Move from ELK to DSC? Integration with ISY/Polisy

[TriLife]

Greetings from Colombia,

Where ELK is not present and i recently got locked out of Elk's support page...

I bought an ELK M1 Gold when we moved here, because I already had one in California and was familiar with it. The installer in CA gebe me access to the ELK support site and I was able to keep my systems up to date. Seems Elk did a recent purge and my access disappeared. I also sold the cabin in California...

Now, as lick would have it, my ELK in Colombia is acting up. If i can't fix it, I'll be facing the decision of replacing the system. (All hard wired sensors, with 5 or 6 IO extenders all through the house).

The popular system here in Colombia is DSC...

How well does ISY994/Polish integrate with DSC compared to ELK? Any caveats?

If DSC is well support, any recommendations in which DSC to get?

Thanks!

[tmorse305]

I use DSC with ISY and it integrates easily.  There is a Node Server available for Polisy to integrate DSC into the ISY Admin Console.  You can also use another software package called NodeLink.  That is what I am using, it works great and predated the NS availability so I just stuck with it.  I use it to incorporate zone status into programs and use the programmable outputs to control my garage doors.   I needed to purchase a 3rd party network interface (Envisalink) to allow the DSC to be attached to the network.  My DSC is PowerSeries Control Panel PC1864.

I never used ELK so I can't compare them.

 

[TriLife]

Thanks @tmorse305,

Appreciate the feedback on this.

 

Follow-up question:

How easy is it to install a DSC system like yours?

ELK M1 was easy enough, because I dublicated my prior install and expanded it, but I had access to the Programming tools (RP2). This is usually only available to trained techs, but I had access for a while somehow (see previous post).

Does DSC provide all tools to DIYers?

Cheers

 

[TrojanHorse]

@TriLife  you should be able to get access to RP2.  You might need to register again with Elk (perhaps similar to you my login stopped working sometime within the last couple years as I think they changed something on their end). 

If you don't have the original RP2 database files, make sure that when you first connect RP2 to the ELK that you grab all the info from the panel into the RP2 software so you don't lose your configurations. 

Once you get a new account, you can download here:

https://www.elkproducts.com/product/m1-programming-software-elkrp2/

Not sure if having RP2 will solve everything as I don't know what you mean exactly by the Elk is "acting up".  But if I were you I'd start by getting the software. 

[hart2hart]

I have a pc1864. The standard keypad programming is very tedious and not intuitive unless you are a security system installer.

I got access to DSC software DLS 5. On hardware side, you need the 1864 panel, a TLink to get IP based access to panel for software programming and the envisalink module. There might be a way to use the envisalink module but I already had tlink so have never even looked into it. NodeLink has been fabulous and as stated it existed before node servers. In fact, there was a predecessor called DSCLink.
Touchscreen keypads are very nice if still available.

DLS would likely have a bit of a learning curve.

[TriLife]

2 minutes ago, TrojanHorse said:

@TriLife  you should be able to get access to RP2.  You might need to register again with Elk (perhaps similar to you my login stopped working sometime within the last couple years as I think they changed something on their end). 

If you don't have the original RP2 database files, make sure that when you first connect RP2 to the ELK that you grab all the info from the panel into the RP2 software so you don't lose your configurations. 

Once you get a new account, you can download here:

https://www.elkproducts.com/product/m1-programming-software-elkrp2/

Not sure if having RP2 will solve everything as I don't know what you mean exactly by the Elk is "acting up".  But if I were you I'd start by getting the software. 

Thanks @TrojanHorse,

I thought only installers can get access to RP2. Has that changed?

With "acting up", I mean that the M! Control is no longer communicating with the M1XEP. All sensors are working, the keyboards are working, but not communicating with RP or with ISY994. And the TELCO SEIZED Led is always on, and flashes off every 16 secs (or 16 STATUS LED blinks)...

RP2 starts talking to the M1XEP, but M1Gold doesn't respond. M1XEP is bound to my router and everything.

I have a pretty hefty ELK investment 2 LCD panels, 4 keypands, 5 input expanders. So switching to DSC would be a tough one, but since I sold the cabin, if ELK gives me grief, I'll do the math with a DSC PowerSeries NEO... Seems like the more modern system anyway.

And my Polisy is handling all of HA and wireless sensors anyway...

Cheers. 

[TrojanHorse]

5 minutes ago, TriLife said:

Thanks @TrojanHorse,

I thought only installers can get access to RP2. Has that changed?

With "acting up", I mean that the M! Control is no longer communicating with the M1XEP. All sensors are working, the keyboards are working, but not communicating with RP or with ISY994. And the TELCO SEIZED Led is always on, and flashes off every 16 secs (or 16 STATUS LED blinks)...

RP2 starts talking to the M1XEP, but M1Gold doesn't respond. M1XEP is bound to my router and everything.

I have a pretty hefty ELK investment 2 LCD panels, 4 keypands, 5 input expanders. So switching to DSC would be a tough one, but since I sold the cabin, if ELK gives me grief, I'll do the math with a DSC PowerSeries NEO... Seems like the more modern system anyway.

And my Polisy is handling all of HA and wireless sensors anyway...

Cheers. 

Do you have RP2?  I guess I'm confused now. 

I have access as a homeowner / self-installer.  Elk technically doesn't directly support end users but they will let you download the software.  Give it a try, not sure anything has changed.  That said, hopefully you have the installer code to access the panel...

I probably can't help much about the M1XEP.  Sounds like you know that it's properly on the same network as the ISY and RP2 tries to connect? 

There is also an Elk support forum that you can post to once you get your account.  End users will sometimes get answers there from Elk employees. 

[TriLife]

7 minutes ago, TrojanHorse said:

Do you have RP2?  I guess I'm confused now. 

I have access as a homeowner / self-installer.  Elk technically doesn't directly support end users but they will let you download the software.  Give it a try, not sure anything has changed.  That said, hopefully you have the installer code to access the panel...

I probably can't help much about the M1XEP.  Sounds like you know that it's properly on the same network as the ISY and RP2 tries to connect? 

There is also an Elk support forum that you can post to once you get your account.  End users will sometimes get answers there from Elk employees. 

Yes, I do have RP2. I just tried to download it on a laptop again with that USERID I had, but that company is out of business and ELK must have purged them  out of their system.

Just tried to sign up as an installer, pending verification... Let's see, what they say.

Yup, my PC with RP2 is locally talking to the M1XEP and the MAC ID matches the label.

Reached out to HomeControls.com, where I bought the panel. They'll be contacting ELK, I guess.

In the meantime, I will research, if my USB-RS485 dongle will work with the M1's RS232 port. If that works and I can talk to the ELK, that means the control is good and the M1XEP's rs232 is busted...

one step at a time...

[TrojanHorse]

Sounds like you have a plan.  If you don't get installer approval just ask for homeowner / user.  Should get you what you need. 

I was going to suggest connecting RP2 via serial if you have a way to do that.  That would be a good start. 

You can also access the logs through a keypad - I believe it's  Elk key, 4, Right Arrow

There are several knowledgeable users at cocoontech.com as well.  Good luck!

[TriLife]

Thanks;

As I was looking for the rs232 gender, i noticed that when the M1XEP is disconnected, the TELCO SEIZED stops flashing... the problem definitely lies around there.

Looked at the log from the touch panel. Nothing interesting there, unfortunately.

Will update, once I have a solution.

[tmorse305]

5 hours ago, TriLife said:

Follow-up question:

How easy is it to install a DSC system like yours?

I think @hart2hartanswered your questions already.  I also use the DLS software, it is way easier than programming from a keypad, except for simple changes.  I have the touchscreen keypad, it is very nice, I have done simple changes from that.

Good luck with your ELK, maybe you would need to worry about a switch.

[TriLife]

5 hours ago, TrojanHorse said:

Do you have RP2?  I guess I'm confused now. 

I have access as a homeowner / self-installer.  Elk technically doesn't directly support end users but they will let you download the software.  Give it a try, not sure anything has changed.  That said, hopefully you have the installer code to access the panel...

I probably can't help much about the M1XEP.  Sounds like you know that it's properly on the same network as the ISY and RP2 tries to connect? 

There is also an Elk support forum that you can post to once you get your account.  End users will sometimes get answers there from Elk employees. 

It worked! They gave me installer privileges.

Thanks @TrojanHorse

[TrojanHorse]

It worked! They gave me installer privileges.
Thanks @TrojanHorse

Glad I could help. Keep plowing ahead. I think a proper USB to serial connector is your next step if you can’t access with RP2 to the Elk via Ethernet. That will eliminate variables. If you need a new XEP so be it. Better than a rip and redo!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[apostolakisl]

I have both a DSC at the office and Elk at home.

DSC makes some stuff to program them via a computer interface, I have no idea what it looks like but as a consumer, not sure you can get it.  It is very tedious to program DSC using the keypads and quite confusing.  I do not recommend it except for basic alarm system.  I did link it to ISY using Nodelink and was able to fancy it up a bit using ISY logic, but I had to be creative.  Mostly, I use some zones as doorbells and was able to use the outputs to control a water valve, but only because ISY was doing the logic.

Stick with your Elk since you've got it.  Only good thing about DSC is they are very cheap.

[TriLife]

Update:

I contacted Homecontrols.com, from where I had bought the ELK M1. Through them, ELK did some trouble shooting and determined that the RS232 connection of the M1 was busted. Warranty.

I finally got the replacement yesterday, installed it and it worked!

Case closed! No need for DSC for now.