door entry systems

[Blue Fox]

Had a call this evening from a regular customer who rents out a flat. He is changing tennant and wants me to do his certificate and while I'm there can I change the door entry phone as its broken. Are all these the same or do I need to get a specific one depending on the manufacturer of the system? I've never done one of thses before so any advice appreciated. I found this phone at TLC - any good? http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DSDKP.html

 

[sellers]

I've only ever changed one and it was on a hospital with a camera too. about 14 cables in total. 2x cat 5e cables used (4pairs in each).

I'd say go look at what the existing system is, how many cores are already installed then pick your new unit to suit.

 

[Adrian]

I would go for like for like

some systems are two wire some are more

 

[Lurch]

Have a look first and source an identical unit or check with the manufacturer to see what will and won;t work with it. Many systems work on the same amount of wires, but won;t work with each other. Some will work with other units, I'm sure I had a list around here somewhere......

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

To add to what t'others have said....

The button to press to release the door solenoid and let someone in would probably be easy enough to get working...

BUT the amplifier & speaker bits and connections.. may not be suitably balanced with each other or have incompatible wires.

 

[spinlondon]

You'd need at least 4 wires, and only if you were to use just the one earth. They are usually done in 6 wire. 2 for sound, 2 for speech and 2 for the button.

The pair for the button should be the easiest to determine. You may have to faff around sorting out the other pairs, as sometimes the terminals aren't marked very clearly.

 

[Lurch]

You'd need at least 4 wires

Unless you only have 2.

 

[Andy™]

each manufacturer usually has their own way of things, so an alternative make may not work, or may give problems to other handsets

 

[spinlondon]

Unless you only have 2.

Won't work with only 2 wires. You could have speech and sound as with telephones, but there would be no way to operate the door opening relay.

 

[Lurch]

Won't work with only 2 wires. Y

It will. I'd say you don't do much with door entry systems, 2 wire systems have been about for years, you can get 2 wire just about anything.

The controller is connected to the lock\phone\camera\release etc... and the handset is on the end of a 2 wire connection. That's it, there's no 'minimum of 4 wires', don't know where you got that from?

 

[Andy™]

Won't work with only 2 wires. You could have speech and sound as with telephones, but there would be no way to operate the door opening relay.

there are many 2 wire systems in use

 

[binky]

Have just quoted to replace a unit with a 2 wire system, reason being to avoid potential issues with damaged cabling, in theory it gives me 4 spare cores to use.

 

[spinlondon]

Do these 2 wire systems have wireless componants?

 

[Andy™]

Do these 2 wire systems have wireless componants?

no, they just use 2 cores for all signalling/power etc