PIR recommendation.

Have a look at the Paradox line.

Ok, Will do.. In reading more about this I'm thinking the Dual tech motions might be overkill for my application.

This is for a dental/medical office. I can share with you the floorplan and perhaps you can help me find the best location for the PIRs. I've uploaded a copy of the floor plan. It is at

I was planning on installing 3 PIRs in this office.

(with north being up)

One PIR in the north east corner of Room 100 to cover the lobby. I choose this location as to not aim it into the windows.

One PIR above door exiting room 120 to cover hallway 112.

One PIR above door exiting room 111 to cover other hallway 126

The one concern I have is that room 105 (to the east) is all storefront type glass. I don't know if this will have any considerations on selection of the PIR placed above door exiting room 120.

The two doors will have contacts, and there will be 3 glassbreaks.. One by each door area, and one in the room 105 with the other windows. I may also put one in room 104 as that also has large windows, but it is a smaller room which is also opened to 105.

Thanks,

-James

Those are perfectly good detectors. You might also want to look at the Visonic K-980D. I've used tons of those in my own installations and I've sold literally thousands of them to DIYers over the years. They've give excellent service.

A very inexpensive model that I've used a few times and sold hundreds of is the Paradox DG-75. It's a very reliable detector with a small price tag.

There are lots of other good ones. The GE / Sentrol RCR series (stands for "Range Controlled Radar") dual tech detectors have a neat feature. You can adjust the range of the microwave sensor to ignore stimuli outside the desired detection area.

I have a section of my website where I list motion detectors from most of the major manufacturers. You may find it helpful.

Everything you've said up to this point is pretty much what I would have done as well. The detector covering hallway 126 (below) can work if it's a short enough range so as not to "see" the windows and if there's no chance of reflected sunlight, headlights, etc., hitting the detector face.

As an alternative to the detector near 107 which protects hallway

126, have you considered installing a detector in the NE corner of room 105. That would cover room 105 and almost half of corridor 126 (assuming that the back of the L-shaped counter in room 105 isn't very high. If the partition is too high, you might consider placing a narrow angle detector on the wall above the window near the SE corner of room 105.

According to the plans, it's ~40ft from that wall to the glass. Sunlight isn't a possibility, but outside those windows is a parking lot, so headlights are. Those windows will be tinted, so that could help. From the wall to the parking spot would be over 50 feet.

Good call about the NE corner. The L shaped wall is a half wall going about maybe 40 inches or so.

Is the ademco 998 a good all-around PIR?

Thanks,

-jr

Make sure you properly adjust any PIR looking towards the windows. Most have a 40 foot range, but if the lenses are adjusted too high, they will pick up headlights. In one installation we didn't have a choice about where to mount the sensor. In this particular case we adjusted it for max range and masked the upper portion of the lens that was facing the window.

The Ademco PIR's are certainly "good all-around". I haven't had any bad experiences with them and we have them installed in about 20 accounts (take-overs). I've settled on the Paradox detectors (won't install anything else).

Frank Olson

A good PIR only detector for commercial apps is the GE (or under the old brand name Sentrol) SharpShooter 6155... You can find them online for around $40 to $50....... Good luck, Russ

Some folks swear by it. More folks might swear at it. :^)

I've never been particularly fond of Ademco's motion detectors. I tried a few 998's years ago with less than stellar results -- too many unexplained falses and quit using them. I list them but only because some people search for them. When they ask I usually recommend something else.

You're most welcome.

So, would you recommend a dual-tech sensor for this application? If yes, which model. And if no, which brand of good PIR would you recommend?

Thanks,

-jr

Russ, thanks. I'll check it out.

-jr

Thanks. I don't think I'm going to aim it at the window afterall. Am going to do one in the corner where the two windows come together facing outward as Robert had suggested. This will give adequate protection to the area.

Thanks again for the feedback.

-James

I made it a practice to use dual tech detectors almost everywhere, even when there were no pets around. There are a few straight PIR's that I like though a dual tech is less likely to false than a PIR (all other things being equal).

I may have already mentioned it but I like the Visonic K-980D for most short to mid-range apps. If the detector needs to cover a

50-foot hallway, the Sentrol RCR-50 would be worth a look. If for some reason you want a PIR only the Paradox DG75 does a decent job at a reasonable cost.

Here's a URL (my website) for the GE / Sentrol RCR50

Visonic K-980D Paradox DG75 The prices on these are retail. You're in the trade so expect to pay between 20 and 30% less at your distributor.

I concur. Those Sharpshooters are decent units. The retail price is just shy of $50. The distributor will sell them for around $38-40.

I carry them online as well. Here's a link (GE's PDF file).

Both detector are very good and reliable..

from the floor plan you provided I would put a pir in every room, that have windows or door accessible from the outside,in know some will say its overkill but think about it,when they are inside its much more easier to crawl your way up to where you need then to crawl you way thru a broken window,is you are not already detected...

and its not because there is a wall that someone already inside wont pass through it,and then could "bypass" the protection,by accessing the main control panel

my thinking is, protect every entry point,and then add 1 or 2 pir in corridor,just in case

"James Russo" a écrit dans le message de news: HO8Kf.35465$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...

Thanks to all those who replied. I've decided to go with the sentrol RCR for the installation.

-jr

Be careful James.

I didn't look at your layout but if you use the RCR units in close proximity to one another you're going to have false alarms. Microwave units like these will set each other off. Don't let the controled Radar adjustment fool you into thinking that the array will be contained. The only thing that's happening is that the unit will not see a doppler shift further out than you adust it for but that doesn't mean the patten is being contained within that adjusted area. That is: If the unit has a range of 50 feet and you set it for 19 feet, the array is still reaching out to 50 feet and likely further. If it happens to cross pattern with another unit .......... false alarms. Also, units cannot be mounted back to back within two feet but I wouldn't trust it even that close.