New Elk 2-way RF tech

[mustangcoupe]

........... Every alarm system that some other "friends" who are in the industry install has some sort of wireless component...........

Elk already has a wireless component 2 actually. But this one is better because it is two-way. so it confiems it received the transmission which increases the battery life because it can transmit less often in smaller packets (usually the current transmitters will transmit multiple times per event to ensure reception)

I also see this two-way communications as a good situation form them. MY HOPE is that they can use it also as a wireless RS485 "bridge" so we can have wireless expander, relays, keypads ect... with the old system it was receive only and not possible.

 

[Photon]

There is not a wireless security device in my house.

Not even the usual radio-controlled remote garage door opener?

We need to consider a balance between the threat, expense, and convenience. There are lots of forced garage entries around here, but I doubt any of them were done by defeating the rolling-code GDO transmitter system. It is relatively simple to defeat a magnetic window switch in many cases, but how many homeowners are going to spend the bucks for Magnasphere-technology switches or suffer the inconvenience of balanced magnetic switches? I used to work in a building with a sensor grid embedded in the exterior walls and alarm cables protected inside nitrogen filled, pressure-monitored conduit, but I don't think you will find much of that in residential construction.

Our home is protected by a variety of technologies, wireless among them. We are more secure because of the wireless elements because the alternative is to not protect some points of vulnerability. Since our residence has no unusual attraction for a potential burgler, I think my system is a good match for the threat. I welcome the additional choices Elk offers with their improved devices.

 

[gatchel]

My comment about the lack of wireless devices mainly comes from the inability to troubleshoot wireless devices without the expensive equipment sometimes needed to do so. If there's an issue, you can't see it without the proper equipment. Wired devices...all you need is a meter.

 

[mikejrc]

Elk already has a wireless component 2 actually. But this one is better because it is two-way. so it confiems it received the transmission which increases the battery life because it can transmit less often in smaller packets (usually the current transmitters will transmit multiple times per event to ensure reception)

I also see this two-way communications as a good situation form them. MY HOPE is that they can use it also as a wireless RS485 "bridge" so we can have wireless expander, relays, keypads ect... with the old system it was receive only and not possible.

To add to the information already provided by mustangcoupe, this is what I was told at ISC by ELK

The new 2-way receiver is designed to work only with the new ELK 2 way devices (not interoperable with other brand of devices). Existing Elk receiver for Honeywell and GE will work in conjunction with the new receiver. But in my case, I have a GE NX receiver that will not work with the new 2 way since requires the latest M1 firmware.

This 2 way technology is 900mhz spread spectrum, sending one packet at a time then sending a confirmation back if received successfully rather than sending a burst of packets hoping one of them was received, increasing battery life as stated by mustangcoupe. Eventually ELK will bring to the market a full line of devices, which are already in the works but not in the stage of mass production. The devices are designed by ELK but the chips are made by someone else. Electron may have some info on this. The contacts shown at ISC are very slim maybe about 1/4 inch thick or less.

DMP, Innovonics and also DSC are using 900mhz 2-way devices so it seems like ELK move is consistent with the rest of the industry.

I talked to DMP and they told me that their 2-way devices can change parameters over the air. For example "pulse count" on a motion detector without having to open the sensor and change a jumper, they simply send an over the air parameter change to the sensor, so I am hoping ELK can do the same thing with their devices.

 

[Spanky]

The Elk-6000 series wireless is not like any security wireless on the market.

 

[gatchel]

The Elk-6000 series wireless is not like any security wireless on the market.

Would you care to elaborate? ray: