Needing some sensors to be wireless, I decided to look at solutions offering Two-way Wireless with Multichannel, Frequency Hopping and AES Encryption. It is for a security system, after all.
I got quite happy with ELK’s support for this until I discovered that they a) can’t do two-way voice (between alarm location and the central station) over their cellular communication link and b) can’t do alarm.com. Bummer too because programming and automation support with that panel looked pretty sweet.
I see that Qolsys encrypts communication with its S-Line devices, but I don’t see anything about spread spectrum, and Qolsys is alarm.com or nothing (not a show-stopper, but it puts you in a corner). It looks like there may be plans for Qolsys to eventually support PowerG, but I need something very soon.
PowerG wireless seems to fit the bill really well, so maybe a DSC system is in the cards for me; either the Powerseries Neo or the iotega. A potential downside of DSC though, it could be days or more before I can get to the house and it is not looking like it will be easy to find an alarm technician familiar with DSC. My investigation so far into local technicians is turning up Honeywell everywhere I look.
Does anyone know if I could somehow get encrypted, spread spectrum wireless (between panel and devices) with a Honeywell Vista or Interlogix Concord 4?
thanks!
Bill
As far as frequency hopping goes, you would not be able to use the PowerG devices with the Concord 4 or Vista. only the DSC panels specifically the Neo could be compatible with Alarm.com and utilize the PowerG sensors at this time. The Neo would be 2-Way Voice capable.
Although we have heard rumblings (no ETA) that the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 would be compatible in the future, some more on that here.
Thank you Tyler,
I’ve been hoping there might be other (non-PowerG/non-Visonic) encrypted, spread spectrum, two-way wireless options that I could somehow get to work with a Honeywell Vista or Interlogix Concord 4, but I’m coming up empty.
Honeywell’s Lyric talks to Six Series Sensors using encryption and two-way, but aside from what looks like unsubstantiated claims by others that they also use spread spectrum, I haven’t seen anything in the Honeywell literature that says they use spread spectrum. I’m guessing that it is probably a long shot that one could get them to work with a Vista anyway.
I’m guessing that it is probably a long shot that one could get them to work with a Vista anyway.
Six Series sensors are for use with the Lyric only as far as I am aware, (they use 2.4ghz, not the standard honeywell 5800 sensors’ 345mhz) and the Lyric is not compatible with Alarm.com service at this time.