What is a wireless alarm?

Let’s take a closer look at Wireless Security.

So, what is a wireless alarm, and how does it work? To answer that question we to first need look at how a “hard wired” alarm system works.

A standard “hard wired” alarm system uses cables to connect and power the motion detector, it’s as simple as that. Motion detectors are typically powered directly by the control panel, which uses 12 volts DC. When the detector senses motion, the alarm is triggered through these cables. So as long as you can get a cable to the detector, it can be connected to the control panel.

The problem occurs when it’s physically impossible to get cabling to the desired detector location, or is cost prohibitive.

Did you know that over 50% of the cost of a hardwired alarm system is in the cable and the labour of installing the system? In a wireless alarm system it’s around 5%.

A wireless alarm system on the other hand replaces these cables with an “in-built” battery (to run the detector), and a wireless transmitter to get the alarm signal back to the control panel.

Broadly speaking, wireless detector batteries will last from 1 year to 5 years before needing to be replaced. As a guide, 3.6 volt Lithium battery powered detectors last the longest – up to 3 - 5 years, and detectors with 2 or 3 AA batteries the least, around 1 – 3 years. This might seem the wrong way around, but Lithium powered detectors are substantially more efficient with their power usage.

The wireless detector uses a set frequency to transmit a coded signal back to the receiver in the main control panel. Each detector in the system has its own unique 24 bit code which (in the case of a Visonic system), has in excess of 16,000,000 combinations. Once the system has “learnt” each detector's unique code, it will not listen to any other detectors in the vicinity.

Wireless security systems have in fact been around for many years, decades in fact. In the early days they were unreliable, battery hungry and generally only used as a last resort - mostly as an add on to a hard-wired alarm. They often struggled in making it from one room to another, let alone the entire house! For this reason, many security installers avoiding using them, and still do, preferring instead to use a hard wired system, even in the most difficult applications. However, wireless security has come a long way since those early days, with complete top to bottom systems now available. What I mean by this is that ALL components are wireless. Recent innovations in battery development now allow power hungry components such as internal and external wireless sirens to be fully wireless.

Wireless alarm systems now have excellent wireless ranges, in some cases exceeding 500m line-of-sight (LOS). LOS means that the measurement is taken without obstacles between the transmitter and the receiver, in an open field situation. This is a good indicator on how well the system will then perform indoors. In some cases they can comfortably cover expansive multi storey homes and buildings etc..

Wireless alarm systems are not only extremely reliable and afforable, they can offer features and benefits way beyond a hard wired alarm system.