Risco Agility 3 Wireless Security System First Impressions

[arfur mo]

Well hello everyone, long time no see .

like a lot of others, i was dead against wireless systems, First ones i experienced were very large, had awful battery life and lacked reliability to signal.

Being a Gardtec fan, about 6 years ago i started using their hybrid conversion panels mainly to fit pir's to detached work shops or shock sensors at reasonable prices, without the hassles and labour of cabling. found Gardtec wireless options to generally be as wired,

I bet the above will raise a few hackles amongst traditionalists, not to get inti wired/wireless debates here, this is just my own view, consider the faults that can occur with conventional detection, like damaged cables due to rodents or carpet fitters, the experience and engineers skills needed to accurately trace and determine if it is a cable issue, customer error, environmental or the device, then compare against quickly swapping out a 'suspect' wireless detector, where effectively your changing everything back to the panel, wireless viability imho is greatly improved.

Of late i have used more and more Agility 2 panels, i find them extremely versatile and reliable and the clients find them easy to use. The wireless detectors fit across the Gardtec Risco range, so keeping variant stocks needed of spares is low.

I travelled up to Leicester yesterday to see a Risco presentation, just to say travelled 2.5 house on my Honda Silverwing 600 in those 59mph+ cross winds that tried to turn my crash helmet around, just to see this panel, shows my depth of respect fir the product.

It is a new updated software, and good news is if you have earlier Agility 2 keypads they can be updated via a pc link, so again less different options needed to stock, making an upgrade cheaper to do.

Big headline news is the wireless camera detectors, you can have up to 8 on the 32 zones available, they take upto 7 images on an alert, and can send them to smart phones or ARC's if required. The uses if these cameras which give very acceptable but not hi res images, are only limited by the imagination.

considering out the box even the Agility 2 offers voice dialler with full English (and others) Library descriptions, digicom, UDL, audio verification and by adding the GPRS and/or the IP boards it can have more than dual path transmission and verification routes.

For the unregistered installers like me, using this kit and the services of Matthews monitoring, allows a degree of competition that has denied to us by the URN rules, unfairly on the assumption 'if not registered your not worthy' regardless of the actual installers ability and quality offered.

arfur mo

Arfur Mo

[james.wilson]

Got any pics of it arfur, also yes id agree on the urn thing but there is a separate debate on that. Wb btw

[AdrianMealing]

James, have a look here http://www.riscogroup.com/products.aspx?id=45&subcatid=249

[arfur mo]

Got any pics of it arfur, also yes id agree on the urn thing but there is a separate debate on that. Wb btw

not to hand but available on the Risco site, not any real difference in casings between the v2 and 3 other than a 3 bar emblem near the programming press switch.

i think this kit could used with camera detectors could easily be used for anti-pilfering needs, the camera even has an IR Flash for dark use, perhaps to watch older clocking in/out stations where one 'helpful' guy clocks everyone in/out fraudulently costing the company fortunes in overtime, but for that use it might need a local 3v supply due to all the transmissions.

Back in the day i worked for Combat Alarms on service, they used to advertise in Yellow Pages and claim to instal a system within 4 hours of a phone call 24/7 365 - and we did!

We used ti carry a box if kit, on service, only thing screwed down was the outside bell, cables were run using elastoplas, hung of picture frames etc. Controls had sockets that accepted coffee table legs and got plonked down in the hall near to nearest socket.

Service engineer got a bonus if they signed up so you kept the customer service image up .

it was not meant ti be permanent, just until we could get there with an installation crew (and tbh they had some really good installation engineers). it brought in tons of work, and resulted in contracts signed up due to the now proven fast response. Clients believed if we could turn out that quick and restore their security - and the only company that offered it was a win win winner all the way.

Today you could offer this service using radio kit, GSM sim - and a oack blue tack lol!

[matthew.brough]

Welcome back to tsi.

I was the R&D teams of UTC the past couple of days and nearly all the new products and existing ones sold in parts if Europe are exactly the setup you describe. All wireless and GPRS to the arc but its doesn't yet seem to have taken off here.

I too haven't been a huge fan of wireless but the modern kit does seem to be of a much better standard than the days of old and the quick and clean installation is certainly attractive to a res. taking approval out of the way, what stops the end user doing self install as in other parts of the world?

[breff]

Arfur is back.......................................

[matthew.brough]

Arfur is back.......................................

Should make things more interesting.

[whistle]

Should make things more interesting.

Just a bit..

Don't mention the neon screwdriver what ever you do

[breff]

lol

[arfur mo]

Just a bit..

Don't mention the neon screwdriver what ever you do

as it happens ........... lol!

thanks guys,