Steve
Senior Member
Let me just say first you can't go wrong with either one.
On price, that's going to depend on how big you grow your system. Yes, the Elk is less expensive up front and possible for expansion because it more componentized, you start basic and add the pieces you need. The Omni gives you 5 serial port (which you may or may not need) and Ethernet built right into the board. But you do have to add voice which is built into M1, but w/ HAI the voice also gives you two-way which is additional on M1. I know - it gets a bit messy, but the bottom line is Elk is less expensive to start but they do get much closer in price when you have a more complete system.
On installation I would have to say that's a tie depending on how you define installation. They both have some pros and cons but at the end of the day they are pretty similar to install.
On expansion I would have to say Elk has a slight edge there as I pointed out elsewhere. Elk lets you expand zones and outputs individually whereas HAI you have to get a whole expansion enclosure with inputs/outputs and a power supply. The flip side is if you need those things in a remote location from the panel, the HAI expansion enclosure is a nice single board solution. But if you just want some extra inputs here or outputs there, Elk is a bit more flexible. Also, Elk has two different types of 'hub' for organizing all of the bus components. You really almost need one of these to simplify and organize the wiring since everything goes on the bus. With the Omni the only things that go on the bus terminals are consoles(keypads), expansion enclosures and wireless expanders. But, if you have many of these devices you need to rig your own wiring so you don't have a bunch of wires going to the main board bus strip. HAI does have a power hub where you can connect 8 devices but like the expansion enclosure its a power supply also and way overkill for just simple connection of devices to the bus. It's probably better suited toward access control.
On programming, I think the edge probably will go to HAI. They have things such as flags and user settings (that can be set to various formats) that probably make programming a little more straightforward. The also support an 'Or' operator which can be useful. But at the end of the day they are both very capable programming engines. On the software - ElkRP vs PCAccess there are some nice things about each of them. I like the commenting capability in PC Access better. And as much as a pain it can be sometimes, its kind of nice to have the synchronization in ElkRP - it can show you the difference between what you have in the panel and the software and decide what to do. With PC Access you either read from the controller or Write to the controller. I haven't seen any real way to compare. But again, they both do what you need.
So, there you have it, just as confused as before. Nobody can tell you which system is best for you. It's like looking at a Lexus or an Infiniti, they are both great cars just a bit different in how they work. You may want to get a copy of ElkRP and PCAccess at least to look at even though you can't do much about programming. I think there are some demos of them floating around to so you can get a little feel for how they work. And don't forget the small things - wife may be a designer and have a strong preference for one keypad over another - something you will look at every day. Also look at all the possible expansions. While many HAI items will work with Elk - like the thermostats, C3 communicator, etc, there are alot of items that are nicely integrated into just the Omni panels or touchscreens if that is your desire.
Once you decide, just go with it and don't have any regrets, you will get long service and alot of peace of mind and joy out of either one.
On price, that's going to depend on how big you grow your system. Yes, the Elk is less expensive up front and possible for expansion because it more componentized, you start basic and add the pieces you need. The Omni gives you 5 serial port (which you may or may not need) and Ethernet built right into the board. But you do have to add voice which is built into M1, but w/ HAI the voice also gives you two-way which is additional on M1. I know - it gets a bit messy, but the bottom line is Elk is less expensive to start but they do get much closer in price when you have a more complete system.
On installation I would have to say that's a tie depending on how you define installation. They both have some pros and cons but at the end of the day they are pretty similar to install.
On expansion I would have to say Elk has a slight edge there as I pointed out elsewhere. Elk lets you expand zones and outputs individually whereas HAI you have to get a whole expansion enclosure with inputs/outputs and a power supply. The flip side is if you need those things in a remote location from the panel, the HAI expansion enclosure is a nice single board solution. But if you just want some extra inputs here or outputs there, Elk is a bit more flexible. Also, Elk has two different types of 'hub' for organizing all of the bus components. You really almost need one of these to simplify and organize the wiring since everything goes on the bus. With the Omni the only things that go on the bus terminals are consoles(keypads), expansion enclosures and wireless expanders. But, if you have many of these devices you need to rig your own wiring so you don't have a bunch of wires going to the main board bus strip. HAI does have a power hub where you can connect 8 devices but like the expansion enclosure its a power supply also and way overkill for just simple connection of devices to the bus. It's probably better suited toward access control.
On programming, I think the edge probably will go to HAI. They have things such as flags and user settings (that can be set to various formats) that probably make programming a little more straightforward. The also support an 'Or' operator which can be useful. But at the end of the day they are both very capable programming engines. On the software - ElkRP vs PCAccess there are some nice things about each of them. I like the commenting capability in PC Access better. And as much as a pain it can be sometimes, its kind of nice to have the synchronization in ElkRP - it can show you the difference between what you have in the panel and the software and decide what to do. With PC Access you either read from the controller or Write to the controller. I haven't seen any real way to compare. But again, they both do what you need.
So, there you have it, just as confused as before. Nobody can tell you which system is best for you. It's like looking at a Lexus or an Infiniti, they are both great cars just a bit different in how they work. You may want to get a copy of ElkRP and PCAccess at least to look at even though you can't do much about programming. I think there are some demos of them floating around to so you can get a little feel for how they work. And don't forget the small things - wife may be a designer and have a strong preference for one keypad over another - something you will look at every day. Also look at all the possible expansions. While many HAI items will work with Elk - like the thermostats, C3 communicator, etc, there are alot of items that are nicely integrated into just the Omni panels or touchscreens if that is your desire.
Once you decide, just go with it and don't have any regrets, you will get long service and alot of peace of mind and joy out of either one.
