a pretty good receiver in it. Unless the house is unusually large, or has a lot of metal in it, any transmitters will be in range.
This will on be in the house. Pulling wire in the shop will not be an issue. Protecting it so someone doesn't hack it after entering the building maybe a different issue. But that might be a different conversations. So it sounds like it does work as a bridge for wireless sensors.

Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
The front door keypad doesn't need to be directly in that area if it will make placement easier. Even a 30 second delay on the entry, one can cover a fair travel distance without needing to rush.
I can't help to think of the Dave's World show, when he gets an alarm and they are trying to set it. Everyone is running around forgetting this, coming back for that. Finally he looks at them, and yells "run, save yourselves".
You know it would not be too bad and the front door would not be used most of the time. That would save a few bucks.


Any thoughts on protecting the windows in the shop? Glass break?
 
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Old 04-16-18, 02:19 PM
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A common practice with using CAT cable for this is to just double up the conductors, that will solve the voltage drop issue.

Hardwire zone expanders do not use a keypad address. They have their own addressing register.

Damaging the keypad while the system is armed, will, by default, trigger the alarm.

Aside from contacts, a glassbreak is a nice "belt and suspenders" solution.
 
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Old 04-17-18, 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
A common practice with using CAT cable for this is to just double up the conductors, that will solve the voltage drop issue.
Good tip. Going with the Expander board make the question kind of moot, if I did not use an expander, can more than one sensors (that require power) and the keypad shared the same power?


Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
Aside from contacts, a glassbreak is a nice "belt and suspenders" solution.
So, I take it you use both? Since I can hardwire the shop most of the sensors should not be expensive.
I doubt that anyone would crawl in a window. They are shoulder high. I think they would be more likely to take a sledgehammer to the door knob. That is my way in and out, so I can't put a bar behind it. Except for the height the back window would make the most concealed access, just not real convient.

Originally Posted by MrRonFL View Post
Damaging the keypad while the system is armed, will, by default, trigger the alarm.
I was thinking more along the lines of shorting the wires since they would be ran along post, side braces, and perlin. My guess is by the time they find it, strip it, the alarm is going off. Maybe I watched too many movies. :-)


The old joke, I don't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than you. I guess security is the same, I can't keep you out, I just need to make it harder than the next guy.

Any good options/suggestions on purchasing the panel, keypads, sensors, CORRECT wire :-), and etc... ?
 
 

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