Re: Can an alarm with PGM outputs, and/or other outputs, be wired to an X10 sensor?

["Tommy" <tommy at leesecurity.net>]

I am assuming that this is a DIY...
Why would you spend the money for an x-10 sensor when few a few more dollars
you can purchase the wireless sensor designed for your system and get the
reliability you should have? there are plenty of online outlets to purchase
these from, and there is always E-bay.

Don't give yourself a false sense of security.


"anonymous" <nospam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:12u9nou6isbbke0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Thanks, Jim and Eric, for letting me know about the PowerFlash. The alarm
> controller that's coming is the Paradox 1738. The outputs and amp ratings
> that I mentioned I got off of a couple of websites.
>
> As for using X10 as an alarm system, my basic rationale is this: for those
> who cannot afford more than a very minimal professionally installed
> system, the X10 package could be a useful supplement, and those who cannot
> spend more than $100 on any alarm at all would probably find that having
> an X10 alarm that works 90% of the time is still a lot better than nothing
> (as long as the powerline environment does not create a lot of false
> alarms).
>
> In my case, the cheapest professional alarm that I can afford (this
> Paradox system) comes with 2 door sensors, 2 motion detectors, the
> controller and a keypad. That secures only half my house: the bedrooms get
> nothing; six openable windows get nothing. Then I read,
> http://providentsecurity.typepad.com/community_security_the_pr/2006/11/2nd_floor_burgl.html .
> Every little upgrade for the professionally installed alarm costs a lot,
> so it seemed to me that I had to turn to a cheaper package, like what X10
> offers, which in addition to complete sensor coverage creates a bigger
> alarm effect(flashing the lights, sounding more sirens), gives me a little
> computer control, phones me and my nearby family, e-mails me, activates a
> security multi-webcam program (BlueIris) which in turn starts sending
> time/date/watermarked photos to my website, etc. If once in while one of
> the sensors can't communicate with the controller because an electrical
> noise producing device was turned on, I can live with that. I may have to
> do a lot of technical reading and spend an extra $30 on a dryer-plug-in
> phase coupler and a noise blocker to get full house coverage and near-100%
> reliability; I can live with that. I think I'm doing the right thing here
> for my situation (here's hoping!).
>
> Thanks again for your time. I'll have to start watching for sales on the
> PowerFlash.
>
>
>
> Jim wrote:
>> On Feb 27, 3:42?pm, anonymous <nos...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>>Hello, and thanks for reading. Can an alarm controller that has "2 PGM
>>>outputs [2.5A] and 1 alarm relay [5A]" and "1 supervised bell output and
>>>1 supervised auxiliary output" be attached to a wireless X10 door/window
>>>sensor (ftp://ftp.x10.com/pub/manuals/ds10a-is.pdf), so that when the
>>>alarm system goes off for any reason, an X10 signal is sent? Any advice
>>>on this? Thanks.
>>
>>
>> What make (mfg) alarm control panel do you have?  Many mfgs have X10
>> modules that will send signals upon an alarm condition. But, simply,
>> you can use the set of alarm relay contacts to activate a power flash
>> module that will send an X10 signal. If you want to use the PGM
>> outputs, you'll have to use them to power a relay whose contacts will
>> activate a power flash module.
>>
>> One point of advice however. DO NOT use the X10 to provide any life or
>> property safety detection or notification. It's not reliable nor
>> dependable enough to be used for anything above turning on/off lights
>> or something that isn't safety related.
>>