Elk M1G Doorbell

[posthuman]

I wired my LED-illuminated doorbell button directly to an Elk zone, defined it as normally open, fast loop response, non-alarm.

They only trick here is that he is using the elk's 14v output which runs through the switch as the power source to the led.

Yep this is exactly what I have done (post #5 in this thread). I made a rule and had it do the 800hz tone a few times with some spaces in between (instead of a verbal thing). When I get around to it, I will have CQC catch the event and play a real doorbell sound (or holiday-appropriate tune, etc). It isn't very high on the priority list right now.

Ok, I'm actually wanting to do almost exactly what you've described here @AceCannon, but I've got my Elk M1G integrated with Home Assistant so if I can work this out and detect a doorbell press I can do all sorts of fun things in terms of notification when the doorbell is pressed... But I must be over thinking this...

I have the Spore True doorbell. I've also just revceived an Elk-930 which I'd like to return if I don't need it. I've tried wiring it directly into Zone 1 as Normally Open / Fast Loop Response / Non-Alarm, but I can't seem to detect the button press. I'm not using any transformer or resistor. The button lights up fine BTW.

Where is this 14v output @apostolakisl referred to (I've looked over the diagram and searched the manuals... I don't see it.) Can one of you spell out exactly how you wired this?

 

[pete_c]

My original set up with an illuminated led doorbell used the Elk-930 (current sensor) / Elk-960 (debounce board) with 12VDC from OmniPro and one zone and 14VAC. Very basic set up going to one zone on the alarm panel.

They only trick here is that he is using the elk's 14v output which runs through the switch as the power source to the led.

The AC doorbell transformer powered the doorbell LED. No need to have a separate power source. I ran a 22/4 cable from the alarm panel to the Elk 930. (12VDC from panel and 2 wires for zone on panel for the Elk-930)

It worked for years this way until going to a Hikvision Video doorbell.

I had some issues here using the Elk-930 with my new Hikvision video doorbell a year or so ago. It was wired to the 12VDC output of the OmniPro2 alarm panel. The chime / original transformer was a 14VAC type.

Disconnected the Elk-930 (current sensor) and went to an Amazon found current sensor which works great and is adjustable.

Current Sensing Switch, Normally Open Current Sensing Switch Adjustable AC 0.2-30A SZC23-NO-AL-CH for AC Current Measurement and Monitoring

Another way to sense the doorbell ring is to add a reed switch (contact switch) inside of your doorbell chime.

Here triggering Home Assistant and Homeseer TTS / wav file with a doorbell press

 

[posthuman]

Thank you @pete_c, I went ahead and ordered that current sensing switch you recommended because I'm going to get this to work if it kills me. I actually have a Dahua video doorbell too off to the side but my darn contractor drilled a hole and ran wire into the nice would door frame so there's been a hole and a dangling wire there that's annoying me so I was trying to make it purposeful. Then of course it turned into a bigger headache then it should be. Isn't that always what happnes?

I'm still curious how @AceCannon got it to work, seemingly, without any extra parts though.

 

[pete_c]

You will need to adjust the current sensor while someone is ringing the doorbell.

 

[pete_c]

Here is a schematic of the original wiring for the doorbell using the Elk 930/960.

Note this worked fine with the LED doorbell and the OmniPro 2 Alarm system for many years.

It also worked fine with the Ring Doorbell. Having the Elk 960 debounce board helps.



Here is a picture of the above with the Elk 930 replaced by the Current sensor that I am using with the Hikvision Doorbell. The doorbell press triggers old chime, Alexa TTS and Microsoft SAPI TTS. I have one Windows VM running on Ubuntu which has multiple speaker clients using multiple SAPI speech fonts. (I collect them).

I have mostly switched my touchscreens over to embedded windows tabletop tablets with a custom seabios here.

In the Midwest everything was in conduit. IE: doorbell chime and thermostat were on the same wall each with their own conduit. The only add here was 22/4 wire from the alarm panel.

The PITA part was that I had to be on a ladder to get to the rafters and circuits below. Note that the AC doorbell wires are looped through the current sensor. When adjusting you hear a solenoid switching on and off and see a little red LED when the circuit is closed. You can adjust it by disconnecting the two doorbell wires and just manually short them out.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

@posthuman: I noticed you state you use Z-Wave in your profile.

Are you wanting to get a doorbell notification into the Elk just to get it into your Home Assistant to trigger events and such? If you are using Z-Wave with your Home Assistant you could use an alternate method.

Get one of these Ecolink Z-Wave door sensors ($30). They have an option to use an external contact closure to trigger it in lieu of an external magnet.

Next, you can place any wired door/window sensor next to your doorbell's chime coil (activates the 'plunger' that will ring the bell chime). Wire that into the Ecolink sensor and you will now have a Z-Wave device that will activate when the doorbell rings without interfering with any existing doorbell circuitry.

When the doorbell button is pressed it activates the solenoid coil on the doorbell chime, which produces a magnetic field that the door sensor can pickup.

Not trying to undermine any proposed solution offered in this post, as they are great suggestions. Just offering an alternative solution FYI.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

One other suggestion. Pete mentioned using an Elk-960 One Shot device and I've used those very often as well in the past. The one problem with these devices is when power is restored after a power failure, they will trigger. Might not be a big deal, but there is an alternative.

Lately, I've been using these units from Seco-Larm (SA-025Q) as they offer the same features as Elk's 960 device; except they will not trigger if power is removed, then re-applied.

 

[keepersg]

@BraveSirRobbin. Thanks for that tip. I've had that problem with the Elk-960. My set up is a Hikvision video doorbell that activates an old Nutone IM-3303 intercom doorbell chime. A power failure at night will activate the chime continuously until the doorbell is pushed. Annoying.

 

[posthuman]

Get one of these Ecolink Z-Wave door sensors ($30). They have an option to use an external contact closure to trigger it in lieu of an external magnet.

This is a super interesting suggestion @BraveSirRobbin, and I even have one of these sensors which I'm not using. Unfortunately, because the Spore True doorbell has an LED and needs 6-12v DC power, I believe I can't use the door sensor because those contact closures are dry contacts, so I'd still need something like this relay to make this work.... Interesting I just realized that there's an OUT3 dry contact relay included in on the Elk board but I guess I still can't use that to trigger the Ecolink door sensor because I still don't have a way to successfully sense when the doorbell is pressed. Egh... well, that current sensing switch arrives tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

 

[pete_c]

For the current sensor just turn the tiny set screw until you hear the relay click and the LED on the current sensor turns on. Then turn it the opposite way very slowly until it turns off. That should work without a second person ringing the doorbell. I used it because the Hikvision doorbell button would not work with the Elk 930/960 circuit.

As mentioned above by @BraveSirRobbin adding two wires and a contact sensor near the chime magnet works well too. I used this before the current sensor. I have a metal conduit pipe here from the basement to the doorbell chime that I used. Ran a 22/2 wire up the chime for this to work. Tiny and cheap.

The LED doorbell thread from 2011 shows that I purchased an AC type doorbell LED doorbell button that worked for me with the above two mentioned Elk930/960 boards. I used the debounce board so that the doorbell button would close only once with a press of the doorbell.

The doorbell button worked fine except that I had to make a hole in to the frame to accommodate the doorbell button. It was not surface mounted. I made the hole larger by hand with the two wires in place. This was a bit difficult because I had two side panes next to the door and the doorbell work mounted in the wood frame around the glass. Here is a picture from 2012.





Here is the thread...which is 7 pages long.

LED doorbell push button for the M1 GOLD

I purchased one off of Amazon, but the led light will not light up, the push button works however. Is this because there is not enough power going to the button? How do I wire this so I can get LED light? anything special, other than 2 wire zone hookup? And also, do anyone have a WORKING door...

cocoontech.com

and the doorbell button I used: (must be OK as they are still in business 11 years later)

Push Button Low Voltage Doorbell LED, Stainless Steel

Push Buttons for various uses, including doorbell buttons, available in stainless steel. LED illumination in ring light and dot light styles, or non lit buttons. Anti theft and vandal resistant buttons.

www.expressions-ltd.com

This button worked fine with then AC doorbell transformer.

I went to the current sensor because the Hikvision video doorbell would not work wtih the Elk 930/960 board combo.

For the Ring and Hikvision doorbell I cut a groove to the brick and patched up the hole with wood putty and put an angle base on the video doorbell.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

@posthuman You don't need any external relays as the wired door sensor (shown below) itself will provide that (as long as you get one that doesn't include any built-in EOL resistors).

IF you have a doorbell chime like the one posted below, place the door sensor near the center coil as shown (either left or right side of that solenoid coil). Then wire that door sensor into the Ecolink sensor's terminals (interior view of Ecolink sensor shown below) after you have registered the Ecolink sensor with your Z-Wave receiver.

The Ecolink sensor will then change state when the doorbell activates as the coil of the chime (which produces a magnetic field) will toggle the wired door sensor. The only caveat is you will need to change out the battery of the Ecolink sensor but that should only happen in two years or so as your doorbell just doesn't activate as often as a door opening and closing.