Recent content by Digger

New house new system.  Something that is not from 90's technology.  Just my opinion. 

I went ELK about 11 years ago.  I cant really complain its been very reliable.  Nothing is perfect.

The M1 should go off hook, dial the 1-800 number, wait for the handshake, deliver its message and wait for the kissoff from the CS (the kissoff means the CS receiver understood the message).   Not sure what is happening here.

The panel will call he central and wait for a "handshake".  Once it gets the handshake it will dump its message (sound like a fax machine) and them wait for a kissoff.  If it does not get the proper handshake or kissoff it will try and try, however, its supposed to stop after a min of 5 and a...

Can you use the relays in "inverted" mode.  Use the relay in the un-energized state to keep the LED on (with the NC Contact) with no draw for the coil.  Then energize it only when you want to turn the LED off? 

Some TCP/IP Communicators have inputs for basic monitoring.  The Napco NL-MOD-UL does and I am sure there are others.  So a relay on the omni could trip the input in an alarm.  No "data" such as zone number/descriptions etc.    Mfg's seem to have moved away from internet monitoring for the more...

What mfg system do you have?  If you want full data it has to be a TCP/IP communicator that will interface with the data bus or serial output etc of your system or dial capture the Contact ID.   Honeywell, Napco and other mfg's have UL Listed TCP/IP Communicators.  I think DSC may as well.   

  I have had an ELK-M1 installed long before HA Lighting.  The Omnilite is also not as versatile as the ISY by any means.  We have one at work for test purposes and nobody is even interested it it.  The ELK gets a lot of interest.  I brought my old ISY to work (the ISY26 from 10 years ago) and...

SH had HUGE QC issues in the first 4 or 5 years.  I ripped out all of my devices 10 years ago and threw them out (almost 50 devices and THOUSANDS of $$$$$ wasted).  I went to UPB and have that for 8 years with not a single device fail.  But there was no decent controller for them (yes UDI made a...

Another consideration is can the communicator firmware be updated over the air or does the dealer/installer need to roll a truck?  If you search the internet you can find where some mfg's had to update all of their installed devices and the dealers had to send a tech to the premise.  In one case...

There are so many cell communicators on the market now (sole path and dual path).  You have to check them out to see which your insurance company will give a discount on.  Telluer has UL Listed Communicators but their Network Operation Center (basically the server that the Communicator talks to...

  You can throw out all of the clauses you want you dont seem to understand them.  I understand your an installer but the hardware and software design requirements do not seem to be your thing.   Please dont mislead people to think some things are required when they are not. Again the NFPA does...

  Actually NFPA 2013 and 2016 are more widely adopted then you seem to be aware of.  If I remember correctly you are in CT and they are about a decade behind the NFPA which is probably why you think its not adopted. While CT happens to be way behind the rest of the country, however, I did work...

  The NFPA and UL do NOT require dual path for Commercial Fire since 2013 (maybe 2010).  In addition the NFPA and UL do NOT require that alarms etc be transmitted over both paths at the same time.  I think you are confusing the Commercial Fire requirements with the UL1610 Commercial Burg...

Call your insurance company and ask them how much of a discount you will get if you have a monitored alarm.  For me it was 10% or about $250.  The cost of Nextalarm is $145.  So I am $100 ahead with monitoring.  That pays for some of the alarm system.  Your mileage may vary as they say since...