Looking for some guidance on switching over my alarm monitoring and possibly upgrading my system. Currently I have a Vista 20p with all wireless sensors (motion and door/window). There is also a secondary wireless keypad we use at the main point of entry. The only things hardwired to the system are power, phone connection, the main keypad, and 2 sirens (1 inside the house and a siren/strobe combo outside). The system was installed in 2011 and the chip inside the panel is dated 2010.
After doing a lot of research I decided the Alarm.com through suretyDYI is the way to go. I was toying with the idea of upgrading to a more robust system but not if I have to replace all my sensors (I am not to jiggy with programming the VISTA). I would also like to keep my sirens if possible and also expand the system to monitor my house smoke/CO2 alarms (prewired Kidde system).
That being said, here are the options I have come up with that I hope the experts can chime in on and correct me if I am mistaken in my assumptions or have left out a viable option…
Option 1 – Get at SEM module for my VISTA. This seems like the easiest option in that I would get to basically keep the existing system intact, but would forgo additional features from newer systems. Is there a smoke alarm “listener” made for the VISTA that would work for this option?
Option 2 – 2gig GC3 – from what I understand I could reuse my existing Honeywell sensors if they are the 5800 series (I assume there must be some type of sticker on the inside of each sensor that will tell me this). It also sounds like I could keep my sirens as there is a bell output on the GC3 and add a FF-345 Firefighter to listen to the smoke alarms.
Option 3 - Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus – from what I understand there are several versions of this and they make a panel that will support both legacy Honeywell sensors (345mhz I think) and 2gig sensors. Does that mean you can use some sensors from each (mix and match) or is it an all or nothing? Also from what I can tell there is no bell output for this panel correct, so I would need new sirens?
I like the idea of upgrading but the only thing that makes me hesitant is that the VISTA has always rock solid in terms of reliability. I have never had any issues with it. Would you say the GC3 and IQ 2+ are just as reliable, and if so, is there anything that makes one more advantageous over the other?
Option 1 – Get at SEM module for my VISTA. This seems like the easiest option in that I would get to basically keep the existing system intact, but would forgo additional features from newer systems. Is there a smoke alarm “listener” made for the VISTA that would work for this option?
The FF345 firefighter is listed as compatible with 2GIG and Honeywell 5800 receivers. One Firefighter is used on an interconnected series of smoke detectors.
Option 2 – 2gig GC3 – from what I understand I could reuse my existing Honeywell sensors if they are the 5800 series (I assume there must be some type of sticker on the inside of each sensor that will tell me this). It also sounds like I could keep my sirens as there is a bell output on the GC3 and add a FF-345 Firefighter to listen to the smoke alarms.
Yes, the 5800 series is referring to the model numbers (5816 door contact, 5800 PIR, etc.). They would be compatible out of the box.
Only low current draw piezo sirens are supported on the bell terminals. Wired sirens come in a wide variety of types and if you have two they likely pull more current than supported. To confirm, what is the model number of the sirens?
Option 3 – Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus – from what I understand there are several versions of this and they make a panel that will support both legacy Honeywell sensors (345mhz I think) and 2gig sensors. Does that mean you can use some sensors from each (mix and match) or is it an all or nothing? Also from what I can tell there is no bell output for this panel correct, so I would need new sirens?
The IQ Panel 2 has terminals for wired siren, yes, but they do not directly apply power. They act as a relay for an external power source. You would need a separate power transformer to power the sirens through that relay. Note it also only supports lower current options and is not a speaker driver in any way, so it would only work with piezo low current devices.
There are indeed versions that support Honeywell 345mhz. The IQ Panel 2 Plus always comes with Power G support, with a choice of Honeywell 345, GE 319.5, or DSC 433.
Both Power G and the legacy radio can be used.
I like the idea of upgrading but the only thing that makes me hesitant is that the VISTA has always rock solid in terms of reliability. I have never had any issues with it. Would you say the GC3 and IQ 2+ are just as reliable, and if so, is there anything that makes one more advantageous over the other?
The IQ Panel 2+ is the most heavily integrated with Alarm.com currently, with exclusive features like video to the panel screen and doorbell video calls on screen.
The IQ Panel 2+ would give the ability to use Power G sensors, which are far and away the best in terms of wireless range and transmission security.
Between the two we would generally recommend the IQ Panel 2+.
Either the GC3 or IQ Panel 2+ will result in a far greater automation experience than the SEM, with wider Z-wave options and more user friendly controls.