Who fits what?

[Guest]

Take a look at the Odyssey 4 sounders, I was looking at moving to Elmdene, but after testing a couple of Odyssey 4's I decided to stick to good old Texecom!

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I was going to go back to the Azura 360's but the Odyssey 4's seem to be a newer version of them.

Think I'll order up a Premier panel, Odyssey 4 and a couple of Prestige PIR's next week to get a feel of a proper system!

Does anyone use the UDL software when first commisioning the system or is it more of a gimmick? I use software for initial programming and any major re-programming on PBX's and find it easier than trying to navigate through the menus on a handset, I'm assuming the principal is the same for alarm systems.

[CompostCORNER]

We program the Premier on-site as it keeps the installation engineers enthusiastic. Programming the equipment at the end in my opinion is the cushy part of the job and installers deserve this 'cushy' time although it's usually only about 10 minutes. They then upload the info to our CS and the U/D feature is used from then on.

I always believe the installation team should program the panel on-site. Stuck in my ways I guess.

[Guest S&K SYSTEMS]

TEXECOM ROOL OK used to fit ADE IN domestic premisses now only fit veitasR8/8+

and EXCELS with LCD PADS and as for sounders pirs detectors and all the other bits TEXECOM fantastic there tech service brill :!: :!: :!:

[black knight]

The company i work for uses europlex(aplex, verifier & 3GS) for two of our biggest customers and galaxy for a big supermarkey chain. we also use the newish scantronic panels for the smller industrial / shop jobs that we do.

I was bought up during my formative years with Scantronic albeit modern alarms versions of them so these are the ones that I prefer.

In my Defender days we used c/k 700l/800l panels which I found an excellent small panel.

When it comes to domestics (I occasionally do charity work at weekends ), then I usually use the Scantronic 9448+ which I find to be a cheap reliable, easy to program 7 zone panel and very easy for an end user to use.

If I did a bigger job I

[bellman]

Hi All,

I mainly look after Galaxy stuff these days, but I cut my teeth on Menvier and Scantronic stuff, highly recommended and been around for years.

I've also used Castle care-tech, Aritech, DSC, Bentley, Racal Guardall, Europlex, ADE, D.A. Systems, Pyronix, A1, C&K and Texecom.

Of that lot had most problems with Texecom, A1 and ADE stuff.

I left the last firm I worked for because I was sick and tired of being called out to repair the Texecoms. I don't bother to repair them these days (I occasionally see them on small jobs we take over), I just replace them with a nice Galaxy 16 or an Accord.

One thing I will mention though, Asking a group of alarm engineers opinions on choice of panel is like asking who's the best football team. you'll get eleventy million responces all recommending different equipment, as different engineers work on different types of jobs.

some only look after small domestics, some small / medium size businesses and others large commercial / industrial. some work on all types (like me) also familiarity with a range of equipment has a great bearing on percieved "Value"

I don't think that there's any "perfect" panels out there, compramises are always made somewhere down the line. so my advice would probably be stick with what you find works best for you, and has the right features and facillities you require.

Don't be afraid to try out different equipment though. But if you do decide to experement a little ALWAYS make sure you do it in the workshop or on the test bench FIRST! as this will give you the chance to get your head around the programming and installation methods in comfort as well as finding out what's "niggly" or "troublesome" before looking like a plonker in front of the customer at 6:45 on a friday night when you hit an unexpected glitch and you've been scratching your head for an hour.

Just my thoughts

Regards

Bellman

[stevehaley]

i have to agree the Veritas is spot on for a small domestic system. easy to program and easy for the customer, Pyronix and the small Gardtec panels aint to bad either. I am a old Eurplex and Galaxy man, i like the menvier range of panels but to be honest Galaxy is the one for me . I have just completed giving galaxy training on engineers that worked on Gardiner and they love the Galaxy , i have converted some more engineers. i have a Siteguard 500 at home. someone has to have one.

[Guest]

Thank's for your input bellman, I did think something along those lines when I originally posted but I was more wondering if what I had said made sense as opposed to trying to find the 'best' panel out there, (as I know everyone will say the Galaxy!).

I was going to do as you say with setting up a new panel in the workshop anyway, I like to know what something is capable of before recommending a customer spends several hundred pounds having one installed. If I do get into alarms in a big way I may look at training for the Galaxy but until then I'm going to have to stick to the Texecom, and/or possibly the Scantronic 9448 and 9800.

I suppose getting hold of one of every panel produced just to test it out could get a bit expensive so just narrowing down to a few is a good start!

Many thanks to all who have inputted so far, I've been looking at all the panels that have been mentioned, even managed to identify a couple of panels that I've seen in properties but never known what they were!

[Guest linea]

dont bother fitting an alarm to a domestic.

Stick a couple of dummys up cost a tenner charge a ton, glorious no call outs customer knows exactly what there getting and best of all they dont get some dum security installer bodging a system into there home like the best part of you. And you can do 10 houses a day a grand.

alright they may not be fully secured but 95% of houses with an alarm dont get burgled just tell them not to tell the burglers there not real. if needs be stick a couple of flashy lights in.

Think about it if you were the standard druggie burgler would you rob the house with the flashy bellbox or the house next door with out.

Another thing is there is no worries of false alarms, the only down side is theres no service contract, but still bung a few cameras in (theres another couple a hundred squid) so the dont have to answer the door to aggressive //.National Installer.// sales prats then least there something thats not going to piss em of in the middle of the night with a stupid pizo ring in ya ear and they wont get neighbours round in the morning asking if you heard the alien space ship hovering around there double bay window at around one AM

"oh thanks for running round at the sound of an alarm PILLOCK I MIGHT OF BEEN BURGLED"

Any way im of to drill afew holes in the wall whilst you lot work like slaves for a pitance and probaly for some **** company who conform to the monopoly kings known as nacoss, and the worst thing is you probably enjoy it, ive met some of you whom i would consider to be on the same level as a parking attendant.

Face it the security industry ripps of the customer so much to the extent that it was probably a better idea to stick a sighn on the wall of ya house with

"burgle me asap i need insurance money"

theyed probably make money if they hid all there valubles.

nuff seid ill be back with more rants about the obscure world we work in.

[Guest linea]

"Intruder alarms dont prevent burglaries they detect intruders and raise an alarm once detected."

anyone open to this rediculous statment!

"Decoy box,s although a detterant will neither prevent a burglary or detect an intruder"

define the word deterrant please?

"This industry is certainly no ripp off its idiots that undersell this trade that is causing the lack of skill."

To certain extent agree but most domestics are won on price not who does it!

"A trained monkey can fit an alarm but only a trained engineer can install one properly, and to train an engineer it costs money."

Very true problem is a trained monkey is cheaper to run unless you train an engineer yourslf then pay him like a monkey.

A trained monkey can fit an alarm but only a trained engineer can install one properly, and to train an engineer it costs money.

"It may seem cheap to buy a system and install it your self, but if you get a false alarm every two or three days cus you have not installed it correctly you have exactly what you paid for a cheap system. If you pay for a proffesional job it should not give you a problem. (if it does it is ussually repaired quickly )"

proffessional job under whoms terms may a "proffesional" job be done.

"The difference is education and time , it cost companies thousands of pounds in investment in training for young lads, proffesional engineers expect a decent wage expect to pay for quality."

Problem with alot of companies is that as soon as a trainee can drive the trainee may as well be an engineer and a well trained cheap one at that so the thousands of pounds training is saved in unpaid wages!

and what is a decent wage tell all BOSS

"Until you get to sit in the seat of running a company"

sounds like its all getting a bit to much though im doing just fine.

"I suggest you shut up cause you know nothing and it shows"

I suggest I shut up oo hit a nerve its all getting a bit bitchy in here and the big boss

with honours Started it. Love to know how you entered this industry as someone is obviously fed you some shoot.

oooh its like eastenders ya just cant say a word without getting in to an argument

next to reply be sensible.

[Service Engineer]

Face it the security industry ripps of the customer so much to the extent that it was probably a better idea to stick a sighn on the wall of ya house with

"burgle me asap i need insurance money"

You make a STUPID comment like that and then expect SENSIBLE replies