I can tall you some things about Texecom, but I have no experience in Ajax systems.
First of all you should chose a alarm system based of which one would you like to use if HA is down.
#1 use and connection without HA. (I have Texecom ELite and I really like the remote connection, not the most attractive app, but for me it’s working solid every time)
#2 grade rating is good (Texecom Elite is grade 3 but grading is always depends from the alarm system settings. You can set up a grade 3 system easy to act like grade “0” …)
#3 Texecom Elite has one down side. It’s mqtt works only if you don’t want original texecom app push notifications. It is true if you have only one IP module. With texecom you can only use 1 Smart IP module and one PSTN module (if it is needed for your ARC). If you don’t need PSTN then you can have one Smart Com and one Com IP and you can use HA integration with Com IP and the original app With the Smart Com.
Texecom is strong in wireless detectors (wireless mesh network, built in thermal sensor, good performance, and they are look nice).
You can have some nice output control with texecom panels, I used the for irrigation and light control before HA
I had some tries with SIA (SIA DC-09) with an other alarm system (Ksenia), but it wasn’t working for me.
Yes, totally agree with you that if HA is down the alarm works perfectly as normal. In my old house I had a GuardSec alarm, it had a pin on the pcb which went “low” when the alarm was set. I built a ESPHome based circuit using a optoisolator to detect this change and then HA could “do stuff”. This meant that that the alarm wasn’t compromised if HA went down…
I was/am looking at the following Texecom Prem Elite system
Texecom prem Elite 64w, 4g Smartcom , PIRs and Door sensors
So do i understand it correctly that if I am to use dchesterton docker container (events via MQTT) then my mobile app wont receive alerts/alarm notifications?
if so then this is a deal breaker for me
[edit] Just read the FAQ section of his repo and yes, I need two com modules drat extra cost…and Id need a ethernet cable for the ComIP…
Smartcom4g has a 4g modem AND a WIFI modem, each is on its own com port, will this work? ie use Wifi for HA and 4g for the app?
I would suggest to use Elite 48 or 88 plus separate 8/32XP-W wireless zone expander.
The 64W is placed in a just enough plastic enclosure. You barely can fit a normal size 7Ah battery inside. I’ve place a 18Ah battery and I give power from the alarm system to the internet router, so it has uninterrupted power. You can this via one of the relay so if the texecom panel can’t “see” internet(IP communication error), it can restart the router.
Elite 48 and 88 metal enclosure have enough space battery and cable management. Also you can fit a realy module on the top of the pcb and you can use it for whatever you want.
The Smartcom modules use two com ports on the panel. Elite 48 and 88 has 3 com ports (you need a small converter to use digi comm port as normal com port, I got one with the Smartcom), so you can use one Smartcom and one ComIP, but I heard some rumors that not all panels 3rd comm port handles ComIP well. But these examples wasn’t using HA, but other 3rd party integration to surveilance integration. Only solid working 3 com port panels is the 640 but it is a brutal overkill for a normal house.
Since I use PSTN (Com300) I can’t use the 3rd com port, because they need the same panel connection
I hope these information helps you.
Oh, and for PIRs, always use quad pyro or dual tech (MW+PIR), especially if you have AC running when the system is armed. Basic PIRs can give false alarms. And if you have pets inside, always use pet immunity setting in the sensor.
1x Premier Elite 64 W Kit 2 (1 x Premier Elite 64-W, 5 x Premier Proximity Tags, 1 x Premier Elite LCDLP-W, 3 x Capture P15-W, 1 x Premier Elite Micro Contact-W, 1 x Odyssey X-W Backplate )
2x Capture PIR
1x Battery
1x Door Sensor
1x SmartCom 4G
Apart from the main board (64w vs 48) I think im good. Couldn’t find much on the 48 Zone unit, but I think the 32 would work. I need at most about 8-10 zones (wont need an expander
How many com ports does the 64w have? The kits are keenly priced and I could easily house the battery externally to the unit (no biggie).
From elite panels you can chose only 24, 48, 88, 168 and 640. The 32 is not the Elite series. I would chose the Elite 48.
I haven’t seen any 64W, in my country it’s not a common version. We have strict rules for alarm panel placement (at least if you want meet insurance companies requirements) and the possible locations are not good for wireless communications…
And if you can wire to the keypad I would recommend you to do it, imagine the scenario that your system is in alarm for any reason and you can’t unset it because the batteries are dead (use unscreened cable, cat5 is ok)
You also mentioned security grading in your first post. If you put out the battery from the tamper safe box, then your system is basically grade 0.
If you want to use the wireless contact sensor on door, you should consider to buy the Elite Impac SC-W. It has built in sock sensor (can alarm if someone banging/drilling your door), a bit bigger housing but not an ugly one.
Good idea on the impac sensor, The attractiveness of the 64W is that most of the “kits” in the UK are 64w based and rather good value for money. What I can do is buy an extra keypad and wire it in as a backup and it still works out cheaper. Im ok with the smaller size
Oh I was looking for the 3 com ports, from what I can see the only the 640 has com3, from reading the docs, you need a com+ to get com3 (or am i wrong)?
Ah yes, good point about putting the battery outside DUH moment when I read that
Oh forgot to mention for the HA integration Im going to use the ESPHome based PCB I built for my guardsec against and use it with the programmable outputs. My old guardsec had precisely the same setup and I used ESPHome to communicate with HA to tell it if the alarm is set or not. With the texecom kit it appears I have two outputs (or more) and can program each one to be active (high or low) depending on the state I am interested in.
This means the alarm is the alarm, its isolated from HA and cant be set/unset from HA. but I can stil run automations based on the state of the alarm.
ok , now off to do build the shoping list and work out which is the best combo (kit+extras or everything separate).
If you register on texe.com, you should be able to download the installer manuals.
With 64w panel you will have 8 digicom outputs, but these are OC (switched -, max 100mA) type, so I would put a relay board on them, this will help you to not fry your esp panel
64W don’t have real dry contact outputs, even 48 panel has only 1 relay, but you can put a RM8 relay module on it, I use this, but not with esp but a Moxa iologik.
Been thinking about adding this to my setup, we purchased the elite64w with smartcom and for the most part it works fine
However with integrating everything else in the house this seemed like a good idea, ideally behind a passcode screen or something
From reading above despite the fact I have a smartcom connected on both wired and wireless connected I will still need a 3rd interface to allow HA to talk to it
If you use the SmartCom Coms then your texecom app will no longer receive notifications (which is kinda defeating the purpose of an alarm). The right thing to do is to install a 3rd Com (com IP or WIfi) and then attach the dchesterton integration to that.
I however have decided against it, I have a esphome circuit which I will attach to the programable pins and detect high/low, which will translate to alarm on/off, i can add another one for part set or not. Given my system is a wireless system from what I have found out the PIR sensors wont detect movement when the alarm isnt set so the data coming out of the integration is simply “setup” data, not really useful…
My solution will detect the alarm state and then turn the heating off, make sure all the cameras are in super sensitive move/motion on etc etc etc
(use unscreened cable, cat5 is ok)