Comparison Oltec GSM-Kit New vs COLARIX ALM-GSM-004

Way of connecting sensors, allowed by the central unit of the set. The sensors themselves may or may not be included in the scope of delivery.

— Wireless. Systems to which sensors are connected only wirelessly. This option is convenient due to the fact that there are no wires, which greatly simplifies installation: you do not need to pull the cable to each sensor, just make sure that they are located within the range of communication with the control panel. In addition, the advantages of wireless alarms include the fact that it is quite difficult to interrupt the connection of sensors with the main unit: this requires special equipment for jamming, which is unlikely to be available to the average burglar. On the other hand, wireless devices are noticeably more expensive than wired ones, and sensors require their own power sources (batteries or accumulators) that need to be changed periodically.

— Wired. Systems with wired connection only. Such kits are cheaper than wireless ones, moreover, the sensors are usually powered through a connection cable — in fact, this means that the user does not need to monitor the condition of the batteries and periodically change them. On the other hand, the connection requires wiring, which can be quite a hassle. Therefore, purely wired solutions are extremely rare today, combined kits are more common (see below).

— Wireless and wired. Syste...ms that allow connection of both wired and wireless sensors. Each of the options is detailed above; and such versatility allows the user to choose the types of sensors at his discretion, depending on the characteristics of the installation. For example, if the control panel is installed at the entrance door, a wired method can be used for the opening sensor, and it is more convenient to connect motion sensors from distant rooms via a wireless channel.

— Built -in. Systems in which the sensor is built directly into the central alarm unit. In fact, most of these devices are self-contained sensors with additional functions such as telephone control (see "Control"), connection of additional sensors is usually not provided. Such a kit can be a good option for cases where an extensive security system is not required — for example, if you only need to "cover" a separate office.

The number of security zones that can be covered by this kit when using wireless sensors.

In this case, a security zone means a separate protected area for which you can separately set the operating mode — for example, "Protection", "Protection disarmed" or a special tracking format. On many models, the number of zones corresponds to the maximum number of wireless sensors that can be connected to the device (see "Wireless Sensors"). However, there are exceptions: for example, a model for several dozen sensors can have 6-10 protection zones, in the expectation that one zone will be served simultaneously by several sensors.

— Partial security. Possibility of work of a set in the mode of partial protection. In this mode, the alarm does not arm the entire protected space, but only a part of it — for example, individual rooms, or only sensors of a certain type (opening, movement). Specific features of the partial protection format may be different, they should be specified separately in each model. However, anyway, this function expands the capabilities of the signaling and may be useful in some specific situations. For example, in a residential building at night, you can turn on the perimeter sensors without using motion sensors — in this way, the alarm will only turn on when you try to enter the house and will not respond to people inside.

— Alarm on pressing the button. Possibility to turn on the alarm signal manually by pressing a special button. This function will be indispensable in extreme situations in which automatic sensors are useless — for example, during an open robbery or attack. Specific alarm functions, of course, may be different: some models include a siren, others are able to send a signal to the dispatcher's console, etc.; these details should be specified separately.

— Auto arming. Possibility of automatic arming of the alarm system. Most often, in this case, the inclusion of protection is implied by the schedule of hours and days of the week specified b...y the user; some models allow you to store several schedules in memory at once. This feature ensures that the protected zone "out of hours" will not be left without an alarm, even if the user forgets to turn it on manually. In addition, other methods of auto-arming may be provided — for example, when all key fobs are removed from the communication zone; the presence of such functions should be clarified separately.

Functions and capabilities of the central signaling unit.

— Display. Own display, which the control panel is equipped with, can have a different size and functionality — from the simplest indicator matrix with several characters to a full-fledged colour screen. Anyway, this function makes working with the alarm more convenient and visual. The display can show various data about the system operation: the current mode of operation, the status of security zones and sensors, the arming and disarming log, battery charge, etc. At the same time, it should be noted that the absence of a display does not mean that it is impossible to receive such information — some models are able to display data on an external display, for example, on a smartphone or tablet via the Internet (see "Control").

— Keyboard. Own keyboard that allows you to control the functions of the central unit directly from its body. For more information about this feature, see "Control"; here we note that the keyboard in most cases is combined with the display described above.

— SOS button. The presence of its own SOS button (panic button) on the body of the central unit. This button allows you to quickly raise an alarm in an emergency; it is usually made large and clearly visible, and the alarm can be triggered in a way that reduces the likelihood of false alarms — for example, by l...ong or repeated pressing.

— Intercom. The possibility of using the system for two-way communication — between a remote subscriber and a person located near the central unit. This function is found only in models with the possibility of remote control via GSM (see "Control"). It allows you to use the control panel as an impromptu landline phone — to communicate with phones stored in memory. In some cases, this possibility is useful: for example, if there is a person on duty at the protected facility, when the alarm is triggered, he can report the details of the incident via the intercom. Often this function is combined with listening (see below); in fact, intercom differs from listening only in that the remote user can not only hear what is happening in the room, but also fully speak with the people who are there.

— Listening. The ability to use the system to listen to the room in which the central unit is installed. This function is found only in models with the possibility of remote control — via GSM or Wi-Fi (see "Control"). At the same time, in some models, listening is activated only when the system is triggered, in others it can be turned on at the request of the user by calling the control panel through the telephone network or through an Internet application.

— Voice guidance. The presence in the system of the function of voice accompaniment — "sounding" by voice messages of various actions and events. This function is found only in models with the possibility of remote control via GSM or Wi-Fi (see "Management") and mainly concerns communication with a remote user. When the system is triggered, a call is received to the specified phone number, and when the user answers it, the system announces the data on the trigger (sensor type, time, security zone, etc.). This makes it possible to obtain detailed information on the incident, and not just an alarm; in addition, in many models, after informing, a voice menu is activated, which allows you to control the security from your phone.

— Relay output. Availability of a relay output in the central unit — an output whose contacts are connected to the built-in relay and can be closed and opened on command from the control panel. The ways of using such an output can be different: in some models, the contacts are triggered when the guard is turned on / off, in others they are closed on an alarm signal, some systems allow you to control the line output from the phone or via the Internet; these details should be clarified separately. However, anyway, this function allows you to connect various additional equipment to the device. For example, in a control room where the relay is triggered by an alarm, an additional siren or spotlight can be connected to the relay output.

— Exit to the siren. Availability of a separate output in the control panel for connecting an additional external siren. In this case, both a hardware connector for a wired siren and the ability to connect a wireless siren may be implied, depending on the model (these details should be specified separately). However, anyway, if you are going to use a "non-native" siren, you should choose a model with this feature.

The number of wireless sensors that can be simultaneously connected to the central unit (if this connection format is supported — see "Connecting sensors"). This number, by definition, is not less than the number of wireless zones (see the relevant paragraph).

Note that even the most modest modern systems support 6 – 8 wireless sensors, in the most advanced models this number can exceed 100. So you have to pay attention to this parameter mainly in cases where you need to organize a very extensive alarm system.

The angle covered by the complete horizontal motion sensor(s).

This parameter allows you to evaluate the space that falls into the field of view of the device. The larger the coverage angle, the smaller the size of the “dead zone” that does not fall into the field of view of the sensor. A wide field of view is especially important if there is a large space on the sides of the sensor: the farther from the device, the wider the “dead zone”. However, in the most advanced models, this angle is 180 ° — this means that the sensor suspended on the wall will horizontally cover the entire space in front of the wall.

The range of a motion sensor is the maximum distance at which it can detect motion.

If there is only one sensor in the room, then its range of action should not be less than the diagonal length of the room. Large spaces that are not covered by a single sensor can be covered with multiple sensors. It is also worth noting that the range claimed in the characteristics is a rather approximate parameter and is usually indicated for perfect conditions; therefore, it is worth choosing according to this characteristic with a certain margin (at least 10 – 15%).

Activation threshold of the opening sensor(s) supplied as standard.

The opening sensor consists of two parts: one of them is attached directly to the door / window, the other — to the fixed part of the frame. The trigger occurs when one part of the sensor moves away from the other when the door/window is opened. And the response threshold describes the distance that the parts of the sensor need to be separated to trigger it. The lower this indicator, the more sensitive the sensor is, the smaller the opening is required in order for it to respond. However, in most cases this figure is from 10 to 20 mm, such differences between different models are not critical.

The volume of the siren, which comes standard with the set.

The louder the siren, the higher the likelihood that a triggered alarm will attract the nearest police patrol or at least random citizens. In addition, a loud sound can have a psychological, disorienting effect on an intruder. Thus, the alarm sirens become quite noisy. So, in the most "quiet" volume level is about 70 – 80 dB, this can be compared with a noisy city street, the ringing of an alarm clock or a scream at a distance of about 1 m. And in the loudest, this value reaches 130 dB, which is comparable to the sound of a working perforator , the pain threshold is approximately at the same level. More detailed comparisons of different volume values with real sound sources can be found in special tables.