X10 Community Forum
🛡Home Security => Home Security General => Topic started by: mgh471 on January 26, 2008, 09:53:17 PM
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Does anyone know the voltage/amp draw specs on the DS10A door window sensor? I am thinking of extending the wire to the magnetic switch and bringing all 10 sensors back to the closet that the console is in. Once I have them all in one location I thought I might get a power supply and hardwire it into each sensor to keep from buying 20 AA batteries over and over. I know how to get the wiring part done but I don't have the specs to calculate the correct power supply.
Thanks in advance if anyone can help!
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Does anyone know the voltage/amp draw specs on the DS10A door window sensor? I am thinking of extending the wire to the magnetic switch and bringing all 10 sensors back to the closet that the console is in. Once I have them all in one location I thought I might get a power supply and hardwire it into each sensor to keep from buying 20 AA batteries over and over. I know how to get the wiring part done but I don't have the specs to calculate the correct power supply.
Thanks in advance if anyone can help!
Better test this scheme with the longest length of wire you intend to use. The resistance of a long thin wire may prevent the sensor from detecting the state of the magnetic switch. And stray pickup in a long wire may result in more false alarms than you'd like
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I am going to use 24 AWG cat-3 phone wire (solid core) with no more than a 30'-40' run. The closet is in the center of my house and I am not doing the upstairs openings yet. I read on Cinemar forums where a guy extended his almost 100' without problems so I am assuming I will be OK.
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I "hardwired" my DS10's to a central area. However... I am sure the longest run is less-than 30 feet... maybe 20. It would be interesting to test the length... distance that the DS10's can be extended. Please keep us informed mgh471. I would think (GUESS) that the DS10's could be both daisy-chained and powered as a group using a couple "D" cells as well.
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Hi I read you Hardwired your DS10a's. What tye of power supply did you use, I was thinking of hardwiring myself but short runs and using a phone type charger supp. Do you have any thoughts on this.
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AA batteries will last for more than a year, so current has to be only a few ma. Even if all your units decided to transmit a heartbeat at the same time(probably a 100 year event rofl) I doubt you would be over an Amp.
So double that capacity and you are still under six bucks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-3V-2A-AC-DC-Power-ac-adapter-Power-supply-/320682345026?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aaa284242
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... I read you Hardwired your DS10a's. What tye of power supply did you use, I was thinking of hardwiring myself but short runs and using a phone type charger supp. Do you have any thoughts on this.
I like dave w's link. But when I hardwired my units... I still used battery power... but consolidated the wiring to a central area (very near the console). Doing this can allow you to daisy-chain the magnetic switches to maybe just a couple zones (doors and windows) then... connect the 2 DS10As to a transformer.
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I like dave w's link. But when I hardwired my units... I still used battery power... but consolidated the wiring to a central area (very near the console). Doing this can allow you to daisy-chain the magnetic switches to maybe just a couple zones (doors and windows) then... connect the 2 DS10As to a transformer.
Since the base unit has battery back-up, battery power for the remote sensors makes a lot of sense. If you have a power supply powering all your remotes and you lose power for an extended period, like several hours, what happens at the base (SC1200, DS700, etc) when it doesn't receive heartbeats? I dunno what happens. The power supply link was only for the OP since he indicated that was his goal, but it might cause problems with a long term power loss, longer than the remotes heartbeat. I think your battery power is a better idea. Maybe the power supply in parallel with a couple of 4 amp NiMH D cells would work for mgh471(?).
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You know... even just the plain old Duracell's in mine seem to last forever.
I think the reason people hesitate with battery use is battery's can seem be unreliable. I reality the battery's aren't bad just most people never develop a maintenance plan for battery devices. Twice a year... when the time changes... I check my battery devices with a battery tester.