I’m providing the following for those that have similar cellular connectivity issues with their alarm system and may be looking for a solution to improve RF signal strength.
I have a Interlogix 600-1053-LTE-VZ Cellular module (Surety/Alarm.com service) that is connected to my Concord 4 alarm panel. Although it supports both cellular and ethernet connectivity I found that the cellular connection is sporadic since I’m on the fringe of LTE coverage.
The Interlogix alarm module comes with two “paddle” antennas. I’m sure that in an urban area its sufficient but in a rural area but the length of the coax is rather short and makes placement of the module and antennas problematic for obtaining good signal. To correct this, I decided to replace the existing “paddle” antennas with an outdoor antenna.
Recognizing that the existing antennas are for the Verizon LTE frequency spectrum, I opted to use a Proxicast MIMO 3G/4G/LTE Omni-Directional Antenna (model # ANT-121-M22) mounted at 25’ above grade. I won’t bore you with the technical details but needless to say, the setup works perfectly. I have yet to loose the cellular link.
Typically you will not need the extra power, but in cases where it is necessary, external or powered antennae can definitely help. Thank you for confirming that model works well with the Interlogix Concord LTE module!
It looks like from the product images that it has a screw-on male connector, and an adapter may be needed to connect the antenna to the Concord module. Did it come with any cable connector adapters?
Attached is a diagram of the components I used. All of the coaxial cables were pre-connectorized so there were no mismatches or need for adapters. The 12" SMA/MMCX pigtails used to connect to the alarm module were also pre-connectorized and the MMCX connectors are right-angle to enable proper connection to the alarm RF module.
All components had matching impedances and you’ll notice that I also installed lightning arrestors. The height of 25’ above grade worked perfectly for me but others may require a different height for optimum connectivity.
I did not work up a link budget but the gain of the antenna should exceed the cable and connector losses.
