What sort of alarm system/wiring is this?
#1
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What sort of alarm system/wiring is this?
I recently bought a house that was built in 2010. There is a box of wires in a closet. See attached picture.
An electrician told me that the wires indicated with the red arrow are for a security system. There are actually two different alarm system keypads installed in the house. See attached pictures. However, I cannot tell what, if anything, they are connected to, and I don't see anything that appears to be a control panel for an alarm. Additionally, the wires indicated with the red arrow are obviously not connected to anything.
How would I go about figuring out what exactly this stuff is, and how I could get it connected to a control panel and working? Can anybody tell just from the pictures of the keypads what type of system this is, what sort of control panel I need, etc?
I'm not opposed to replacing the keypads with something more up to date. My end goal is to have a system with remote monitoring that I can control (and get notifications) from my smartphone. I had an alarm.com wireless system at my old house, which I liked, but if these pictures indicate that I already have hardwired sensors in this house, I suppose I would prefer to use those...
Thanks in advance.
An electrician told me that the wires indicated with the red arrow are for a security system. There are actually two different alarm system keypads installed in the house. See attached pictures. However, I cannot tell what, if anything, they are connected to, and I don't see anything that appears to be a control panel for an alarm. Additionally, the wires indicated with the red arrow are obviously not connected to anything.
How would I go about figuring out what exactly this stuff is, and how I could get it connected to a control panel and working? Can anybody tell just from the pictures of the keypads what type of system this is, what sort of control panel I need, etc?
I'm not opposed to replacing the keypads with something more up to date. My end goal is to have a system with remote monitoring that I can control (and get notifications) from my smartphone. I had an alarm.com wireless system at my old house, which I liked, but if these pictures indicate that I already have hardwired sensors in this house, I suppose I would prefer to use those...
Thanks in advance.
#2
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Those keypads are for a Honeywell Vista control panel. The Panel itself usually lives in a beige steel cabinet roughly the size of a bathroom medicine cabinet and may be inconspicuous in a utility area somewhere--I've seen them mounted beside/ behind water heaters and furnaces. I've even seen a few located inside obscure hatches in basement crawlways and attics.
The first two keypads pictured look like model 6150. I don't recognize the third KP but it looks like it could be a newer customized version I haven't encountered because I retired about 8 years ago.
The keypads, especially the last one, indicate that the system isn't that old--it's definitely worth the effort to track down and use the control panel. All Honeywell's keypads are cross-and-back-compatible with the whole range of Control Panel models, so it's impossible to tell from the keypads which Panel Model you have. If you locate the cabinet, the model number will be on the diagram inside the door: It'll be something like Vista-10SE or Vista-15P or Vista-20P (most common in homes) or something like that.
I definitely recommend using any hardwired sensors already installed. There's a general consensus among alarm techs that hardwired sensors are superior in terms of reliability and maintenance.
The first two keypads pictured look like model 6150. I don't recognize the third KP but it looks like it could be a newer customized version I haven't encountered because I retired about 8 years ago.
The keypads, especially the last one, indicate that the system isn't that old--it's definitely worth the effort to track down and use the control panel. All Honeywell's keypads are cross-and-back-compatible with the whole range of Control Panel models, so it's impossible to tell from the keypads which Panel Model you have. If you locate the cabinet, the model number will be on the diagram inside the door: It'll be something like Vista-10SE or Vista-15P or Vista-20P (most common in homes) or something like that.
I definitely recommend using any hardwired sensors already installed. There's a general consensus among alarm techs that hardwired sensors are superior in terms of reliability and maintenance.
#3
Welcome to the forums.
That connection box in your picture is where the network, phone and cable wires get connected. The alarm wiring doesn't usually appear there but in your case it may. Look at the ends of those white cables. A keypad requires four wires while zone switches only require two. Those cable may need to be brought out of there and connected to an alarm panel. Strange though. Usually if the keypads are installed...... so is the panel.
That connection box in your picture is where the network, phone and cable wires get connected. The alarm wiring doesn't usually appear there but in your case it may. Look at the ends of those white cables. A keypad requires four wires while zone switches only require two. Those cable may need to be brought out of there and connected to an alarm panel. Strange though. Usually if the keypads are installed...... so is the panel.
#4
The last “keypad” is a Honeywell lynx all in one panel.
It is pretty common in some areas to run the alarm wires in to a structured media cabinet like you have, Some SMC even have an alarm panel plate to mount the control panel PCB to.
It would appear that although your home was prewired, a previous owner had a wireless system installed.
It is pretty common in some areas to run the alarm wires in to a structured media cabinet like you have, Some SMC even have an alarm panel plate to mount the control panel PCB to.
It would appear that although your home was prewired, a previous owner had a wireless system installed.
#5
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The last “keypad” is a Honeywell lynx all in one panel.
Oops. That's why I didn't recognize it. The only time I worked for a company that installed the Lynx all-in-one panels, they had me at a desk; so I have almost no field experience with them.
Oops. That's why I didn't recognize it. The only time I worked for a company that installed the Lynx all-in-one panels, they had me at a desk; so I have almost no field experience with them.
#6
Actually the first keypad could be a 5828v keypad ! A wireless keypad that is compatible with the lynx plus aka the last keypad. The lynx plus is a talking all in one alarm system with wireless capabilities. And the first keypad is a wireless keypad that controls the lynx plus in other locations. It should be powered by a double a batteries and attached to a 12v ac
#7
Your system is also compatible with Honeywell total connect so you will be able to remote arm and stuff. You would want to buy the wifi commucator or 4G card commucator for that feature. I use to have a lynx touch that has a touch screen that could do that. I used alarm grid as my provider and it was only 10 dollars a month.
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Thanks for all the replies. If the Lynx Plus is wireless, does anybody know what I would use the wires in my structured media cabinet that the electrician said are alarm wires?
Would I find which wires are connected to which sensors, and then connect those wires to a control panel, which would then in turn communicate wirelessly with the Lynx?
Or, if I want to use the wired sensors, do I have to completely abandon the existing Lynx and 5828v keypads and basically start over?
Would I find which wires are connected to which sensors, and then connect those wires to a control panel, which would then in turn communicate wirelessly with the Lynx?
Or, if I want to use the wired sensors, do I have to completely abandon the existing Lynx and 5828v keypads and basically start over?
#9
The lynx plus does not support wired sensor to the best of my knowledge and is a wireless system only. What kind of sensors does your door have ? A picture of it would determine if you have a wired or wireless sensor or even both