| Wired or wireless? This article will help you to decide which system is best suited to your needs. IntroductionAs you should know, all intruder alarm systems comprise:
Each type has its advantages and disadvantages as follows. Hard-wired intruder alarmsHard-wired systems use multi-core colour-coded sheathed cable (normally 6 cores) For the amateur installer, the simplest way is to run individual cables from each detector and signalling device back to the control panel. AdvantagesHard-wired systems are more secure and more reliable than wireless systems. Hard-wired systems are also considerably cheaper from the component point of view, but bear in mind the labour involved in fitting the system. In an ideal world, the cabling would be fitting at the 'first fix' stage of building the property, and of course many new-build properties are pre-wired for alarm systems. The other big advantage of hard wired systems is their versatility; with wireless systems you are constrained as to the devices that can be connected to the system, that is you can only use devices that are designed for use with that system. With Hard-wired systems, any hard wired detectors sounders etc. can be connected, which allows for a large range of detectors and other devices to be connected. DisadvantagesThe main,and probably the only, disadvantage is in the ease and tidiness of the installation. It can be difficult to route and hide the cables, although with good planning very tidy installations can be achieved. Wireless intruder alarmsWireless systems use a digital radio transmission to communicate between the various alarm components. There are two major frequency bands in current UK use - 433.92Mhz and 868.21Mhz. More modern systems now use the 868Mhz frequency, but 433MHz is still in widespread use. The 433Mhz band has a slightly longer range than the 868MHz but the 433MHz band is cluttered with other devices such as door bells and car key fobs, whereas the 868MHz is less used for these devices.AdvantagesThe big advantage with wireless systems is their ease of installation, for example, a typical system can be fitted in 2 hours or less. The alarm system can be taken with you when you move house with minimum disruption. Adding extra detectors to the system is very simple - the new detector is simply 'taught' into the system. DisadvantagesWireless alarm systems are relatively expensive - typically costing two to three times that of hard-wired alarm systems. Click or more information on Security Grades. The detectors and other devices rely on batteries for power which have to be replaced every 1.5 - 2 years. There can be reliability problems particularly with some cheap imported wireless alarm kits. The wireless alarm equipment we supply is all fully-supervised, (there is a two-way communication between the control panel and the detector). The range of detectors is limited to detectors from the control panel manufacture.
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