Elk M1

[BB22]

Hi everybody, I've been reading several post and information about the elk m1 but I have a few questions hope I can't get answered. I already have an existing alarm but just received my Elk m1 gold package and want to start the installation. All my wires are behind closed walls and I don't know how I can install the EOL resistors that came with my M1. Can I plug them to the panel or not plug them at all?

Also, my exsisting door sensors are plugged to the exsisting keypad meaning I have 6 wires to my keypad (4 wire from keypad and 2 from door sensor). Is this a problem for installing the M1 the same way?

Hope I can get this clarified and start the installation



Thanks

 

[tmbrown97]

Welcome and congrats on the M1 purchase! You should be very happy with it.

1st off, use a continuity tester to make sure that your existing contacts don't have resistors in them already. Most of the time, they don't. If not and you don't want to modify the, no problem at all - you just set them to NO or NC as appropriate and without EOL. This is set per zone.

2nd - If I'm understanding you correctly, you have 4 wires from the alarm panel to the keypad, and 2 wires from the keypad to the nearest door? If so, that's no problem at all; each M1 keypad supports a single input as well. That said, with only 4 wires to the keypads, you typically need the DBHR to allow you to make the run with only 4 wires vs. the normal 6. If I didn't understand that correctly, please clarify.

 

[Del91574]

To clarify #2 above:

If you only have 2 keypads or runs to items that connect to the data bus on the existing panel (or the new M1 replacement) a DBHR is not needed, it only would be required if you have more than 2 "branches".

It also sounds like the original panel had a single input at the keypad.

 

[BB22]

What is BDHR? Sorry for the beginner question.

 

[tmbrown97]

No prob... It's a part number to look up on Elk's web-site:
http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-m1dbhr-m1-data-bus-hub-for-retrofit

The Elk's data bus is a RS485 databus which generally intends for the data to flow in a single direction. You can use 4-pair as long as you can daisy-chain from one device to the next all the way through all your devices (well technically you're allowed 2 legs, but each one expects the data to flow in one direction up until it's terminated).

When you have several devices home-run, you either need at least 6 wires so you have a return path for the data to keep flowing in a single direction, or you need individual terminated runs. That's fine if you only have one keypad or can keep your total runs to two, but if you have say 3 keypads and a handful of expanders, with the keypads all home run, the DBHR lets you increase the number of branches from 2 to up to 8.

 

[BB22]

Thanks. I will be starting my installation later today. I think the hardest part will be to set up the M1 with all the configuration for my insteon devices

 

[Del91574]

the DBHR lets you increase the number of branches from 2 to up to 8.

You can run up to 2 DBHR's for a total of 16 managed branches, not 8, however the DBHR's must be connected directly to the panel and can't be installed on a "branch" themselves.

 

[tmbrown97]

Thanks for the correction - I forgot about that.