Does anyone of you have good experience with a versatile Siren or Speaker to use for multiple purposes:
Alarm sound (low volume) when alarm is triggered, but there is a timer to disarm (coming home).
Alarm sound (high volume) when alarm is triggered, and disarm was not performed when timer expires (burglar).
Possible other sounds and volume levels to indicate other things (smoke, door/windows open when arming, etc.)
I have an Aeontec Siren, but it seems I have to configure the sound type and volume as configuration parameters, instead of having it available as channels or similar, so I am looking for a better/easier solution.
(I use Z-Wave, so preferably it should be a Z-Wave Siren, but other methods are okay.)
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
2
Hi
Have you considered a Google Chromecast Audio with some cheap speakers.
It’s easy enough to record and edit MP3 files to host in the OpenHab2 sounds folder and push to the speakers.
You can also send them MP3 streams, should you also want a whole house sound system.
Likewise, because they become Audio Sinks in OpenHab2, you can send them TTS commands (‘say’ from the rules).
Thanks for the tip, but I would like as low-tech as possible, with few dependencies (for alarm system).
Therefore I did like the concept of the Aeontec Siren, because it is mains powered, but has an integrated batteri in case of power failure. It is just the way it is used, with the siren sound and volume as configuration parameters, that is complex. Therefore my question for another solution.
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
4
Arrrr
I see.
I’ve never seen an IP controllable siren, certainly not with tone selection.
If you find something I’d be very interested.
Cheers
Stuart
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
5
Hi
Just a thought.
Could you hack the button pad of something like this?
Obviously you’re stuck with whatever tones are in it…
You’re desperately trying to find a niche solution, that’s no good as it’s not flexible and robust (e.g. what if the single device you finally find breaks some day and you can not find any replacement because the vendor has broken up meanwhile ?)
I’d advise to rework things.
Put your server and WiFi AP on UPS. Get a non-ZWave subsystem you can attach an external speaker to : Chromecast, your server’s soundjack, Bluetooth speaker, Squeezebox, Sonos, AVR via binding, WiFi enabled doorbell, … many options here, select what’s easiest. But attention with Bluetooh, while the rest is, driver setup on the server usually isn’t easy.
You can keep using your siren for ‘serious’ alarms, of course.
I have a Raspberry on POE (with UPS for router, 4G backup connection, switches, WiFi and POE devices) and my alarm related devices are Z-Wave battery-only or in case of the Aeontec siren as mains-powered with battery backup. - During a couple of power outages over the years, this has been reliable.
I see Aoentec has announced a new version 6 of their siren, and in the meantime I will look into exposing the configuration parameters for sound type and volume for the Aoentec Siren Gen5 as channels, to get the items I am looking for. - Alternatively I can change the configuration via rules and HTTP requests to the API. Then I can use the existing sirens for different scenarios with clear audio difference to recognize the alarm type.
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
10
Random thought…
Can you not hook a speaker to the audio out and instruct the Pi to play any sound / stream at any volume?
I know I can get VLC to work from a command line or HTTP call
“Sound system” solutions are NOT going to provide a serious intruder alarm siren capability.
That’s not trashing the suggestions, it just means reviewing your requirement in terms of ‘one size doesn’t fit all’.
Keep the siren for seriously nasty alarms.
Add a separate capability for ‘informational’ level sounds or announcements.
Commercial grade sirens often offer at least two operating sounds - think fire alarm howler doubling as class-change bleeper in schools. But these are for use in commercial systems - 24 Volt power, dedicated battery backup, proprietary comms etc. Doubt there’s anything useful in that area.
