I’m looking at modernizing an old Moose system with lots of hardwired sensors in our house, and the Qolsys panel along with the 16 zone translator looks like a good choice. Right now we have a keypad right near our garage entry so I was thinking of locating the Qolsys panel there, but since that’s a primary entry into the house, I’m concerned about the panel being smashed. My questions:
If the main Qolsys panel is smashed, what happens with the rest of the system in the house? Will the things I have hooked up to the 16 zone translator (somewhere else in the house) still function? If I have a siren hardwired to the translator, will it sound? What if I have a wireless siren on the system, will it sound? Just looking for more info in general how this system behaves when it’s smashed.
If the main Qolsys panel is smashed, what happens with the rest of the system in the house? Will the things I have hooked up to the 16 zone translator (somewhere else in the house) still function?
Probably not, as there will be nothing to receive the signals. As for the siren, I don’t think you can use it with the hardwire translator. I think you either need to wire the siren/sounder directly to panel, or go zwave.
If the panel is smashed/destroyed, no sensors, sirens will continue to work. You should install the panel per manufacturer’s specs (which in most cases, is usually center of home for optimal signaling, not at front entry. Use secondary panels for entry points. Qolsys may be different from say 2GIG though in this regard, but I doubt it).
The smash and crash protection is alarm.com. Once a delay entry sensor is triggered, it sends a signal to ADC something to the effect “delay entry sensor triggered, standby for alarm, or disarm confirmation”. If neither occur a smash and crash alarm event is assumed, and if you have Central Station, contact is made, and/or AHJ dispatch occurs.
You cannot use any existing hardwired life safety devices such as Heats, Smokes, or CO with a takeover.
If the main Qolsys panel is smashed, what happens with the rest of the system in the house?
The primary control panel is the brain and communication hub for the system. Should it be destroyed your system components will have nothing to direct signals to.
The point of Crash and Smash is to ensure the alarm signal from the current pending event is not lost due to someone rushing your panel and destroying it prior to the end of a dialer delay or entry delay period.
If someone kicks in the front door, initiating entry delay, this signal is received by Alarm.com. Should communication be disrupted and there not be a follow up disarm or alarm signal, it is treated as an alarm.
That’s why I got to wondering how that thing behaves if/when the controller is destroyed.
So is it typical to locate the main controller centrally? The options for putting a secondary Qolsys keypad near my entry are pretty dismal right now (just need something to type in a code on that doesn’t look ridiculous on the wall - the IQ2 is overkill).
That’s why I got to wondering how that thing behaves if/when the controller is destroyed.
That’s a good thought, considering the Hardwire 16 is separately powered and would not have additional signals passed from the IQ if it was smashed. The hardwired siren might continue. I’ll see if I can confirm.
There won’t be a ton of options regarding secondary keypads. Development for one won’t be pursued by the manufacturer if the use case is not high demand. Other secondary panels would likely have as many or more features than the IQ2 I would guess, but cannot say for certain.
2GIG does have two options, the TS1 and PAD1. Something like the PAD1 may not be likely given the reliance on wifi.
Something like 2gig’s PAD1 for Qolsys would be great. I was hoping there would just be some basic GE keypad that could integrate, but there doesn’t seem to be. Overall I don’t think it’s enough to make me go for a 2gig system over Qolsys, but it is something we really want since we’ve gotten used to these keypads with our old alarm.