Wirefree house alarms

[Ian Stirling]

Why do I have a vision of a solar powered sheep-mounted webcam.

[Mary Fisher]

Are you sure you're not thinking of Anna Kettle?

Mary

[Ian Stirling]

It probably does. The walls I think are fairly dry.

A 5Ghz system would be a not inconsiderable amount of money. Running cable is nearly free.

One of the applications I'm going to be doing is several USB webcams plugged into laptop motherboards (got cheap) as security/extra windows/birdboxcams, which go over the network to storage and viewing systems, plus online mirroring to an external disk in a shed, and streaming audio.

I'd prefer full-duplex, as it's more flexible, "multitasking" is possible, with half things slow down lots if you want to use both sides of the link.

Actually, it gets 7Mb+ or so, 9+ in a few apps.

[Lurch]

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 22:15:40 +0100, "Mary Fisher" strung together this:

Could you tell me please?

[G&M]

Good luck - sounds a nightmare :-)

Possibly

Methinks your measuring technique is out. Even running point to point with no other active terminations, 10b2 stops and starts itself enough to only reach this level for very short bursts. Or do you mean 10bT - that's a whole new ballgame.

[G&M]

Would definitely be useful. Sheep are incredibly nosy and look at anything happening. They just don't do anything about it !

But linked together with remote launched Sidewinders from the cows perhaps :-)

[G&M]

Yep !

[PJ]

To be honest I have little respect for the BSIA but that aside they DO NOT advertise anything. The BSIA is not an advertising medium. Yes, they mention wireless systems but only because there are standards for them. Just because the likes of the BSIA mentions these systems is no indication that they are any good. The incoming EU standards for intruder alarms mentions them even more but they are still frowned upon in the industry.

[Mary Fisher]

Well, I'm sorry if I've caused you to think that I own the house of my dreams :-)

Mary

[Andrew Gabriel]

If you know what you're doing and you have the time to do it properly, you can install a wired system invisibly and with no damage to the building. I have installed a 40 zone wired system in a house (which is way more that any domestic system would normally require) without a single wire being visible and without damaging the house. It just takes careful planning and time which would normally be cost-prohibitive, but that's where DIY is a big win -- there's no way I could afford to have such a system professionally installed to the same standards.

My reasons for wired were: Parts very much cheaper -- can choose higher quality parts; Not tied to one system's range of sensors -- much wider range available; Not tied to one system's EOL date for new/replacement sensors -- can easily continue to enhance system in the future, and replace sensors which fail; Can build my own sensors for specific purposes; Not broadcasting to everyone who cares to listen what's happening in my house; Not reliant on sharing increasingly busy broadcast wave bands; No batteries to regularly replace; The same money buys a very much more sophisticated system (if you DIY).

Many (maybe all) of these considerations will be of no interest to other people, in which case they should consider a wirefree system.

In terms of security, the wirefree ones are at the lower end of the market. (Only the most expensive ones are allowed to be used for monitored systems with police response, although that's of little interest to most domestic installations anyway). However, there's plenty of scope for overlap -- a badly installed wired system will be significantly worse than a correctly installed/maintained wirefree system, and it's probably easier for someone who isn't familar with alarm installation to do a better install using a wirefree system than a wired system.

[Andrew Gabriel]

He's Belgium actually, and mentally ill (or doing a brilliant imitation of an obsessive compulsive disorder), which unfortunately destroys two newsgroups.

[Lurch]

On 14 Jul 2004 12:47:42 GMT, [e-mail] (Andrew Gabriel) strung together this:

Thats it, I knew it was somewhere round there!

[G&M]

You wouldn't once you've got one. Bureaucratic nightmare !!

[G&M]

If your conservation officer decides the lathe and plaster ceiling downstairs and the floorboards upstairs are both sacrosanct you're stuck surely.

[Mary Fisher]

It would be nice to be able to speak with authority about it though ...

... dream on, Fisher

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

A lathe ceiling?

Wouldn't that be a tad heavy?

Mary

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've installed a system in a Victorian house, without damaging the lath and plaster ceilings, and floor boards can normally be lifted and replaced. If you have some areas which you can't easily get to/through, you should be able to find another route for cables.

[Troy]

Thanks for all the replies.

Seems there's a bit of divided opinion here :-) If I do get an alarm, it

*will* be wirefree because I just don't have the time/money at the moment to install/have installed a wired system. A couple of things puzzle me from your replies :-

1. If wireless alarms are as bad as some have suggested surely lots would have been returned as not suitable and a refund claimed? I I do that with anything that doesn't work as expected.

2. The B&Q "Response" system is manufactured by MK Electrics - surely a reputable company and not cheap as suggested by PJ. Similarly Yale is reputable is it not?

OK - I accept that wired is better *but* ..... just not possible for me - call me lazy if you like :-)

Will probably buy Yale or Response (thanks to users of these systems for your positive reports) and will post my comments when I've given whichever one a good test.

Thanks again folks.

[G&M]

Yep - that's why they sag so badly.

[Ian Stirling]

If you've got the properly specified lathes, with the beds spanning the entire ceiling, then there should be no sag. Of course, you'll need really good foundations and walls.