SK5 Wireless Alarm
So you want to install an alarm system and amongst the many questions you are likely to ask before buying is, “why should I choose a wireless alarm?” And the answer? Well, the traditional method of protecting a property has been by a hard wired system but with the advances in technology wireless systems are becoming increasingly more reliable and cost effective and consequently more popular. We believe there are six good reasons for choosing a wireless alarm.
- Aesthetics – no need to drill through walls and no unsightly cable or wiring
- Easily Installed – no skill or experience required. An easy DIY project
- Less Expensive than Monitored systems – no ongoing annual fees
- Reliability – Systems built to British Standards and with the Government approved operating frequency enhance reliability
- Add additional detectors – add an extra detector wherever and when ever you like
- Take it with you – Take your wireless alarm with you when you move house or leave student digs
Now let’s look into each one of these in more detail:
- Aesthetics - the main, and probably the most obvious benefit to having a wireless alarm system is that you don’t have to drill holes through walls and run unsightly cable around the house. The only time that a wired system should be considered is when the property is being built and the facilities for a wired system can be installed during the first fix process and hidden away – the same way as your electricity cables for lighting and heating are tucked away between the walls and floors. After that, any wiring will appear on top of the walls and whilst it can be covered it can never be completely hidden.
- Easily installed. Hard wired systems need you to be proficient in using 6, 8 or even 12 multi-core, colour-coded cable which run between the various detectors and the control panel. Now that’s not everybody’s cup of tea. The beauty of a wireless alarm system is that it can be installed by almost anybody. The detectors can easily be positioned in rooms, hallways, the garage and even the shed with simple fixings. After that the detectors “talk” to the control panel using a radio frequency and that’s it. For added reliability it is strongly recommended that the wireless alarm you choose operates on the new Government allocated 868 MHz frequency. The Friedland range of wireless alarms do operate on this frequency and also carry the British Standard mark (BS6799). The Friedland range can be compared with other brands here.
- Less expensive than a monitored system. When comparing a wireless alarm system with a monitored alarm system one of the areas to consider is cost. To install a fully monitored, hard wired system will cost in the region of £450 to install plus £150 per year for monitoring and maintenance. A good quality wireless alarm such as the Friedland SK5 costs about £200 and has no other costs associated with it (other comparable companies can be found here). The beauty of these types of wireless alarms is that they have a built in voice dialler. In the event of an activation at your property it will automatically dial a set of telephone numbers that you have pre-programmed into it. It will keep dialling the numbers until it gets an answer and when it does it plays a pre-recorded message to advise the person answering of the situation. Now the telephone numbers you choose could be anything i.e your work number, your mobile number or perhaps even better, a neighbour or friend who lives close by and who can respond immediately to the cause of the activation.
- Reliability. In the past, lack of reliability was the stick used to beat the wireless alarm companies about the head (usually by companies selling hard wired systems!!). Unfortunately, there are still some wireless systems that shouldn’t be touched with a barge pole – usually imported by the thousands and sold cheaply at car boot sales and the like. To get past this issue and to ensure you purchase a reliable system it is strongly recommended that the wireless alarm system you choose comes up to the British Standard (BS6799) and operates on the Governments approved 868 MHz frequency. The Friedland SK range of wireless alarms are typical of those that meet this standard although other brands are available to compare here.
- Easily movable. Another major benefit of a wireless alarm system is that it is mobile. Because it isn’t hard wired you can move the various detectors around the house and when you move house you can take the whole system with you. No alarm company contracts to break and no negotiating with the new owners. Just remove the various components from the walls and doors, pack them away and set them up in your new house – simple. This is particularly useful for students or those living in rented accommodation where you do not own the property.
- Adding Additional detectors. Because each PIR, magnetic contact or other device in a wireless alarm system “talks” directly to the main control panel it is easy to install extra detectors. For instance, once you’ve set up your wireless alarm in your house you may decide that you want to protect your shed at the bottom of the garden – after all garden theft is big business. Well, with a wireless alarm system you can easily obtain another PIR or magnetic contact and fix it to the shed and programme it into your existing house wireless alarm system – as easy as that. No wires or armoured cabling required. Certain companies such as MyHome247 even allow you to add cameras.
And so, with its reliability and ease of installation a wireless alarm system has the ability to provide the security and peace of mind you need for yourself and for your family. But although you now know to purchase a reputable system from a reliable source it is still important to discover which system is best for your situation. It is therefore recommended you compare the qualities of several wireless alarm systems from different companies and this can easily be achieved here.
Neill MacKenzie
www.wirelessalarmsreview.co.uk
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