Tamper switch wiring best-practices?

[signal15]

I have some motion sensors that have a tamper switch in them, in addition to the normally closed circuit for motion detection alerting. The tamper switch is supposed to be wired to a 24 hour monitored input which will set off the alarm.

I have 5 motions, and I'm assuming my glassbreaks probably have a similar switch (they haven't arrived yet). That means that with just 5 motions, I'm going to burn up the following number of inputs:
- 5 inputs if I ignore the tamper switch (bad idea, not going to do this)
- 10 inputs if I put the tampers each on a separate input
- 6 inputs if I wire each motion to a separate input, then put all of the tampers in series

So what is the recommended best practice?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Do you really need those tamper monitors? If you feel you do and want to save on inputs, maybe wire it in series with the regular motion sensor contacts. This way at least that zone will trigger on motion or someone tampering with the detector.

Of course the disadvantage is you would have to use the same entry/exit delays for both the tamper and motion sensor inputs (usually you would want the tampers as "instant").

Another thing you could do is series some tamper monitors to one input. You would not know "which" sensor was tampered with, but at least you could get an instant alarm (and probably find out later as that motion sensor should show external damage of some sort).

 

[Sandpiper]

I have some motion sensors that have a tamper switch in them, ...........So what is the recommended best practice?

Just forget the tampers. Tamper switches were designed for those cases, such as in commercial applications where a devious employee or customer might open the case (tamper) and short out the switch, then come back later to do the robbery. The tampers would be wired to a 24 hour zone (always on), where the contacts are wired to a normal burglary zone (only on when armed). For residential applications the devious tampering is not so much of a worry.

I have never, never wired a tamper switch into an alarm system. I have never seen any tampers wired in. But the choice is yours.

 

[signal15]

These are outdoor motion sensors. If they were indoor, I'd forget about them, but they are outdoor and set to just notify of motion in different areas.

I kind of want to know if someone damages one or is messing around with them.

 

[Monk]

These are outdoor motion sensors. If they were indoor, I'd forget about them, but they are outdoor and set to just notify of motion in different areas.

I kind of want to know if someone damages one or is messing around with them.

Our entire facility has tampers wired by floor - Each floor uses one zone. What BSR said - wire in series.

 

[gatchel]

Why would they have the tamper input if it wasn't important, especially for an outdoor motion.
IMHO they need to be wired in even if you combine multiple units on one zone.

But then again I am one of those guys who actually uses EOL resistors and actually puts them at the device NOT at the panel. Some will say they are not needed, I disagree.

What's the best practice? What ever you want to get out of your system, pretty much. Electrically it doesn't matter if the tampers are on one zone of 30 zones. The only time the one zone setup will be a pain in the ass is when and if you ever have to troubleshoot an issue with multiple devices on the same zone.

 

[dutchyn]

Another solution with Elk panels is the 4-state inputs. The installation and programming manual contains a wiring diagram on page 9.



Basically, open and short are tampered modes, and 2.2Kohm and 4.4Kohm indicating closed and open respectively. I asked in a previous topic how many were using this technique; not many as I recall. I intend to wire my motions and glass breaks in this way.

Chris D.

 

[signal15]

I was just looking through the manual an hour or so ago and ran across this. I will have to test this, it definitely looks interesting.

I'm testing with a Bosch motion sensor right now, and I couldn't get it to work with the resistor, I had to take it out to get it to work properly. Do some products have a built in resistor?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I'm testing with a Bosch motion sensor right now, and I couldn't get it to work with the resistor, I had to take it out to get it to work properly. Do some products have a built in resistor?

You mean resistors right?

I doubt it has a built in EOL, but you can just measure the resistance between the alarm contacts with a meter to make sure.

 

[signal15]

I'm testing with a Bosch motion sensor right now, and I couldn't get it to work with the resistor, I had to take it out to get it to work properly. Do some products have a built in resistor?

You mean resistors right?

I doubt it has a built in EOL, but you can just measure the resistance between the alarm contacts with a meter to make sure.

Eh, I misconfigured the zone in ElkRP, so that's why it wasn't working w/ a resistor.

Set it to type 4, and did the Four State Zone wiring above. It works... But when the alarm is not armed, it just throws a trouble code if I tamper with the sensor. Shouldn't it actually set the alarm off? The trouble code just goes away when I reassemble the sensor. Is there a way to make it set off the alarm if the circuit goes to open or shorted?

 

[sic0048]

Do you really want the alarm to go off? I guess it doesn't matter if the system isn't being monitored or if you put all the tamper switches on partition that isn't monitored. But I'd hate to have the police come to my house because something happened to one of my outside covers. Giving an error code is better IMHO as long as you pay attention to the keypad befoe actually arming it. If there is a trouble code displayed, then that means you need to go check on the sensors. No code = good to go.

 

[signal15]

Do you really want the alarm to go off? If guess it doesn't matter if the system isn't being monitored or if you put all the tamper switches on partition that isn't monitored. But I'd hate to have the police come to my house because something happened to one of my outside covers. Giving an error code is better IMHO as long as you pay attention to the keypad befoe actually arming it. If there is a trouble code displayed, then that means you need to go check on the sensors. No code = good to go.

You do bring up a good point, even though the sensors are outside, I'm not going to use them to actually set off the alarm when motion is detected. I'm just going to use them to announce the presence of motion over the speakers in the house.

It would be nice to have the option of setting off the alarm though. My old Ademco system in my last place would set off the alarm if anyone tampered with sensors, and the only reason I knew is because I accidentally set it off. But in 7.5 years, I never had a problem with it false alarming when no one was home.