Door sensors, which ones?

[programmergeek]

Ok I tought this was simple I was going to get some roller type door sensors that I had in my old house but reading through the posts I see most people useing the megitic ones. Are they better? What are the best door sensors and where can I order them from?

 

[TeleFragger]

I use the ds10a - wireless using the w800 antennea.... love them.. they are a tad big and use 2xAA

you can get them from x10.com

 

[rrockoff]

Ok I tought this was simple I was going to get some roller type door sensors that I had in my old house but reading through the posts I see most people useing the megitic ones. Are they better? What are the best door sensors and where can I order them from?

My house came pre wired for an alarm. The wire guys ran the alarm wires to the hinged side of the door, rather than the top (I guess it was faster for them). It was recommended to use roller ball contacts since the wire was on the hinged side of the door. Unfortunately I experienced false alarms with them. What happens is the door and the door jam expands and contract with the weather. It was such a problem that I actually removed the molding around the doorframe and re ran the wires to the tops of the doors to use magnetic contacts. The wires are hidden under the replaced molding and no more false alarms.

I have not seen one brand of magnetic contact to be any better than another. I do however prefer the contacts with screw terminals vs. pre attached pigtail wires.

Best Regards.

Rod

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

My house came pre wired for an alarm. The wire guys ran the alarm wires to the hinged side of the door, rather than the top (I guess it was faster for them).

FYI, GRI makes these really cool magnetic contacts which replace one "pair" of screws on your door hinge (both wall side and door side) and look like a screw when they are installed.

One of the cooler security contacts I've seen and you would never know they were security sensors.

 

[beelzerob]

My house came pre wired for an alarm. The wire guys ran the alarm wires to the hinged side of the door, rather than the top (I guess it was faster for them).

FYI, GRI makes these really cool magnetic contacts which replace one "pair" of screws on your door hinge (both wall side and door side) and look like a screw when they are installed.

One of the cooler security contacts I've seen and you would never know they were security sensors.

Those would have to be pretty darn sensitive...you can open a door enough to get in, and you've not moved those screws away more than a half inch, probably.

BSR, do you have a link to what you speak of? I'm interested.

 

[Steve]

I like a clean look whenever possible. For a hardwire door sensor I think recessed switches like these are the best. The wired part mounts flush in the door frame (usually header) and the magnet in the door. Once they are installed and the frame painted you will not even know they are there.

 

[IVB]

Are the recessed ones paintable? That would be sweet - i've painted aroun them when doing touchups, that's a PITA.

 

[Steve]

My house came pre wired for an alarm. The wire guys ran the alarm wires to the hinged side of the door, rather than the top (I guess it was faster for them).

FYI, GRI makes these really cool magnetic contacts which replace one "pair" of screws on your door hinge (both wall side and door side) and look like a screw when they are installed.

One of the cooler security contacts I've seen and you would never know they were security sensors.

Those would have to be pretty darn sensitive...you can open a door enough to get in, and you've not moved those screws away more than a half inch, probably.

BSR, do you have a link to what you speak of? I'm interested.

I'm guessing he is talking about these. Only cautions I see would be that you have to remove a screw which is most likely not a problem on normal residential hinges and the hinge needs to be non-ferrous - don't know what 'standard' hinges are. But they do look pretty cool.

 

[Steve]

Are the recessed ones paintable? That would be sweet - i've painted aroun them when doing touchups, that's a PITA.

Sure 'nuff. You can even use wood putty or caulk to 'repair' the hole right up to the contact, then simply paint the frame as normal - you'll never know it was there. Now if you use lead based paint then that may be a different story!

 

[beelzerob]

I'm guessing he is talking about these. Only cautions I see would be that you have to remove a screw which is most likely not a problem on normal residential hinges and the hinge needs to be non-ferrous - don't know what 'standard' hinges are. But they do look pretty cool.

Google only finds one place that appears to want to sell it, and even there there is no price. I'm just guessing that these are going to be a tad more expensive than your typical magnetic switch?

The screw-thing intrigues me, but I'm not concerned at all about doors, they seem trivially easy to wire compared to the windows. The only exception is the triple slider window...no way around a surface contact for that bad boy.