Replacement Alarm / Sab

[matthew.brough]

Disclaimer - I'm not an engineer, but I have had a Yale alarm for testing for a while.

 

It does seem fairly reliable (alarm signals get through), it doesn't false alarm, it doesn't detect jamming when there is none (it doesn't detect jamming when there is jamming though), battery life seems OK.

 

It is trivially easy to jam and has a number of other electronic vulnerabilities.

 

But the panel has no configurability at all. The sensors all default to entry zone, so you have plenty of time to get in and rip the panel off the wall. The manual doesn't even really explain why you'd want to alter any settings.

Not surprised. When A1 sold via b&q and gave people choices I'm sure that lit up the technical helpline which in the end seemed to send them bust. Al on entry ore configured. Can't go wrong.

[Lwillis]

It doesn't false alarm, when it's supposed too?

May or may not work when required.

Allows plenty of time to empty the lounge.

Sounds that a good system to me.

[matthew.brough]

It doesn't false alarm, when it's supposed too?

May or may not work when required.

Allows plenty of time to empty the lounge.

Sounds that a good system to me.

Agreed. If I was a robber I'd rate it 5*

[Lwillis]

Think I'll have a change or "career" . ..... Now where's that swag bag and balaclava

[Boxshifter]

Has anyone investigated who now owns Friedland??

http://www.friedland.co.uk/en-GB/contactus/Pages/default.aspx

Maybe our favourite wholesaler might start selling it....

[james.wilson]

Just go out and hunt the yale boxes. Advertising to all they have a ***** system.

cg, in your opinion can you give a top 10 chart styles countdown of what you have tested?

[cybergibbons]

Best - Texecom. It's pretty secure. Mesh works. Everything looks like it has been designed by the same team, build quality is excellent. 

 

Pretty Good - Pyronix Enforcer. Pretty secure. Few odd quirks (if you remove a detector whilst panel is off, it arms fine later). The panel has the feel that it is bodged together, too complex.

 

Pretty Good - Visonic PowerG. Pretty secure. They have crippled the FHSS in the model here - 4 freqs at 64 hop/s. Can't see how it meets regulatory requirements like this. 

 

Bad - A popular grade 2 system. Meets the spec, but that is it. Has three different RF frontends in it, which limits use of neat tricks and means development is complex. 

 

Really bad - Yale. Easily jammed. Pin sent in clear. 

 

Really bad - Friedland SL. Lots of models siren based. Easily jammed. 

 

I have more but no others stand out!

 

Bidirectional radio, in my opinion, is the biggest thing to improve security.

[james.wilson]

So you prefer 2 way in security.

thanks for above too

[matthew.brough]

Without an engineer having anywhere near cgs knowledge, if you'd have asked him to write the same list don't you think it would look pretty similar?

[cybergibbons]

Without an engineer having anywhere near cgs knowledge, if you'd have asked him to write the same list don't you think it would look pretty similar?

 

It's clear that care in one aspect (protocol design) carries through to things like PCB design, case design, and better usability.

 

I wish Visonic would respond on the FHSS limitations, as it makes a pretty good system much weaker.