Help with alarm cable

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irongarment

280 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#2196984 13-Mar-2019 09:35

01EG:
irongarment: I expect red and black are assumed to be present as they are necessary to power the sensor.

Yeh expected too but asked for just in case, but still I'm a new one to this, hoping to save some money by pre-wiring the detectors and lying cables to the control panel and leave the rest for installer. I have 4 new detectors. :) Is my understanding right that the red goes to terminal 7 and the black one to terminal 6 + @Nzengsaif diagram? cheers

Yes. Conventionally red is positive (+), and black is negative (-).

01EG

605 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2196991 13-Mar-2019 09:39

irongarment: Yes. Conventionally red is positive (+), and black is negative (-).

Great, thanks a lot.

01EG

605 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2196995 13-Mar-2019 09:43

BTW: when I'm ready I will be looking for an installer to finish the work but not just to connect the detectors to control system but re-program the system, if you live in Wellington and interesting in the job, pm please and I explain with more info.

Nzengsaif

34 posts

Geek

Fusion Automation

#2197010 13-Mar-2019 10:01

01EG:
Nzengsaif: Typically its 4 core and its wired like this:

Thanks a lot @Nzengsaif, is the red core used at all? and the black one is not going to control panel? what I mean that in your image there is no power for detector through terminal 6 and 7? cheers

Sorry yes red is + and black is -

20+ years doing this you start taking things for granted 😅

Zeon

3918 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2197554 13-Mar-2019 21:17

sbiddle:

chevrolux:

I just wired my alarm sensor with Cat 6 because it's what I had. But yes, alarm cable is waaaaay cheaper!

I can't see the issue using solid wire rather than stranded though? It's not like the sensors are moving around all the time. Admittedly, the only issue was not having much room to bend the Cat6 cable in the PIR.

Cat 5e / Cat6 solid cable is very brittle once the sheath is stripped back and isn't designed for screw terminals.

Hmm Im going to be using some cat6 to run relays from a standard wall light switch.

Speedtest 2019-10-14

irongarment

280 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#2197560 13-Mar-2019 21:36

Zeon:
sbiddle:

chevrolux:

I just wired my alarm sensor with Cat 6 because it's what I had. But yes, alarm cable is waaaaay cheaper!

I can't see the issue using solid wire rather than stranded though? It's not like the sensors are moving around all the time. Admittedly, the only issue was not having much room to bend the Cat6 cable in the PIR.

Cat 5e / Cat6 solid cable is very brittle once the sheath is stripped back and isn't designed for screw terminals.

Hmm Im going to be using some cat6 to run relays from a standard wall light switch.

Not sure where sbiddle is getting information from, but solid UTP cable is made of copper, which is well known for its malleability and ductility. As for not being designed for screw terminals? Strip it, clamp it. Done.

The key issue is flexibility. Solid core is fine for permanent wiring that isn't going to move (such as the patch panel in your cupboard and the data socket in your office). Stranded wire is better for wiring that moves, such as network patch leads. That and the fact that the plugs and sockets that terminate the wires are designed to work best with each kind of cable, but not the other.

However, using solid core UTP cable for your alarm or your relays, no problem (other than it's more expensive, and frankly I don't like stripping that slippery, tough, thin insulation).

Using stranded UTP cable for your alarm or relays, no problem.

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2197644 14-Mar-2019 07:20

No I must agree to a point about solid wire in screw terminals.

It's something that is taught when working on the very old 10 (or maybe 15 pair), distribution points in the chorus copper network. The round, bell style ones.

When you wrap a wire around the terminal, you only go three quarters the way around so as not to cross the wire over itself. If its crossed over, when tightening down the terminal it can cut the wire where its crossed over.

However, in an alarm PIR with the little tiny terminals, you would have to be trying very VERY hard to break a wire. The word "brittle" is certainly not the correct word to use.

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