Expanders

[nov0798]

I know this question will be elementary to some of you, but here it goes.
Can you all please give exampls of when/how/examples of how you would use the following ELK expanders/modules.

ELK-M1XOV
M1 16 Output Expander,
Flying Voltage Leads

ELK-M1XOVR
M1 16 Output Expander,
8 Voltage & 8 Relays

ELK-M1RB
M1 Relay Board,
Plug-in (8 form ”C” relays)

Thanks

 

[IVB]

I'm using the relays to open/close:
1) maglock for the front door
2) turn Elk speakers on/off, so I can create zones. I setup 5 different zones, and use my GUI to open/close the relay.

Attached is a screenshot of the house overview GUI. You'll see pics of the Elk speakers, pressing them will turn them on/off by opening/closing the relay. Ditto for the "arm/disarm front door"

 

[nov0798]

Thats a great example, but it really doesnt give me any ideas. Im looking for applications where/when/why you might use these expanders. Im sure this question is really open ended, as you could probably dream up just about anything, just looking for some ideas.

Thanks

 

[IVB]

That's the point of the text above the pic: You use the relays to open/close the circuit controlling the maglock, or the circuit controlling each set of speakers.

And, since you don't want to have a crapload of single relays laying around, you use the expander.

 

[tmbrown97]

Hey Brian,

Here's what I'm doing:

In my closet, I pipe 8 of the 10 flying leads to an Elk124 which lets me do 8 channels of my own voice/music sounds hooked into the keypad speakers. I use this for custom door-opening sounds and a custom doorbell. I figure I'll use 1-more to trigger a siren or speaker using a relay when I get around to it.

Output 3 drives my 2 screamers. They're located in opposite ends of the house and are deafening.

Then I have a Cat5 Cable to the garage, going to an Elk 14" can - in there, I have an Elk M1XOVR and M1RB giving me 16-zones of relay output. I use 10 of those for my sprinklers (5 in front, 5 in back), 1 for a swimming pool fill, 2 for the garage doors, 1 for the strobe (located outside the garage), and 2 open zones (thinking about using them to control the outdoor malibu lights - 1 zone front, 1 zone rear).

Feels like a good use to me... The 14" can is what came with the elk - I bought the Elk28" flushmount for the closet where it's all mounted.

 

[gatchel]

A relay can be used to do anything you want (just about).
The low current outputs can be used to trip relays, turn on LED's, etc

The question has a very broad range of answers.

You really need to determine what you want to get out of you HA system.

 

[nov0798]

Does anyone know if these expanders can be mounted in a hot location, such as an attic? Any problems with that?

 

[Lagerhead]

Thats a great example, but it really doesnt give me any ideas. Im looking for applications where/when/why you might use these expanders. Im sure this question is really open ended, as you could probably dream up just about anything, just looking for some ideas.

Not sure how elementary to get with an answer, if IVB's and Todd_B's examples were not helpful. The expanders you list are the very things that give the M1 the ability to control the real world. The only differences between these expanders is in (1) the number of outputs, and (2) the kinds of electrical interface (there are two types among the expanders you list).

If you want the M1 to open your garage door, you wire your garage door push button to an M1 relay output.

If you want the M1 to show you a condition with an LED, you wire the LED to a voltage output (through a resistor, just to be clear).

And gatchel is absolutely right, you start with what you want your system to do for you, then proceed to find the right way / best way to do it.

Does anyone know if these expanders can be mounted in a hot location, such as an attic? Any problems with that?

You generally want to avoid the attic. High temps are really bad for equipment reliability and lifetime. Instead, establish a wiring termination point that is easy to get to and in a more moderate environment. (Not incidentally, this is also important for your comfort while you are working there.)

 

[Spanky]

Elk rates the modules at normal temperature ratings up to 130 degrees F, but they have been put in a lot of hotter attics with not problems.

 

[Steve]

I also think the attic is not a great place even if they would work in practice. In my sisters old install they actually had the whole alarm panel up there and besides the fact that it quit working, it did not look in too good a shape. Usually you can find a place in a closet where you just poke the wire down and get a 14" can or even a smaller hobby box for just 1 small card and put it there. It's not much harder to just poke the wire down a few feet and the device will be much happier in the cooler temp and as said - you will be alot happier when you need to go access it.

 

[upstatemike]

A more general answer:

1- What to use relays for

Speaker switching
...Ha announcements
...Muting music during phone calls
...Mailbox or door greetings

Garage door
Mailbox interior courtesy light and/or outside mail trigger indicator
Smoke detector power reset
magnetic door locks
Stero Surge centers with 12 triggers
Irrigation valves
Motion sensor shunts

2- What relay expanders to use

Depends on your wiring strategy...

Flying leads to power remote relays - keeps contacts close to load but source current limits choice of relay which in turn limits contact rating and therefore load.

Relay boards to switch remote loads - Cleaner install but some loads sensitive to long wire runs and still limited by contact ratings. Audio switching will have noise issues.

Relay boards to switch heavier remote relays - expensive and wire intensive but rock solid results.

Relay boards remote via keypad bus - best solution when load is within contact rating. Can drive slave relay for heavy load.

I use relay boards driven from the keypad bus. I cluster these in two key junctions in the basement and on the third floor. I have a mixture of situations where items are connected dirctly to these relays or I have some slave relays driven from the ones in the junctions (mostly fo audio switching).