Re: Ademco Alarmnet 7830R Mobitex

[Nomen Nescio <nobody@xxxxxxxxx>]

Will said:

-snip-

It sounds like you are not in the alarm business.  The 7830 is emphatically
not a do-it-yourself product.  It is a very expensive radio, and requires
the use of a separate programming tool.  There is no way to know in advance
whether the radio will even work in your location; you have to take the
radio and the programmer to the location and conduct tests.  You could
easily spend a pile of money on this stuff, only to discover it isn't going
to work.

That also applies to the type and location of the antenna:  you have to
conduct tests using the radio.   As a rule, the antenna can be located up
to 25 feet from the radio.  Sometimes, the antenna has to go outside,
sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes, putting it outside still doesn't help.

I can recall one place where I tried three different types of radios, and
couldn't get any of them to work.  Even while standing outside the
building.

>Well that's nasty.    Why would they limit it so much?     Is there any way
>to map all of the extra zones into one of those four zones so you at least
>get a generic zone triggering?   You could get the detail from the primary
>if that is up and also sending information to AlarmNet.

It's a high cost, low volume product.  I'm guessing they just didn't want
to spend the engineering dollars on it.  The four zones are usually
triggered by voltage outputs from the control panel.  Larger Ademco panels,
for example, provide voltage outputs for burglary, fire, and holdup.  The
panel sends more detailed information over the telephone line, as if the
radio weren't even there.

As to pricing, since you're a retail customer, I'd rather not quote any
numbers.  Suffice it to say that it will cost you much more than you are
expecting.  This is one product that requires professional installation.
Talk to some alarm companies in your area, and see what they can do for
you.

- badenov