Part 2 - Comparing the Quality

written by Dave / High Level Alarms

Copyrights @High Level Alarms 2008

When wireless first arrived on the scene virtually everyone said that you couldn’t beat a wired job, since each unit was physically linked to the next.   It was thought that this gave the entire system a unilateral balance of some sort, whereby all parts became one. 

At the early stages of wireless when it was in its infancy and only coming of age, it had numerous shortcomings and it was easy to accept that a wired system was superior.   However it was eventually recognized that wired equipment also had limitations, which occurred occasionally because of wall construction or overall construction that created a kind of obstacle that made getting the wire from A to B, problematic.  Eventually installers began to realize that with wire was in fact the main problem.  

In it’s early days, there were alarm companies like High Level Alarms who really wanted to move into the new technology but at first it was difficult because it hadn’t yet come of age.   For one thing, it was difficult to assure that the signal got from, A to B.   Worse yet, those early systems lacked the ability to verify that the signal was making it to its destination.  The system could be tested and working at the moment but being assured that it would work when needed was never guaranteed.

Those early systems lacked both transmitting power and reporting features.   Power was required just to reach all points within an average size home or building and reporting between the sensors and control was needed to confirm that the units were in fact working properly.   Basically, reporting is the sensor talking to the control and telling it that it is still alive and well and ready to signal in case of an alarm.   Without reporting there was no way to indicate that anything would occur in the event of a real intrusion. 

Wired systems were then still the primary choice but over the years, wireless was perfected and eventually met or exceeded every standard. (the wireless systems mentioned herein, do not apply to all manufactures but to those utilized by High Level Alarms)   Even the curse of false alarms that was prevalent in the early models soon became virtually non-existent.   The issue of power eventually reached a level of quality whereby distance could almost be forgotten at least to a point.   Reporting went from an abstract indicator on the keypad that was difficult and almost impossible to decipher, to full central station reporting of every possible failure or occurrence.   This constant conversation between the sensors to the control and then to the central station that reports back to the customer is what finalized the link that made wireless as safe as wired.   Once UL gave approval to smoke detectors and other alarm parts denying the quality of wireless became nearly impossible. 

Go to Part 3 -Shortcomings of Either or Both