6 replies to this topic

[sbwright]

Looking for some guidance from you veterans. This is my first time M1 install. Have read a lot of threads here and learned a lot from all your experiences. Prefer wired vs. wireless wherever possible resorting to wireless only when I have to. Although I must say I have a Z-wave network at our current house I installed for testing and it has been rock solid.

We are currently finishing up a garage build on a new property. Plan is to build the house next. In the meantime currently installing an Elk-M1 temporarily in the garage, once the house is built we will relocate the M1 to the house hoping for minimal wiring (hopefully databus only) from the house to the garage. The distance between the 2 buildings is approx 150'.

The M1 is in its own box with only the essentials for communication and battery backup. All expansion cards required for the garage security and automation are in a separate box along with required aux. power supply which will stay in the garage.

The one area I'm having an issue with is the temperature sensors (M1ZTS) which require connection to the M1 inputs 1-16. Looking for possible alternatives in this area, is 1-wire the only other option here other than wiring the temp sensors to the M1 relocated to the house.

Thanks,

Edited by sbwright, 21 June 2012 - 03:28 PM.

[Work2Play]

There is a Z-Wave sensor that does motion, temp and humidity I believe... It's meant for homeseer so I don't know how widely it's supported.

Also, an unsupported option is to place temperature sensors on an M1XOVR output expansion board, but to do that you have to cut off the pull-up resistor. This is totally unsupported but it does work from what I understand.

[DELInstallations]

1 wire or you can interface them on a KAM as well, just more pricey.

[sbwright]

^{Thanks for the suggestions, think its likely going to be 1-wire.}

[nlaredo]

If you run cat5 to a zone input expander in the garage, you can use the center blue pair as a single hardwired zone that also goes to the garage in the same cat5 wire that you might run already. The DBH doesn't use the center pair for cat5 wiring itself.. it just sits otherwise unused. Could look pretty clean if you soldered to the back side of the DBH board for the jack you intended to send to the garage.

[carry15+1]

I installed my M1G about 5-6 years ago. I have all KP1 keypads which have a built-in temp sensor. My detached shop is a separate partition (area) and has it's own keypad which the software reads every morning when it is advising about temps in various parts of the system. I find the KP1 sensor to be as accurate as the remote temp sensors - which is not really accurate at all ;-( Still they give you a relative idea of the temperature.

[sbwright]

Thanks for all the great ideas, got some descisions to make now.