Options for four wire run or use Cat5/6 for wireless transceiver

[GQuack]

Greetings. I am in the midst of a new ELK M1 install and things are going OK so far with a fairly simple implementation, one 16 zone expander (M1XIN), one wireless transceiver (M1XRFTWM) and a data bus hub (M1DBH). I installed the hard wire expander first starting on zone 17 and understand I now need to move that to make room for the wireless zones which doesn’t seem like a big deal.
 
In reading the documentation for the wireless transceiver as it pertains to physical location of the transceiver I see a possible opportunity to mount the transceiver close to the middle of the house and on an upper wall. Sounds pretty perfect but the catch is that the wire that is available there is 4 wire conductor not Cat5/6. Shouldn’t be a problem since the transceiver only needs 4 wires, correct? Ideally it seems to make sense to still run that 4 conductor connection from the transceiver to the data bus hub but I need to terminate with an RJ45 plug. What’s my best alternative?
1)     Give up on the four wire location and stick with somewhere I have Cat5/6
2)     Use the four wire location but connect to the M1 (how?)
3)     Something else?
I appreciate any thoughts and suggestions.

 

[RAL]

Greetings. I am in the midst of a new ELK M1 install and things are going OK so far with a fairly simple implementation, one 16 zone expander (M1XIN), one wireless transceiver (M1XRFTWM) and a data bus hub (M1DBH). I installed the hard wire expander first starting on zone 17 and understand I now need to move that to make room for the wireless zones which doesn’t seem like a big deal.
 
In reading the documentation for the wireless transceiver as it pertains to physical location of the transceiver I see a possible opportunity to mount the transceiver close to the middle of the house and on an upper wall. Sounds pretty perfect but the catch is that the wire that is available there is 4 wire conductor not Cat5/6. Shouldn’t be a problem since the transceiver only needs 4 wires, correct? Ideally it seems to make sense to still run that 4 conductor connection from the transceiver to the data bus hub but I need to terminate with an RJ45 plug. What’s my best alternative?
1)     Give up on the four wire location and stick with somewhere I have Cat5/6
2)     Use the four wire location but connect to the M1 (how?)
3)     Something else?
I appreciate any thoughts and suggestions.

 
The M1 can have two data bus branches.  Wire one branch to the DBH and connect all your devices except the M1XRFTW to the DBH. Terminate this branch by placing the termination plug in the first unused location on the DBH.
 
Connect the 4-wire cable to the M1XRFTW and connect it to the M1 as the second branch.  Install a termination jumper on JP1 on the M1XRFTW.

 

[GQuack]

Thank you for this great info, just to make sure I understand. The data bus hub is connected to the M1 via the four wire plug assembly to the J1 block. The second branch would be connected to: the J2 block or the RS-485 block?

 

[RAL]

Thank you for this great info, just to make sure I understand. The data bus hub is connected to the M1 via the four wire plug assembly to the J1 block. The second branch would be connected to: the J2 block or the RS-485 block?

 
J1 and J2 are really meant for temporary connection of keypads and such for testing purposes and not for part of the permanent install.  See the note at the bottom of page 7 of the M1 Installation Manual.
 
Best to connect both branches to the screw terminals on the RS485 block. There's less of a chance that something might come loose over time and cause problems.

 

[GQuack]

Thank you!