This is a great point. I just looked up Konnected’s site to check, this is what is posted on their site (my summary of Konnected when used as a primary system rather than as an add-on parallel system was made without knowing whether it was UL listed). Following was cut and pasted from their site:
Is Konnected UL Listed?
The short answer is no. Konnected Alarm Panel products are not UL Listed.
UL is U.S. based safety and certification company that publishes a number of technical standards for a wide variety of product and service categories. In the security industry, UL publishes a number of technical standards for the operation and installation of burglar and fire alarm systems.
Konnected does not meet any of the following common UL Standards.
UL 1023 - Standard for Household Burglar-Alarm System Units
UL 985 - Standard for Household Fire Warning System Units
UL 681 - Installation & Classification of Burglar and Holdup Alarm Systems
Konnected products cannot be used when strict compliance with these UL standards is required.
Konnected is not an Alarm System nor Fire Warning System by UL's definition
I was not aware of this but I suppose that it is OK when used as a parallel add-on to merely add some smart features to an already UL approved system.
BTW, not to drift too far from the OP’s original question, but thanks to @silverton38 for starting this thread. Great information here. Makes me almost wish I was building a new home just to start from scratch!
The should make a panel that is fully UL listed and have a monitoring solution. I think DSC is making a huge mistake. An open platform will always outperform a closed one. NEO SUCKS!!!
Maybe Envisalink will consider a UL listed panel since they already have the monitoring.
You know, @silverton38, you could sell tickets to this project. HE members here will pay big bucks to come out and look over your shoulder and drool over the project, while at the same time mansplaining how they would do everything.
You should consider buying a DSC 1864 board as a cold spare. All the extension boards and keypads will work perfectly with it. They are about $100 now but they be hard to find in the future. Only buy new because some used ones have a locked installer code.
If you go the in ceiling-wall/ceiling route you can always swap out the amps for something else if necessary - the speakers terminate in the same place as you would use for a multi-zone amp.
I would love to see a "tour" of the house before all that is put in, with @silverton38 explaining the plan as it goes room to room... then a time lapse of it being done (preferably with realtime for tricky areas or things to watch out for that are hit) then a "finished product". Maybe with a summary of what was used, how much was used, etc...
No need for addresses or anything that might help identify the house... but this is sounding pretty awesome and I can only dream I had the option for it. Have to live vicariously.
I would love to do that but the owner is a public person who wants his privacy. I will try to take some photos and make sure they are approved before posting them.
Great minds think alike, LOL. I purchased an extra PC5020 Main Panel about 2 years ago when I added the Envisalink and the board sits in a box in my security closet ready to go if my installed board fails.
In addition, I have some spare modules in storage as well. The accessory Power Supply Output Module (PC5204) is known to throw an error in the output voltage reading. It does not necessarily cause a problem with the output voltage itself for any sensors or accessories connected to it, but it does cause a “trouble” light to illuminate on the keyboards. Because of this, I have an extra one of these PC5204’s. My system has had a “trouble” indicator illuminated due to this for two years now (yikes!) but everything works and I just have been too lazy to swap out my PC5204.
In addition, I have a couple of PC5108 Expansion modules in storage, although they are just extra unused boards (over purchased for a previous install) as I have used DSC Power panels for 30 years or so now and have never had any expansion boards fail.
It used to be that it was pretty easy to find these parts from a variety of resellers and home automation/security outlets (at least in the U.S.). DSC also used to be very open to technical help for end users. However, they are now very restrictive in dealing with end users and you need to have a dealer account (I am not a dealer nor professional installer) to access most of the resources on their site now. I suspect that they did not wish to bite into their authorized distributors and installers.
Fortunately, since I started to DIY install three decades ago, I still have the dealer/distributor/installer hardware and software to program the panels via a serial interface (which is no longer available for purchase by end users directly from DSC), although since I don’t do this professionally, I just do all the programming through their LCD alpha-numeric keypad (the LCD5500Z series).
The last time I checked, JMAC.com was the only authorized distributor in the U.S. from which to purchase new parts. As an installer, do you have a reputable source for the DSC boards compatible with the Power Series? I do suspect that these parts are going to become very rare as it was not so easy to find new unused boards two years ago.
Any info would be greatly appreciated! And yes, I think many in this community will love to keep up with your progress on your install as a fantastic instructional resource. Good luck with everything.
There is an important difference between the DSC Power864 and the newer DSC 1864 for home automation; The Zone definition 26, which is "24 hour non alarm" (available only on DSC 1616,1832 and 1864). This allows me to wire every door in the home without an issue with the alarm system. I am going to wire every single each door with a hidden sensor. The other issue is the touch keypad which only works on the newer units.
This might be a good reason to just change your 864 board for an 1864 board. All the other boards and keypads are compatible.
Consider a whole home surge protector if its not code already, also maybe water monitoring system. There are secondary devices like the Flume you can use for that as well. (just posted this in another thread)
Hi @silverton38 , I have been using the Zone Definition 26 with my 20 year old Power864 for many years now (it is how I have my mailbox door set up, my outdoor PIRS motion sensors and my garage door shock sensor among other misc sensors in the house). I have these particular sensors using various logic rules in Rule Machine for home automation (some interior doors and motion sensors etc), and in the case of the garage door shock sensor and outdoor motion sensors, to prevent false alarms from occurring. False alarms are further prevented by integrating these 24 hr non-alarm zones outputs with the object recognition in my security cameras via the Camect Connect integration.
While the DSC PTK 5507 touch screen color keypads looked pretty nice, when I first looked into getting some of these to replace some key LCD5500 LCD pads, they were going for around $350 -$400 each. At the time, I also did not know whether the touch screen would have any reliability issues over time so due to the cost (I already have 6 LCD pads around the house) and the fact that my existing keypads have been rock solid for a couple of decades now, I decided to forgo the wow factor of the color touch screen. Although I have fun with and enjoy the aesthetics of new stuff, I view stuff like security systems in a utilitarian manner (kind of like how I just want my refrigerators and freezers to just work and be reliable, rather than being able to view TV programs on them!).
Anyway, thanks for the great info. It is good stuff to know for those that wish to use the color touch screens. They do look a lot nicer and more modern than the conventional alpha-numeric LCD keypads, and especially the LED keypads which have basically used the same design for the last 30 years now. . . (I know since the original DSC system I self-installed in my office is now about 35 years old and still going strong!).
You must have one of the new versions (probably 3.1). I must have dealt with an older board because it did not have it. There is no need to swap it if you have this feature and you do not want the tough screen.
