Risco Wisdom Vs. Visonic Powermax+

[Nil]

Thank you for your answers!

Now I know more about alarms.

I'm now thinking like this:

It's probably not worth waiting for Agility, it is likely to be more expensive than Wisdom and it is very uncertain when it will be available. It doesn't matter to me if it is better looking since I'm gonna hide the control panel anyway and I don't need built in GSM communication since my telephone line goes underground.

I think I will go for magnetic contacts on the front door and the back door and one on each window that is accessible from the ground. That way I will be sure that each door and window is at least shut before I leave home. I will avoid magnetic contacts on inner doors because of the risk for false alarms when a door is not properly closed (thanks arfur mo).

I will not use shock sensors, due to the extra cost and to their sensitivity for moist from windows (thanks again arfur mo) except on the back door where there is a panel that could be kicked in.

I will also get two glass brake detectors, one to each room on the back of the basement floor where the risk for break in is the biggest, in case the burglar goes through the glass without actually opening the window.

I will only buy one motion detector and place it in the hallway on ground floor, in case the burglars break in through a window on the 1:st floor (using a ladder) or through the windows on the back side of ground floor (again using a ladder since these windows actually are one floor up) where I don't have glass break detection or magnetic contacts. That way they can't move through the house without setting off the alarm and they will not find anything worth stealing on the upper floor.

(I have a three storey house, two rooms with windows in basement floor, on the ground floor I have the front door and bathroom window plus kitchen windows on ground level, the windows towards the back side on the ground floor will be one floor up, and on the upper floor are only the childrens rooms with nothing of value.)

I will therefore need:

1 motion detector

2 glass break detectors (or 3 if I can afford one to the kitchen also)

1 shock sensor to the back door

12 magnetic contacts

(The alternative would be replacing the equipment above with 4 motion detectors.)

To this I need:

1 control panel

1 wireless remote panel so I can hide the control panel

1 remote control to my mother when she is taking care of the house when we are on holiday so she don't have to remember any code or get stressed

1 internal siren so I can turn off the siren in the control panel to make it more difficult to find

1 external siren so I will wake up the neighbours

What do you think about this?

Oh, I also have a wooden shed, with only one door and no windows, about 8 meters opposite the front door. I would like to protect the shed also since we have our expensive bicykles there plus garden equipment etc. The problem is that it is not isolated so there will be some minus degrees Celsius during our very cold winters here in Sweden. What will be best? A magnetic contact on the door or a motion detector inside? And will the equipment work when it is cold? Will it be ruined or will it just stop working when it is very cold and start functioning when it gets warmer or is there no problem with freezing temperatures?

Regards

[arfur mo]

hi,

thank you for the kind acknowledgements but they won't cut any ice with me -:

can i please re-enfoce - do NOT rely on the alarm setting to mean the doors/windows are locked or even held properly, that is simply NOT the way you should operate your system, trust me, if you were my client or on my service patch and i found out, you would be in for a hell of a retraining and a rollocking .

bad practice in using your system lowers you security, it is disrespectfiul of your keyholders and neighbours as it is they who have to attend or put up with the noise - so i'd serve you an ASBO (Absolute Stupidity By Owner) warning notice, you would not ever forget grrr!!.

its that important and so why i adressed it first, and yes everyone i really do talk to my erant customers this way, so now we can move on -:

with all respects we can't rubber stamp your design or equipment selections, as proffesionals what we select is based on a site visit, indiidual experience and sheer knowledge of the available products reliabilty and performance to tailor it to your system, for the risk presented - just to mention i've never been to sweden - yet .

got to say if its that cold - who wants to ride a bike enough to steal one?

i'd suggest look to use an external graded detector inside your shed, the product specification will tell you the temp range it works within.

good luck with your system, but if you not sure why not ask some local companies for quotes, you have not got to buy from them, and i'd bet non are as blunt as me, so you may decide as they will take on all the work and hassles, might be worth while you just making the coffee.

regs

alan

[truesecurity]

I have fitted a few Visonic Powermax + systems. Several with the K9-85 petproof pir in a shed or garage. My reckoning was that a pet tolerant pir would also be resistant to non domestic 'pets' like mice, rats or even the dreaded spider. No problems with them so far I have to say.

Not sure about the temperature thing though, England doesn't quite get as cold as Sweden, unless it's a bank holiday of course.

[NitroN]

Hi Nil,

While I think that the product you use is less important than the quality of the installation, it is also important (especially as a DIY installer) that you choose the product with the best technical assistance.

Both of these are good products, it is important to check the specifications of both, while this is not specific to detectors, it is also important to check out a detectors maximum, and minimum detector operating specifications in terms of heat, or more specifically in your case, cold. Some detectors are rated as -20 degrees to 20 degrees (Celsius), while others have lower and/or higher operating temperatures.

It is not impossible to DIY an effective alarm installation, but I have had several occasions where even electronic engineers have called me in to re-design and re-install their attempts at DIY alarms, which actually cost them more at the end of the day.

My advice is to get a few quotes, and then make up your mind, whether to DIY or get it done right first time.

While I am not sure about Sweden's regulations, I am sure that there are many more approved panels and detectors which may not be discussed on this forum; due to the restraints enforced by DD6662 (this is unique to the UK and not applicable in Sweden or to anywhere else in the world).

In my country we have no enforced standards relating to the installation of alarms, different regions have different norms, but generally we have high laid-down insurance requirements. Police do not regulate, as alarms are attended to by private armed response companies.

In coastal regions, the tendency is to place magnetic contacts on all accessible doors and windows and PIRs/ Dual techs in all areas containing valuable items. Inland areas often focus on Area detectors (PIRs/ Dual techs) and often limit magnetic contacts to only assessible exterior doors.

Electronic vibration sensors are used where necessary (it is important that the correct model is used for an application