I was looking into having an intruder alarm system fitted at home. We live in a 4 bed detached, 2 doors to the outside, 1 door into the attached garage & a patio door. I was thinking of getting all the downstairs covered & the upstairs landing. I would like to be able to set the downstairs from upstairs (when we are all in/go to bed). I would like to be contacted to my mobile phone if it goes off. Presuming this can all be achieved ok, I was looking at using the Pyronix Stirling 10. Does anyone have any experience of these? or can recommended any others? Regards, Will
Also look at Gardtec, CPX has dialer/voice & wireless capability, and the Gardtec 800 series are not much more and well regarded. Take care not to damage cables during installation.
I installed one in our house about 7 months ago and it's been very good and it's very easy to fit - except the external siren if, like me, you don't like heights and feel very unsafe up ladders :o)
I would suggest defering the external sounder until you have got familiar with the alarm and had a good period of running with no false alarms. It only takes a couple of false alarms for your neighbours to learn to ignore your alarm -- don't waste those on initial teething troubles, such that you then have a significantly less useful alarm. (By all means install the external sounder and connect up the power so its running/diagnostic lights flash.)
Which is why I was just about to suggest makeashorterlink.com (which says where it is redirecting to), until I read that they've been aquired by tinyurl. That's progress I guess!
On the tinyurl.com website, you can set up and store a browser cookie to ensure that you see the website URL before you end up swimming about in it the next time you click one of those links.
Easily done with a keypad on the landing\in the bedroom or with remote fobs.
You can either get a panel that will do this or an add on dialler. Either can have options for SMS, voice or email
Sterling 10 - one of the worst panels ever built. Avoid it at all costs. Also avoid any wireless kit from B&Q, or pretty much any alarm panel from B&Q.
Anything else really. Texecom Veritas and Texecom Speech and Text Dialler would be a good start, easy to follow instructions included!
For a reasonable wireless system (if you have to go wireless, wired is the preferred option) look at the Visonic Powermax.
I wouldn't advise a first time DIYer embark on an installation using an 800 series panel. I fit quite a bit of GardTec equipment but I still hate them, they make life hard work for the simplest of things, and the manuals are truly horrific.
The CPX isn't as bad, but I would still not recommend anything other than a Texecom for DIY as GardTec is trade only (mainly, odd bits do get sold to all and sundry) so Texecom win for DIYing on availability to non-trade, clearer instructions and better support.
Agreed, they are pretty bad - not as bad as some manuals tho :-)
Novice DIY -- Texecom o Exceptionally clear manuals -- good index, good tables, clear illustrations o Proven reliability on the panels -- really is important re false alarms o Easy technical support -- a rarity these days
Gartec is probably too difficult for a novice alarm DIYer.
For installation manuals on either... o Texecom -- do a Google for "Texecom veritas installation manual"
---- download for both the control panel & external sounder
---- Veritas 8 -- panel & keypad combined
---- Veritas R8 -- panel with remote keypad
---- Veritas Excel -- panel with LCD remote keypad o Gardtec -- go to
Reading the installation manuals is important in making a choice.
The benefit of Gardtec CP8L is the LCD "english" control panel at less than half the price of Texecom Excel - so good value right now.
The CP8L is somewhat simpler to install than the higher end. I think Gardtec even list the pinout for a Texecom SCB in the installation guide, which is what I will be using with one. Not had chance to check it is correct.
Still do not trust wireless systems, be it PC or alarm or anything.
On 12 Feb 2007 06:02:32 -0800, " snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com" mused:
You snipped the bit where I said "(mainly, odd bits do get sold to all and sundry".
Texecom is far more widely available than GardTec, and coupled with the other advantages then GardTec is somewhere off the bottom of the list. I fit loads of GardTec kit and I don't even recommend it too highly to fellow security engineers. I would never recommend it to a DIYer, apart from a maybe the CP8 and CPX to a pretty competent DIYer, but even then I'd still recommend the Texecom if there were no reason to offer the GardTec specifically.
Thanks for that, I have used the Scantronic 7651 (*1) with good results which is a straightforward install with similar features but has the benefit of: o EOL tamper option so you know which zone has a fault o A good sized remote steel case so plenty of room for wiring and a big battery o Full alpha (dot matrix) LCD without a door (nothing to break)
Available from CPC at a similar price to the CP8L.
While we're sharing, I also rate: o Texecom Impaq Plus shock sensors o Vanguard Kudos bell boxes (*2), silk screened for that non-DIY look o Lynteck Midas bell boxes where small and discrete is required o Elmdene internal sounders, sooo loud, sooo cheap
All from CPC (*1) Not ID'd as the 7651 at CPC, described as '8-Zone Metal Alarm Panel with LCD Keypad' (*2) Well hidden at CPC just described as 'Bell Boxes', Kudos is 9 sided shape.
EOL tamper is nice - because tracing tamper faults on DIY installations most typically involves "insert link in global tamper & shut the thing up" :-)
Steel is also preferable.
Don't slam the alarm door, slam the cutlery draw :-)))
That sounds interesting.
Add... o Visonic ceiling PIR -- wiring neatly hidden in ceiling voids, 86mm dia o Screened alarm cable -- just seems like a very long aerial otherwise
Cross mains at 90-degrees, keep 9-inches away. However when you have innumerable taxi masts, to aircraft UHF blasts nearby it is prudent. Costs only about £4 more a reel and might just reduce the odd false.
Scantronic are well regarded, will take a look. If it takes a 7Ah battery then it sounds a better option.
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