This is old stuff from before the buyout, but the customer wants smart phone remote access for status and arm/disarm. I am not even sure where to start. My first thought is to swap to a Napco panel and use iBridge, but that's an awfully expensive solution in initial hardware and labor outlay and the Caddx NX8e is actually the better panel for the multiple building application with its self contained expansion modules.
Any suggestions?
I know I can throw a switch out / status input cellular unit on it, but that is awfully inelegant for such limited functionality.
Stick with the NX8E. I have quite a few installed as well as the NX8V2. Love the panel. It lets me do things that I doubt would be possible with others. Well maybe the Elk M1 but that is another story.
Not sure your thoughts on Alarm.com but what you are thinking of doing is very easy with that service and the interactive option.
The NX592E module will marry up with the NX8E and works seamlessly. The only trick is the version of the NX8E needs to be up to date. Meaning there issues with older versions.
The latest Control Version is 19.00
I would say that anything less than Control Version 17.00 would be an problem. I had a big issue with a couple of Version 8.00 and picked up a new "board only's", swapped in and program. All worked just fine.
I would say that a eeprom swap is possible. However, the chances of getting one may be slim to none.
There was a time a number of years ago that there was a programming whoops on a particular release. GE was quick to provided replacement chips for the fix. I remember having to change about 10 or 12 at that time. I think the old chips are still on my shelf.
Tri-Ed has the NX8E-BO-FG Board Only for $91.93
Would suggest getting the latest version of DL900 if you don't already have it. Download the existing before swap and then reload when done.
I will PM you for some other thoughts on the subject.
I don't know how complicated you want this to be but the Napco Starlink rad io (cellular) will give you arm, disarm and text or email notifications of arm/disarm, and alarm by zone and system trouble conditons. Pretty basic bu t if you want it simple the Starlink has been working excellent for me. You can get it in both ATT or Verizon service providers Can be used as primary or backup. About $11.00 a month over central station cost.
If you change out the board to a NX8v2 board, you can use an IPDatatel Ip card which will translate into more funds into your pocket because they cost less for the monthly service and the parts, than alarm.com. Also, if you want cellular, they also have a unit using the Verizon cellular network. This cellular unit has dual communication using the internet also. It uses the internet first, if that is not available or it is down, it switches to cellular. If the customer also has a phone line, this means that he will have triple redundancy for communicating to the central station. I know because we use them to provide triple redundancy for GE, Networx, DSC, and Honeywell.
The interactive access is done using the IP or the cellular, so that has redundancy also. Your customer has a choice to have text, email, and robo-call on all events, some events, or none thru your portal and the customer's portal. We have been using them since 2012. You can have up to 7 different security systems on the customer's app on his Iphone or Android only. No Windows phone app. It is great for customers who have a string of stores.
Changing out the Networx board only is cheap to me. Ip card is about $69, combo Ip/cellular radio can be gotten at ADI for about $125 on sale. If the cell signal is weak in the area, just replace the 3dB gain antenna that comes with it, for a 5dB gain antenna. Antennas are antennas, don't even bother pricing them at ADI or the main suppliers out there, they will rip you off for close to $30 or more... it appears that they seem to think that an antenna is a complicated piece of electronics wonder! We pay about $6.50@ in quantities of about 10 with shipping included for $1 more... from where they make them...China.
Actually, all version 2 of the panels can be used, NX 4-6-8. An 8E version is a version 1 just like a plain 8. Also, I have never had any problem getting help from GE tech support, although you do have to know how to ask.
There are specific ways to program the NXv2 panels when using the IPdatatel equipment. I got all the info over time by speaking to different techs at IPdatatel. If you let me know exactly what you will be doing with it, I can tell you exactly how to program the panel to achieve the results that you need. The device on a Networx panel reads everything from the event buffer and it is transmitted to the cs and the customer, depending on what you may have enabled for the customer to receive.
I do not use the tip & ring to transmit. I call up Ipdatatel and tell them to enable GSM emulation on all systems. That is how we get triple redundancy when there is an available telco line. Some of their techs will resist at first, I tell them that I know what I am doing and to just do it. The senior guys know better.
It is worth investigating. You will find that as you become more familiar, your expertise will grow with what you can do with their equipment.
Again thanks for the input. This whole thread started with Bob asking about an 8E issue. That being said most of this discussion with IPDatatel only deals with the V2 NX stuff and will NOT work with the 8E.
Unless of course you just use the generic Tip/Ring hook up.
Now that I know the IPDatatel works with the V2 it will cause me to look into it as a alternative to ADC. Which brings up the next question.
Besides arm/disarm, history, email or text notification what other bells and whistles can this equipment or service provide to the end user in the way of features??
Looking at the web pages it seems a little hard to find or I am just not savvy enough on their site to find. I know I can request info but, that is generally a last resort to me.
Yep. Napco Starlink is currently my main cellular unit. I have been taking out other stuff and replacing them with Starlink. I can't wait for them to get that darn fie communicator approval so I can get rid of Telguard completely.
The notifications are email, text, and call. For alarms, we include the calls because a customer will answer a phone right away, but may wait to look at a text. It is a robo-call, a somewhat feminine voice. The customer also has a web portal with options that you choose to set for each particular account. He can also access from there a virtual keypad.
There are gateways for light modules and locks, but we do not presently use any of these features. Additionally, they do have the ability for cameras, with a very noticeable difference to Alarm.com. As I understand Alarm.com, the cameras store video on their servers, which you then pull up to your cellphone. IPdatatel does not. You can actually store the video locally, and have it "paired" to the app using their gateways. Of course, their unit will need internet in order to do this. Their cellular radio does not send any video clips as I am told. We only use the separate app for video that comes with our dvr's, so at present, we do not see the need for it except perhaps in the future for a very technically challenged customer.
A call to their customer service/sales can get you some very quick information on all of this.
On the Honeywell, you will be using GSM emulation. We never use Tip & Ring to transmit. As per their instructions, you can use the cellular bat in use for another communication device for Failover or for Dual Reporting. Remember, their Cellular bat is already a dual path communicator, so for triple redundancy, all that is left to do is the telco line. In the book that comes with the Cellular bat, you enable 29 to have GSM on the Honeywell. The rest of the programming is basically 42,43,49,54,55,65,66, and 193. The specifics to these are in their instructions booklet whether you desire Failover or Dual Reporting.
The triple redundancy is why we value IPdatatel and it all starts with their dual path Internet/Cellular communicator.
Like I said before, they do not push GSM emulation. You do have to request it by calling up tech support for each unit that you are putting online. It takes them about 15 seconds to do that by the way. I believe that they are reticent probably because of server space or something like that. If it takes longer, it is probably a new tech who puts you on hold to ask their colleagues, " What's GSM emulation".
Give them a try. It does not cost anything to set yourself up as a dealer. Buy a unit of each type and do some thorough testing. We tested them for 8 months before we added any customers back in 2012.
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