New M1 Gold Install - Assistance With Equipment Placement & Power

ccmichaelson

Active Member
Equipment Already Purchased
  • (1)  Elk M1 Gold Panel
  • (1)  M1XEP - Ethernet Interface
  • (1)  ELK-M1DBH - Data bus hub
  • (4):  ELK-M1KP2 - keypads
  • (4):  ELK-SP12F (flush mount speaker)
  • (1):  14" enclosure (came with the kit)
  • (1):  28" enclosure
Sensors
  • (5):  Garage door contacts (3 attached to house, 2 in detached garage - planning to purchase a contact that I can attach at the header/top where I ran the wire too)
  • (9):  Exterior door contacts (Tane brand)
  • (16):  Exterior window contacts (Tane pill)
  • (42):  Motion sensors (Bosch BlueLine Gen 2)
  • (1):  Doorbell - TBD
  • (9):  4-wire smokes (2 of them will be smoke + CO)
Questions
  1. I know the panel only supports a limited number of powered devices so what do I need to purchase to power the rest of my sensors?
  2. Given the number of devices, what equipment should I put in the 14" enclosure and what should be in the 28" enclosure - or will the 28" be sufficient?
  3. I'm planning to daisy chain the 4-wire smokes (based on prior feedback), so if the first smoke is connected to the power supply (on the main panel or secondary power supply) can it power the other 8 smokes?
  4. Any other tips/comments welcome!
 
There's a power worksheet on the Elk M1 Owners site for calculating hoe much power you require for each device and how much the Elk has available. I don't have the link handy on my phone but you definitely want to check that out.
 
To answer your questions, here is my two cents:
1.  While I do not know what your sensors are,  the Elk is very limited in the power it can supply.  So you alternative may be to use the wall warts for each sensor or use a PC power supply to do all this.
2.  The 28" cabinet is not adequate.  I wish I installed one that was at least 60 ".  Then all the other home distribution wires, TV, home automation and power supply components could be located in ONE PLACE!
3.  I will be doing the same thing with my 4 smokes but assumed I would need a separate source to supply the power.
4.  I am a proponent to hard wire all that you can.  Including 4 wires to motion sensors.  Good Luck!
 
giesen said:
There's a power worksheet on the Elk M1 Owners site for calculating hoe much power you require for each device and how much the Elk has available. I don't have the link handy on my phone but you definitely want to check that out.
 
The power worksheet is at http://www.elkproducts.com/_literature_63905/M1_Current_Draw_Worksheet
 
You can use something like an Elk P212S Remote Supervised Power Supply (http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-p212s-supervised-remote-power-supply) along with a battery and transformer to power any devices which the Elk cant.

I agree with sanders that you probably don't have enough can space, I've almost filled 3 42" Leviton cans and I'm not done yet. Also depending on how you wire your zones, you may need a few M1XINs (and probably a second M1DBH for the second can)
 
My Elk is in a 28" can and I have spare space. That is with the XEP mounted flat, along with DBH, XSP, XSLZW, VRC0P, and battery (on shelf) all inside the can...
 
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I want to re-wire some of this and mount the XEP vertically and add the TWA that I have... but I've been far to busy with other work to even think about doing this.
 
 
I have all of my phone, networking, and cable stuff in another 28" can - which also used to have my wired router and (2) 8-port switches as well. I've since removed the router and switches, which now leaves open space there too...
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I've also wire Elk's in a 42" can, which had a ton of empty space left:
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And I've also wired phone/network/cable (w/ POE switch for CCTV) in a 42" can before too:
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If you wire every sensor and contact to its own zone (except for the smokes), you will need at least 4 M1XIN zone expanders.
 
It looks to me like you will definitely need an aux power supply, even if you use the wall wart to power the M1XEP.
 
Trying to fit everything into one 28" can will be very tight, even with no aux power. 
 
One arrangement that could work is to place the M1, the XEP and the backup batteries for the M1 in the 14" can, and then the M1XINs and the M1DBH in the 28" can.  You will probably have enough room there for a P212S and 2 more batteries as well.
 
Power the XEP and the smokes from the M1's power supply and everything else from the aux power supply. 
 
Another option to consider for aux power is the Elk P412, or an Altronix AL400ULPD8 or PD4, which are all 12V, 4 Amp supplies. You can often find an AL400 on eBay for about $40.  They are in their own can with a fused power distribution board.  My choice would the the Altronix over the P412.
 
Given that I own a 28" and 14" enclosure I'm going to try that arrangement.  I only have a single stud cavity to work with because the HVAC, electrical, plumbing guys took everything else.  I ended up cutting my CAT & Speaker cables a little short so I'm thinking I should put the M1, M1XEP, M1DBH, and batteries in the 14" can above the 28" enclosure and drop everything else into the 28" can.  I will have a free standing A/V rack to house my whole home audio/video, networking, etc...
 
Appreciate the photos and explanations...  Are there components that are critical they stay together (or close by)?  I gather the M1 & M1XEP but are there others?
 
It's not SUPER critical that they do... no. The only think you have to ensure is that you don't exceed the databus length limitation. I've also done retrofit installs where I put (2) XINs in a separate can with a P212S and separate battery, and it was located on the other side of the house.
 
... and the XEP because of the serial port... the rest is simple over the databus. 
 
I run a second can in my garage with another XIN and XOVR to locally drive garage door and sprinkler control and run custom sensors around that area (gate, garage door). 
 
Work2Play said:
... and the XEP because of the serial port... the rest is simple over the databus. 
 
I run a second can in my garage with another XIN and XOVR to locally drive garage door and sprinkler control and run custom sensors around that area (gate, garage door). 
XEP can be done over an XSP however there are some compromises.
 
drvnbysound said:
My Elk is in a 28" can and I have spare space. That is with the XEP mounted flat, along with DBH, XSP, XSLZW, VRC0P, and battery (on shelf) all inside the can...
 
index.php

I want to re-wire some of this and mount the XEP vertically and add the TWA that I have... but I've been far to busy with other work to even think about doing this.
 
 
I have all of my phone, networking, and cable stuff in another 28" can - which also used to have my wired router and (2) 8-port switches as well. I've since removed the router and switches, which now leaves open space there too...
index.php

 
I've also wire Elk's in a 42" can, which had a ton of empty space left:
index.php

 
And I've also wired phone/network/cable (w/ POE switch for CCTV) in a 42" can before too:
index.php
The 42" looks like a leviton panel. Does the M1 comfortably fit into the pre drilled holes? I have spare 42 leviton and would hate to buy a new 28" elk only if I can reuse the spare one.
 
dvpvic said:
The 42" looks like a leviton panel. Does the M1 comfortably fit into the pre drilled holes? I have spare 42 leviton and would hate to buy a new 28" elk only if I can reuse the spare one.
 
There are no existing holes in the Leviton panels for the M1G to mount; I drilled my own.
 
I actually ended up with a lot more than 42 motion sensors spread throughout - 99% of the time for lighting/scene/sensor control but Fort Knox should anyone attempt to enter while we are gone :)
 
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