Wireless door sensors nx458 vs TX-1510-01-1

[hawhoo]

I have about 10 NX 458 door sensors and the batteries are dying.
Since the batteries are not replaceable (on the NX458) I need to switch out all units.
After goggling a bit I found the TX-1510-01-1 which is praised as a direct replacement of the NX458.
http://www.gesecurity.com/portal/site/GESe...p;seriesyn=true
As long as the batteries were Ok I had no problems with the NX458's, but I really like the idea of the field replicable batteries in the tx1510.
I found both of the sensors for $200 + (lots of 10) on eBay. That seems half the price then other online stores

Has anybody used the TX-1510? Or has experience with the Tx-1510 vs the NX458?

 

[Sandpiper]

I have about 10 NX 458 door sensors and the batteries are dying.
Since the batteries are not replaceable (on the NX458) I need to switch out all units.
After goggling a bit I found the TX-1510-01-1 which is praised as a direct replacement of the NX458.
http://www.gesecurity.com/portal/site/GESe...p;seriesyn=true
As long as the batteries were Ok I had no problems with the NX458's, but I really like the idea of the field replicable batteries in the tx1510.
I found both of the sensors for $200 + (lots of 10) on eBay. That seems half the price then other online stores

Has anybody used the TX-1510? Or has experience with the Tx-1510 vs the NX458?

Yes. I've have installed the 1510. No problems. Is the NX458 the same diameter? I know the 1510 is 5/8" which is odd for an alarm sensor.

 

[wuench]

I have about 10 NX 458 door sensors and the batteries are dying.
Since the batteries are not replaceable (on the NX458) I need to switch out all units.
After goggling a bit I found the TX-1510-01-1 which is praised as a direct replacement of the NX458.
http://www.gesecurity.com/portal/site/GESe...p;seriesyn=true
As long as the batteries were Ok I had no problems with the NX458's, but I really like the idea of the field replicable batteries in the tx1510.
I found both of the sensors for $200 + (lots of 10) on eBay. That seems half the price then other online stores

Has anybody used the TX-1510? Or has experience with the Tx-1510 vs the NX458?

Yes. I've have installed the 1510. No problems. Is the NX458 the same diameter? I know the 1510 is 5/8" which is odd for an alarm sensor.

I was sent some of these by Automated Outlet when I ordered NX-458s. They are NOT direct replacements. They are wider and and shorter, and don't have a lip on them. The NX-458 can be flush mounted or mounted with the lip holding the sensor in place. These new sensors can only be flush mounted, so if you didn't mount your NX-458 flush, you will need to widen the hole. They do come with a bracket/frame, but it still may not work for you in all cases.

Personally I think wireless was one of the stupidest decisions I made, especially with the NX-458's. You have no idea how long they sat on the shelf so the battery life is no where near 10 years (try 2-3 in a lot of cases.) I am working to replace mine with wired sensors, I am done with batteries.

 

[ddennerline]

I have six GE DesignLine TX-1010-01-1 installed on double-hung windows. I like the sensor because they are much thinner than NX-454. In addition, the batteries (CR2032 3v) for the TX-1010-01-1 are easy to find. I just purchased 12 batteries from AMZ for a pittance. The sensor fits nicely on the sash and is barely noticeable.

I did have a false positive last month where a TX-1010-01-1 triggered an alarm. The alarm company called me and police came. The police officer and I found that the window was not opened – nor had it been tampered with.

I called Elk technical support, and they indicated there’s not much that can be done to diagnose problem. They indicated that I should check the batteries. I did check both batteries with multi-meter (DMM). The first battery was marginally lower than second one. I suspect as you mentioned, the batteries may have been sitting around for a while or the initial batter quality was questionable.

I replaced this sensor with new one. In addition, I enabled the Communicator>ZoneRCs>Restoral feature, so if the wireless sensor accidentally trips at least alarm company will see that time delta between open/close is zero seconds. Initially, this was first troubleshooting step Elk technical support wanted me complete. The unsecured/secured timestamps were identical.

This is only false alarm in one year, so I am not yet thinking about tearing apart expensive window moldings drilling holes, running wire, repairing wallboard, and repainting walls.

I decided to just replace the batteries every year because a DMM does not reliably evaluate batteries’ discharge capabilities. You need some sort of load tester such as a Pulse Load batter tester. ZTZ sells one for $30. You would then need to evaluate each battery and replace the weak ones. I am not sure if testing would save money in long term since 100 batteries only cost $43.

On a separate note, Elk was “still evaluating†whether the DesignLine sensors are officially supported – even though they are direct replacements for older NX-XXX sensors. The http://www.elkproducts.com/pdf/M1XRF2G_Wireless_Receiver.pdf still has not been updated to indicate if sensors are supported. I really hope all three DesignLine sensors will be added to list (it's been over seven months since inquiry was sent).

 

[ddennerline]

According to http://www.gesecurity.com/portal/GESDownlo...pe=Data%20Sheet, batteries are supposed to last five years. I really question this number especially if door is constantly being opened closed.
The hole size can be correct by:

1. Place a 1x6 over the hole
2. Measure and mark where existing hole is located
3. Use 1†drill bit
4. Place masking tape 3†from bottom of drill bit
5. Drill new hole into 1x6 and door frame; the 1x6 provides stability and makes a cleaner hole IMHO
6. Cut off a 2†piece of 1†dowel
7. Add some glue to dowel and push into into door frame
8. Drill a new hole for TX-1510-1-1