Question Home alarm... Orisec, Visonic, or Pyronix?

David Chapman

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Local installer has quoted £399 to install wireless Visonic PowerMax system. Box, siren, dummy siren, 3 x PIR, 1 x door contact, 2 x key fobs.

Two other Visonic installers have said PowerMax is an old system using 20 year old wireless tech and that PowerMaster is Visonic's better system.

Pyronix - I couldn't actually find an installer despite phoning Pyronix's marketing manager after their installer search didn't locate one. Also, for a "professional install only" product this is for sale to the public all over the 'net yet there's no DIY support from the manufacturer. Not keen.

Another local supplier is a Visonic dealer yet stopped selling their systems a year ago in favour of newer tech Orisec. New to market but he's far happier with the tech and ability to avoid local interference from neighbouring properties. £545 installed (no key fobs in that price).

Anyone have any recent experience with any of these after researching the marketplace?

Thanks for any help.
 
Pyronix are very easy to install. I have installed 5 or 6 of them. They are part of Hikvision. Wired or wireless. Battery life is good on the PIR's / door sensors, sensors and panel talk to one another. Keyfobs are 2 way so they tell you the armed state and the app is nice to use.
Cannot comment on the Visonic stuff.
I am not an alarm installer, these were installed as part of an overall HA package, but the installs were verified by a qualified alarm engineer who I worked with.
 
Pyronix installer just phoned me back from this morning's search.

This system £530, with 3 PIRs: Enforcer Kit 1 | Security & Alarm System Product Range | Pyronix UK & ROI

It's the one I was looking at yesterday. But the Orisec installer, who used to install Pyronix and Visonic, was quite convincing as to why Orisec now lead the way. Don't ask me to repeat why!

I don't think his new allegiance is to do with a better mark up for his firm. They're a local well established (25yrs) security company. He mentioned an issue they had with Pyronix altering their batteries which was the main reason they switched away.
 
Orisec are the new boys on the block. So far news is very positive.
Pyronix have a proven track record and are well established. Orisec appear to be very cutting edge.
Orisec are very much Trade only.
Personally I went Honeywell.
 
The first guy used to install Honeywell...

Orisec are just nosing ahead in my mind, but it's becoming a little fuzzy after a day of alarm research!
 
How about Risco Agilty
 
I went Texecom. No idea if it's any good as I've not installed it yet but it's supposed to play nicely with HA stuff.

G
 
Personally, Texecom are the way to go. I researched it to death before installing my system.

Each to his own though.
 
Visonic, Pyronix, Texecom, all pretty solid domestic Alarms.
My personal choice is still Honeywell mainly because they are more a commercial grade system.
It’s personal choice at the end of the day. They all do similar things.
 
In the end had an Orisec system installed a week ago. £625 with 3 PIRs, 2 remotes (£40 each). Keeps going off when I switch it off on the drive and open the garage (PIR in there). Also, the external siren is very quiet and wouldn't scare off a mouse.

...it's going back.

Next?
 
That sounds more like a bad install rather than the alarm. Surely the installer could just change the bell box for another brand that is louder.
 
That just sounds like a configuration issue that the garage PIR zone has not been configured correctly so that your remote is not turning the zone off before the door is opening. Is it an automatic garage door?
 
Automatic door yes. If I turn the alarm off from the panel the garage PIR is deactivated. Same if I turn it off with the remote nearer the panel. But what's the point of a remote I can't use 30m from the panel?

I arrive home, open my car window, press the remote "off" button (nearer to the panel than the wireless garage PIR). The remote shows a green light telling me the signal has been sent (but not received?). I open the garage door, drive in, alarm sounds.

What I need is a system which (a) has a remote which works (and isn't a huge square bulky thing: Orisec Ltd | Wireless Key Fob Range | Professional Security Equipment ) and (b) confirms the alarm has been unset before I open the garage door.

I looked at Pyronix Enforcer too. That has a free app which can be used to unset and show confirmation but then again it's a faff to have to take phone out, connect to data (not good round here), open app.; sign in; disable alarm; check confirmation.

Maybe I should just forget the garage PIR!
 
I have installed Pyronix Enforcers and they are a nice panel. Their remote is 2 way (confirms alarm status) and the app works very well. It is not flashy and doesn't have lots of bells and whistles, but it is a solid panel and does what it says on the tine. I have configured both wired and wireless options. Wireless - the PIR batteries last around 2 years before they need replacing.

Try checking the range of your remote, 30m is a quite a long distance through walls
 
The installer said the garage PIR was at the limit from the panel at around 35m but it obviously works as it's going off every time I come home.

It may be the remote has a shorter range than the PIR but as can be seen from my situation that is completely daft.

Orisec is two way also, but the instruction booklet says nothing about remotes and I don't know if the W-KF-4 fob has a way of confirming the panel status. It says "system status" on their web page (as does the Pyronix Keyfob-WE) but without instructions I'm lost. How does the Pyronix fob confirm set/unset or system status?

Thanks for your help.
 
Automatic door yes. If I turn the alarm off from the panel the garage PIR is deactivated. Same if I turn it off with the remote nearer the panel. But what's the point of a remote I can't use 30m from the panel?

I arrive home, open my car window, press the remote "off" button (nearer to the panel than the wireless garage PIR). The remote shows a green light telling me the signal has been sent (but not received?). I open the garage door, drive in, alarm sounds.

What I need is a system which (a) has a remote which works (and isn't a huge square bulky thing: Orisec Ltd | Wireless Key Fob Range | Professional Security Equipment ) and (b) confirms the alarm has been unset before I open the garage door.

I looked at Pyronix Enforcer too. That has a free app which can be used to unset and show confirmation but then again it's a faff to have to take phone out, connect to data (not good round here), open app.; sign in; disable alarm; check confirmation.

Maybe I should just forget the garage PIR!

Looking at their site, can't you just add an expander with 4 coms ports in the garage and add the requisite comms module for the keyfob remote?

As @mushii said I'd say it's a duff install to not bother to check (or plan) the system based on the intended use.

G
 
The Pyronix fob has a 3 colour LED. green - disarmed, amber - fault, red-full set. It talks back to the panel to get alarm set status. It is also user programmable for other functions. depending on your garage door, you can also configure it to control garage door opening.

Open space, Pyronix claim LOS 1km for their wireless. I have installed in some largish properties with good signal coverage .

I agree with @xxGBHxx , I think that you have a crap installer, rather than a bad product. the Orisec stuff gets very good reviews.
 
Looking at their site, can't you just add an expander with 4 coms ports in the garage and add the requisite comms module for the keyfob remote?

G

Sorry, I've no idea what this means! This is why I employed an installer. Having said that I did install a wired system in my previous house around 25 years ago. Just didn't want the hassle this time.
 
The Pyronix fob has a 3 colour LED. green - disarmed, amber - fault, red-full set. It talks back to the panel to get alarm set status. It is also user programmable for other functions. depending on your garage door, you can also configure it to control garage door opening.

Open space, Pyronix claim LOS 1km for their wireless. I have installed in some largish properties with good signal coverage .

I agree with @xxGBHxx , I think that you have a crap installer, rather than a bad product. the Orisec stuff gets very good reviews.

Orisec fob, when locked, goes from blue; green; amber; flashing red so it too has lots of pretty colours. However, these mean nothing to me. Paul Reed, Technical Manager at Orisec phoned me just, in response to my "feedback" email to Orisec. There should be a separate manual for the fob - I don't have it. Interestingly they do no checks on who they sell to other than that they're a "proper" company. He thought my installer would have to be a qualified sparky but he wasn't. Actually, he blew the spur fuse when connecting the panel having warned us not to get our sparky to connect it in case he blew the panel! Coincidentally our sparky was in the house at the time the installer blew the fuse. He called the installer a TW*T.

Orisec fob is also programmable for other things. I think any fob needs a wired connection from panel to garage door opener to control it? Would be nice if the alarm remote could just learn the garage remote code as per TV remotes, but I guess this isn't a good idea as the code could be read by a villain too?
 
Honestly, i would sack your installer, he sounds like he should be wearing a stetson and chaps. If he blew the spur fuse WTF was he doing? He has 3 wires to deal with and they are colour coded.
All in all, it sounds the problem is with your installer and his install, not the system.

The installer said the garage PIR was at the limit from the panel at around 35m but it obviously works as it's going off every time I come home.

It may be the remote has a shorter range than the PIR but as can be seen from my situation that is completely daft.

Thanks for your help.

This makes no sense. Even if the garage PIR was at its limit, it should not affect the arming / disarming of the main panel unless it was reporting a tamper on the PIR. That being the case, it is not at its limit, it is way too far away.
 
I think the garage PIR is fine. It's the remote which can't cope with being 30m away from the panel and going through three walls. Suggests the remote has a weaker connection to the panel than the PIR does at a distance further away from the panel.
 
I suggest you ask 'John Wayne' to install you one of these in your garage:

Orisec Ltd | Wireless Expanders | Professional Security Equipment

As it should boost the range of your remote

W-XP-R
Wireless Expander, Repeater & Bridge

Summary
2 Way Wireless Communications
Supports up to 100 Wireless Devices*
Network Connection
Small and Cost Effective
Stylish Housing
Digital Thermometer
Frequency Hopping Technology


or this if you wanted to connect to your garage door

W-XP
Wireless Expander



Summary
2 Way Wireless Communications
Supports up to 100 Wireless Devices*
2 Outputs
3 Amp Relay
1 Transistorized 100mA Output
On-Board Piezo
16 Ohm Loudspeaker Driver/Output
Programmable Volume Levels
Screw Tamper Protection
RJ45 Support for Network In / Out
Stylish Housing
7 Segment Display
Address Noise Notification
Light Sensor
Tamper Return Terminal for External Sounders
Antenna Diversity
Digital Thermometer
Frequency Hopping Technology
 
At what cost, plus I've no idea what they do or how they work?

I want to be able to press a button, have the alarm switch off, open the garage door.
 

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