Photon
Active Member
I had decided on a Caddx system until I started reading about the Elk. The Elk certainly looks like the superior system, but I have some questions about access:
1. Is there a simpler, cheaper keypad compared to the ELK-M1KP or M1KP2, more in line with the ~$50 Caddx LED keypads that I could mount in the garage? I'm thinking of entering one's code in the garage which would then release a solenoid latch on the door to the utility room. One wouldn't need to rush into the house to disarm the Elk, and also wouldn't need a key to get in. It would also be nice to view the system status before entering in case someone broke in through the back of the house and is waiting inside.
2. How far away from the ELK-M1KP can one mount the proximity reader? If they can be mounted a few feet away, I could mount that in the garage. Then I could use an external indicator light/strobe to observe status before entering, although it wouldn't indicate which zone(s) were violated. This might be best considering the WAF.
I thought about a completely independent keypad/magnetic strike system that the ELK could monitor, but that doesn't seem like the right way to go. It looses the programming and logging ability that Elk includes, and it is more complicated.
1. Is there a simpler, cheaper keypad compared to the ELK-M1KP or M1KP2, more in line with the ~$50 Caddx LED keypads that I could mount in the garage? I'm thinking of entering one's code in the garage which would then release a solenoid latch on the door to the utility room. One wouldn't need to rush into the house to disarm the Elk, and also wouldn't need a key to get in. It would also be nice to view the system status before entering in case someone broke in through the back of the house and is waiting inside.
2. How far away from the ELK-M1KP can one mount the proximity reader? If they can be mounted a few feet away, I could mount that in the garage. Then I could use an external indicator light/strobe to observe status before entering, although it wouldn't indicate which zone(s) were violated. This might be best considering the WAF.
I thought about a completely independent keypad/magnetic strike system that the ELK could monitor, but that doesn't seem like the right way to go. It looses the programming and logging ability that Elk includes, and it is more complicated.