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  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Originally posted by rprade View Post
    Yes, the signals go down the red wire and are different for CO and smoke.

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  • randy
    replied
    Yes, the signals go down the red wire and are different for CO and smoke.

    Leave a comment:


  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Originally posted by rprade View Post
    Yes, that is correct. Blue is common, yellow is for N.C.. Orange is N.O. and gray is a 9V output - both are unused.

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  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Originally posted by rprade View Post
    Yes, that is correct. Blue is common, yellow is for N.C.. Orange is N.O. and gray is a 9V output - both are unused.


    Thank you

    Leave a comment:


  • randy
    replied
    Originally posted by cheeryfool View Post
    Randy

    I am just implementing broadly this solution. I bought 1 x RF-SM-ACDC, several RF-SM-DC and the SM120X. The ACDC model bridges the wired to wireless interconnect, which is useful in my house where I have a couple of existing hardwired smokes and lots of battery ones.

    I do have one quick question. On the SM120x I will wire the black/white to 120v and the red to the red interconnect on the RF-SM-ACDC. For the NC I presume I run the yellow to a spare panel zone and the blue to com, leaving the gray and orange capped?
    Yes, that is correct. Blue is common, yellow is for N.C.. Orange is N.O. and gray is a 9V output - both are unused.

    Leave a comment:


  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Originally posted by rprade View Post
    Wired devices are fixed blocks of 8 zones each. Wireless zones can be anywhere that is not occupied with a wired zone. Even if all 8 zones of the main board or a wired expansion are not occupied, a wireless zone cannot be in that block. I ended up adding my wireless zones starting at zone 64 and working backwards. Wired zones start at 1 and run contiguously from board to board. You can add the boards one at a time, just do not assign any wireless zones where your might add a wired zone. The expansion boards can be added as needed, but I ended up adding them all at once. The main board and 2 expansion boards are in the main panel box and a 4th expansion board is in the garage. I ended up with 32 wired zones from 1-32 and wireless zones from 38-64. 33-37 are unused, but could be used for future wireless zones.

    Yes, I integrated them into the panel. They are still connected to Arduino pins as well as the DSC panel, but I only use the panel zones. I wired them with resistors, just like a dry contact window sensor. I have a smoke, CO and flood zone.

    The topography is simple. All of the detectors are 120V with a single interconnect wire that runs from one to the other and the relays. I ran 14-3 romex to all of them and put them on a dedicated circuit as recommended.

    Mine are all Kidde interconnected. When one is tripped, they all squawk. Some are smoke only, others are CO/smoke, 2 heat detectors (attic and garage) and one is CO only (basement boiler room). I use a Kidde CO120X (CO relay) and SM120X (smoke relay) to interface the connected detectors to the panel. I can't see any way these wired devices can be "supervised", other than to detect a wiring problem, which NC contacts and a resistor will achieve. The flood detectors are wired directly to the panel as well as an Arduino pin to control the water valve. There is a failsafe relay driven by an Arduino "alive" pin to allow direct control of the water valve in the event the Arduino board is not connected to HomeSeer for any reason.
    Randy

    I am just implementing broadly this solution. I bought 1 x RF-SM-ACDC, several RF-SM-DC and the SM120X. The ACDC model bridges the wired to wireless interconnect, which is useful in my house where I have a couple of existing hardwired smokes and lots of battery ones.

    I do have one quick question. On the SM120x I will wire the black/white to 120v and the red to the red interconnect on the RF-SM-ACDC. For the NC I presume I run the yellow to a spare panel zone and the blue to com, leaving the gray and orange capped?

    Leave a comment:


  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Originally posted by rprade View Post
    Wired devices are fixed blocks of 8 zones each. Wireless zones can be anywhere that is not occupied with a wired zone. Even if all 8 zones of the main board or a wired expansion are not occupied, a wireless zone cannot be in that block. I ended up adding my wireless zones starting at zone 64 and working backwards. Wired zones start at 1 and run contiguously from board to board. You can add the boards one at a time, just do not assign any wireless zones where your might add a wired zone. The expansion boards can be added as needed, but I ended up adding them all at once. The main board and 2 expansion boards are in the main panel box and a 4th expansion board is in the garage. I ended up with 32 wired zones from 1-32 and wireless zones from 38-64. 33-37 are unused, but could be used for future wireless zones.

    Yes, I integrated them into the panel. They are still connected to Arduino pins as well as the DSC panel, but I only use the panel zones. I wired them with resistors, just like a dry contact window sensor. I have a smoke, CO and flood zone.

    The topography is simple. All of the detectors are 120V with a single interconnect wire that runs from one to the other and the relays. I ran 14-3 romex to all of them and put them on a dedicated circuit as recommended.

    Mine are all Kidde interconnected. When one is tripped, they all squawk. Some are smoke only, others are CO/smoke, 2 heat detectors (attic and garage) and one is CO only (basement boiler room). I use a Kidde CO120X (CO relay) and SM120X (smoke relay) to interface the connected detectors to the panel. I can't see any way these wired devices can be "supervised", other than to detect a wiring problem, which NC contacts and a resistor will achieve. The flood detectors are wired directly to the panel as well as an Arduino pin to control the water valve. There is a failsafe relay driven by an Arduino "alive" pin to allow direct control of the water valve in the event the Arduino board is not connected to HomeSeer for any reason.
    Thanks Randy. I expect I will have a few follow up questions, but thank you for confirming all the above.

    Leave a comment:


  • randy
    replied
    Originally posted by cheeryfool View Post
    @rprade
    Randy, hoping you or others more experienced than I run across this post.

    I have a few questions about your DSC implementation, now that I have finally bought my PC1864 panel and will be implementing it over the coming months.

    1. In post 29 of this thread, you were asking about the order of wired vs wireless zones and whether you had to buy, install and configure all potentially required expansion boards to achieve 48 wired zones in front of 16 wireless. What were you able to implement here? Hopefully not that.
    Wired devices are fixed blocks of 8 zones each. Wireless zones can be anywhere that is not occupied with a wired zone. Even if all 8 zones of the main board or a wired expansion are not occupied, a wireless zone cannot be in that block. I ended up adding my wireless zones starting at zone 64 and working backwards. Wired zones start at 1 and run contiguously from board to board. You can add the boards one at a time, just do not assign any wireless zones where your might add a wired zone. The expansion boards can be added as needed, but I ended up adding them all at once. The main board and 2 expansion boards are in the main panel box and a 4th expansion board is in the garage. I ended up with 32 wired zones from 1-32 and wireless zones from 38-64. 33-37 are unused, but could be used for future wireless zones.

    2. In post 28 you mentioned Kidde smoke/CO/heat detectors and a Kidde relay that you were using via Arduino. Were you able to achieve integration of all these and can you give an idea of the topography or perhaps a wiring diagram?
    Yes, I integrated them into the panel. They are still connected to Arduino pins as well as the DSC panel, but I only use the panel zones. I wired them with resistors, just like a dry contact window sensor. I have a smoke, CO and flood zone.

    The topography is simple. All of the detectors are 120V with a single interconnect wire that runs from one to the other and the relays. I ran 14-3 romex to all of them and put them on a dedicated circuit as recommended.

    3. Related to #2. In the case of multiple detectors, do they all have to be on the same circuit to simultaneously chirp and were you able to achieve supervised status?
    Mine are all Kidde interconnected. When one is tripped, they all squawk. Some are smoke only, others are CO/smoke, 2 heat detectors (attic and garage) and one is CO only (basement boiler room). I use a Kidde CO120X (CO relay) and SM120X (smoke relay) to interface the connected detectors to the panel. I can't see any way these wired devices can be "supervised", other than to detect a wiring problem, which NC contacts and a resistor will achieve. The flood detectors are wired directly to the panel as well as an Arduino pin to control the water valve. There is a failsafe relay driven by an Arduino "alive" pin to allow direct control of the water valve in the event the Arduino board is not connected to HomeSeer for any reason.

    Many thanks
    James

    Leave a comment:


  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Sorry for resurrecting this really old thread on DSC alarms...

    @rprade
    Randy, hoping you or others more experienced than I run across this post.

    I have a few questions about your DSC implementation, now that I have finally bought my PC1864 panel and will be implementing it over the coming months.

    1. In post 29 of this thread, you were asking about the order of wired vs wireless zones and whether you had to buy, install and configure all potentially required expansion boards to achieve 48 wired zones in front of 16 wireless. What were you able to implement here? Hopefully not that.

    2. In post 28 you mentioned Kidde smoke/CO/heat detectors and a Kidde relay that you were using via Arduino. Were you able to achieve integration of all these and can you give an idea of the topography or perhaps a wiring diagram?

    3. Related to #2. In the case of multiple detectors, do they all have to be on the same circuit to simultaneously chirp and were you able to achieve supervised status?

    Many thanks
    James

    Leave a comment:


  • TomTom
    replied
    Originally posted by mikedr View Post
    I hate the cancellation phone call. I just lie.



    When we wanted to cancel DirecTV, I cheerfully called and said that we were moving to Japan, and needed assistance with hooking up service there. Feigned surprise and shock that there was no way to get DirecTV in Japan. ("Even if I use a US billing address?"). When they determine that you are a lost cause in this respect, you actually break through the barrier and speak to a Human Being. And cancellation occurs quickly.

    Oh Master MikeDr, I give praise to your wisdom! I'm using this from now on. Love the line " even if I use a US billing address" Love it!!


    Sent from my iPhone

    Leave a comment:


  • mikedr
    replied
    I hate the cancellation phone call. I just lie.

    When we wanted to cancel DirecTV, I cheerfully called and said that we were moving to Japan, and needed assistance with hooking up service there. Feigned surprise and shock that there was no way to get DirecTV in Japan. ("Even if I use a US billing address?"). When they determine that you are a lost cause in this respect, you actually break through the barrier and speak to a Human Being. And cancellation occurs quickly.

    Leave a comment:


  • TeleFragger
    replied
    Originally posted by cheeryfool View Post
    I have been following this thread with interest as I have been contemplating for a long time ditching my expensive ADT contract and my current panel cannot be 'integrated' - GE/ITI Concord Express.
    best thing I ever did... dump ADT.. before I knew things... $36/m for service plus $ per device insurance.. I didn't know the stuff didn't break!!!! so was paying like $65/m.... forget that...

    love my concord 4.. however having weird issues with getting concord 4 plugin going and I have never had a problem with that... weird...

    Leave a comment:


  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Yes, it's worse than cable TV and mattress shopping! I was thinking AlarmRelay.

    Leave a comment:


  • TomTom
    replied
    Originally posted by cheeryfool View Post
    So, finally got around to the ADT call. In fact they called me as they wanted to perform a free upgrade to my cellular unit as it's 2G only and they're saying that it needs to be 3G soon to continue service.
    Wow, how they dropped from $67 to $29! Man!
    The reason they do that is to keep you, then in a few months do a slight increase, then a bit more, etc... Most us are too busy to call and cancel or argue about these incremental increases.

    Yup, AlarmRelay.com , Alarm.com are all really cheap. My current project for my vacation home is to do z-wave security(I know, controversial- but had too). Using Blade's BLSecurity as the front end and brains - it is pretty Amazing!!

    Leave a comment:


  • cheeryfool
    replied
    Originally posted by mikedr View Post
    Holy crap is that expensive! I'm paying $48/month for a full-blown Alarm.com setup with Guardian.

    I'm going to be replacing that with a DSC system. I have a router that fails over from cablemodem to LTE already (Cradlepoint), and I pay AT&T $20/month for the LTE. So I figured I'll do alarm monitoring over IP.

    Since I"ll be buying the EnvisaLink anyway, I figured I'll go with their EnvisAlarms service, $9/month.

    I just want bare bone alarm monitoring, and do all the other stuff I was doing with alarm.com through HS.
    So, finally got around to the ADT call. In fact they called me as they wanted to perform a free upgrade to my cellular unit as it's 2G only and they're saying that it needs to be 3G soon to continue service.

    Here's an abbreviated and paraphrased version of the call, when I requested cancellation:

    Me: Can you confirm my contract status please? [This was a ploy to have them officially confirm that the contract was expired, which I knew already]
    ADT: You are out of contract, on a month-to-month basis
    Me: I'd like to cancel my service please.
    ADT: Why is that sir?
    Me: It's daylight robbery
    ADT: Would $59:99 change your mind? [currently $67.99]
    Me: No
    ADT: Don't forget your fire monitoring and insurance discount
    Me: I plan on switching to a ~$10 service that provides both of those
    ADT: Would $49:99 work for you?
    Me: Is that close to $10 in your mind?
    ADT: [without answering or skipping a beat] How about $39.99?
    Me: You seem to be mis-understanding me. I wish to cancel my service
    ADT: Can I tempt you to $29.99?
    Me: No thanks.

    End result: 30 day notice period, which, given that I have no contract, I don't think is enforceable either, but I couldn't be bothered at this point to fight it.

    I hear they are notorious for failing to actually cancel service so I have a record of the call, the associate's Name, ID number and location. We'll see.

    Will almost certainly need to ask a bunch of Qs to Randy (with his very recent DSC experience) and the rest of this amazing community.

    Wish me luck

    Cheers

    Leave a comment:

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