I want to buy an Elk system

[apostolakisl]

You still a 1/4" hole in the door for the magnet and 1/4" hole in the frame. Slide both I to place and your done. I've been using these for 45 years and never known one to fail.

 

You can even recess them enough to use a little painters putty and paint over them.

 

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I guess the difference is 1/4 inch vs 3/8?  Both styles slide into a hole and mount flush (or counter flush if you should choose to do that).  Of course if you counter sink and push too far it will keep going and you'll have quite the challenge getting it out.

 

Magnetic reeds do fail on rare occasion.  None of mine failed (well except one, but it was totally my fault), I have replaced 1 at my in-laws that failed and another at a friends house that failed for no apparent reason.  They became flaky and started tripping false alarms.

[G W]

so what are you getting Gary, might help me cut down on the poor emails to Scott

I have updated the items I ordered in post #1.

[kohai]

Thanks to all for suggestions on this thread.  My mother would like a system at her vacation home and this answers some questions.  

 

I stopped by there today and looked at the pre-wiring -- 7 wires in the wiring closet (4 conductor).  It looks like the entry doors have a wire run to each of them (3 doors) and the wire is bent back on itself in a small hole in the frame.  Looks like 1 motion sensor, 1 keypad and then 2 wires I'm not sure where they go; I'm guessing 1 for a siren in the attic and maybe 1 more for a keypad in the master bedroom behind the drywall.  No sensors on the 2nd floor that I could see.

 

What if there is a wire in the little hole already in the door frame and the hole size is too small?  How do you widen that with the wire already there without pushing the wire back into the frame and potentially losing it?

[G W]

Push the wire gently back into the hole and gently drill a bigger hole. It can be done if one is careful.

 

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[G W]

I just had a thought. Can the ELK be programmed to make a doorbell sound?

 

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[Scottmichaelj]

I just had a thought. Can the ELK be programmed to make a doorbell sound?

 

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Look at this.

 

http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-930-doorbell-and-telephone-ring-detector

 

Or do you want a Doorbird with a camera and app to see who's at the door?

 

https://www.doorbird.com

[G W]

My doorbell is now a doorbuzz, so it's time to replace it. I thought I could connect a N/O switch to a set of ELK contacts. Push the button, close the circuit and let the ELK do the work.

 

I already have cameras at the house and can see the front door.

 

Suggestions are welcome.

 

I'm waiting for CHUI to finish there door security device. It will kick DoorBird and Ring in the butt.

 

 

Okay. The DoorBird looks pretty good but very damn pricey. I like the flush mount.

 

 

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[apostolakisl]

You can use most simple doorbell buttons on any typical alarm system zone, not just Elk.  I have a doorbell in my office connected to a DSC system with an LED bulb in the button and the 12v from the zone lights the button.  You can write a rule in Elk to have it do something when pressed, or if you have the Elk module on ISY you can have ISY initiate some activity.  In my office, I have it set to one of the door chimes, the DSC has like 4 different chimes so I set the 2 doorbells to 2 of them, and the front door to a different one of them.

[G W]

Yes. Agreed.

 

But can an ELK make a doorbell sound?

 

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[apostolakisl]

Elk has no built in "ding dong" sound.

 

You can set it to make the keypads beep, chirp the siren (that would be fun), say something like "front door guest", blink some lights, or change an output that is connected to a doorbell sound generator, or I don't know what else creative idea you could have.  Connecting it to a doorbell sound generator seems a bit convoluted since you could just plug the wire from the door directly into the sound generator.  I guess the advantage would be that Elk knows the doorbell was pressed if you have multiple tasks besides the ding dong sound.  This would use a zone and an output instead of the Elk doorbell detector.

 

If you are like me, you have a keypad at each door and the keypad has a zone on it that is currently going unused, so it is sort of a "free" zone that probably would never otherwise be used.

 

Just checked elk words, you could do the whole sentence "You have a guest at the front door"  If you added a custom word like your name it could also say "Master <your name>, you have a guest at the front door"

[G W]

I'm just trying to avoid buying A new standard doorbell.

 

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[Scottmichaelj]

I'm just trying to avoid buying A new standard doorbell.

 

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I think what they are saying is if you ran two wire from the doorbell to a elk zone (or the circuit board I linked to) you could use the elk rules to trigger a sound to the elk echo speaker. The speaker has various volumes and probably even use times to disable to doorbell. I have never played around with this. Or do that in the ISY something in the programs where if X zone is violated then do Y since all your Elk zones will be accessible from the ISY via the ISY Elk module. There was mention before of a Wav/MP3 Sparkfun board I believe that could store the sounds then play then too.

[G W]

I think what they are saying is if you ran two wire from the doorbell to a elk zone (or the circuit board I linked to) you could use the elk rules to trigger a sound to the elk echo speaker. The speaker has various volumes and probably even use times to disable to doorbell. I have never played around with this. Or do that in the ISY something in the programs where if X zone is violated then do Y since all your Elk zones will be accessible from the ISY via the ISY Elk module. There was mention before of a Wav/MP3 Sparkfun board I believe that could store the sounds then play then too.

That's what I was thinking. Since it's not that simple, I'll go with a new doorbell.

 

I need to add that ELK board to my list and get a final cost so I can buy a system.

 

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[Scottmichaelj]

That's what I was thinking. Since it's not that simple, I'll go with a new doorbell.

 

I need to add that ELK board to my list and get a final cost so I can buy a system.

 

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How difficult it would be depends where your doorbell line runs to in corlation to where you are planning on placing the Elk panel. Otherwise the rest is easy.

[kohai]

I think what they are saying is if you ran two wire from the doorbell to a elk zone (or the circuit board I linked to) you could use the elk rules to trigger a sound to the elk echo speaker. The speaker has various volumes and probably even use times to disable to doorbell. I have never played around with this. Or do that in the ISY something in the programs where if X zone is violated then do Y since all your Elk zones will be accessible from the ISY via the ISY Elk module. There was mention before of a Wav/MP3 Sparkfun board I believe that could store the sounds then play then too.

 

There's another thread about the Aeotec Z-wave Doorbell:

 

http://www.homecontrols.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeotec-Z-Wave-Doorbell-AEZW056A

 

I don't want the doorbell button but I'm interested in the speaker device so I can queue an mp3 from the ISY.  Michel said they have one in route to them to evaluate.  

[G W]

How difficult it would be depends where your doorbell line runs to in corlation to where you are planning on placing the Elk panel. Otherwise the rest is easy.

Wires are not an issue. I am wiring the entire house for now and future use.

 

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[Scottmichaelj]

There's another thread about the Aeotec Z-wave Doorbell:

 

http://www.homecontrols.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeotec-Z-Wave-Doorbell-AEZW056A

 

I don't want the doorbell button but I'm interested in the speaker device so I can queue an mp3 from the ISY. Michel said they have one in route to them to evaluate.

FWIW

 

MP3 Voice Module SD/TF Voice Broadcast Trigger Player + Speaker for MCU SCM new

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/272090324191

 

or:

 

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13720

 

...maybe to a bluetooth transmitter hooked to a AVR, Sonos, whatnot.

[apostolakisl]

FWIW

 

MP3 Voice Module SD/TF Voice Broadcast Trigger Player + Speaker for MCU SCM new

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/272090324191

 

or:

 

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13720

 

...maybe to a bluetooth transmitter hooked to a AVR, Sonos, whatnot.

 

That looks like a fun little toy for $10.  Funny, I could barely mail that thing across town for $10 and they are selling the device and postage for $10 from China.  I sure would like to know how this all gets paid for.

 

But it should be totally easy to link that to Elk and have up to 9 different audio files available for use.  If memory serves me, Elk has there own audio board, but I would bet it costs $110 instead of $10.

[austin_john]

Scott - could you PM me with specifics on how to contact you for Elk products?  I think your inbox is full. Thanks.

[Scottmichaelj]

Scott - could you PM me with specifics on how to contact you for Elk products? I think your inbox is full. Thanks.

PM sent

[G W]

 

The Elk hardware arrived today. I installed most of it in the cabinet and I'm surprised by how much room I still have.

 

I will wire it up internally and add in the keypads and a door for testing. This truly is an amazing piece of hardware.

 

A big thanks to @scottmichaelj for his help.

 

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[kohai]

 

The Elk hardware arrived today. I installed most of it in the cabinet and I'm surprised by how much room I still have.

 

I will wire it up internally and add in the keypads and a door for testing. This truly is an amazing piece of hardware.

 

A big thanks to @scottmichaelj for his help.

 

Best regards,

Gary Funk

 

 

I've been working on a setup as well.  This being my first time, I find it taking some effort to redo things to make it tidy and neat.  For example, I didn't anticipate how many wires needed to come out of the cabinet (but stay near the box) that weren't for sensors so I didn't have an extra knock out removed.  E.g. cat5 for network, 4-conductor for wireless transciever, power for the ethernet to serial adapter, power for the M1G itself, phone line, etc.  I didn't have knock out edge protectors (whatever they called).... power strip for power.... put the box a bit too high...

[G W]

I'm starting with pre-wiring the entire house. The panel will be placed in the basement which is completely open at this time.

 

I'll have plenty of time to install the system and take advice from others like you. It might good to have an area here for installation, though it might be better on the Elk forum.

 

Best regards,

Gary Funk