# HKC Alarms - Dialler?



## OhPinchy (20 Jan 2006)

Hi,

My mate installed a HKC Alarm for me, think the panel is the A12 or 812. He's never done a dialler so didn't fit one, but I want one now for peace of mind when away.

Can you get a dialler for this alarm and can it be fitted retrospectively? If so, does this just let you know that the alarm is going off, or can you then turn it off and reset it through the phone (I'd guess this is only possible on the more advanced systems I've seen on letsautomate.co.uk)?

The phone line will be Blueface VoIP so the dialler will need to use DTMF tones I think.

If theres no way of adding a dialler then what are the workarounds? I saw this device in B&Q for €45 on sale which basically listens to when your alarm is going off and calls you. It doesnt need to be connected to the alarm in anyway but it works off a plug so you'd need to have it plugged in the whole time which is not ideal, and if an intruder copped it they could just pull the plug out. Anyone any experience of this or similar devices?


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## jnealon (20 Jan 2006)

HKC do a text dialler (no voice) that plugs on to the panel. It will text you when the alarm goes. It will not allow remote reset over the phone only using its Smartlink software via pc. 
I think you will have trouble with the VOIP. I couldn't put it in a couple of homes that had Magnet installed. HKC are aware of this and should issue a fix for it soon


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## OhPinchy (20 Jan 2006)

Cool, thanks.

Can I add any dialler to this setup or does it have to be a HKC dialler?

Does it send the text from a landline or a gsm SIM card? Any ideas on price?

If one zone goes off, and it texts me, will it then text me when a second zone goes off, thereby verify that two zones have been set off?


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## jnealon (23 Jan 2006)

OhPinchy said:
			
		

> Cool, thanks.
> 
> Can I add any dialler to this setup or does it have to be a HKC dialler?
> A
> ...


 
Any dialer will do but these will only give you a generic message

Land line, it uses the eircom SMS server

Yes, PIRs would be a good idea for this. It will also text you when it has been deactivated just in case it was set off by accident. A lot of false alarms happen due to user error


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## OhPinchy (23 Jan 2006)

thanks jnealon.

The generic message would do the trick though, right?

When you say "Land line, it uses the eircom SMS server" this doesn't mean that I need an eircom landline, but instead my phone line (Blueface VoIP through an ATA which will make it just like any normal landline) will dial into eircoms SMS server, which will then send the text (which is why it can only be a generic message)?

Nice one.


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## Derrylee (22 Sep 2008)

I need to replace an old alarm keypad and control box - key pads broken and my box is too old to work with keypads on the market now. Is it just a case of disconnect wires from old box and connect them into a new box or do I really need to hire an Alarm company to do it? I have some experience of wiring but wouldn't be an alarm expert.


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## mehaul (2 Jul 2009)

Hi Guys,

Just wondering does anyone know where I can get my hands on the Smartlink software? I need to reprogram the digi-dialer to stop texting old housemates every time the alarm trips!!


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## jnealon (2 Jul 2009)

HKC supply that. 
You could just program it using the keypad


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## mehaul (2 Jul 2009)

Hmm.. HKC won't give me the software - they tell me I need to get my original installer to do it. I wasn't aware it could be done from the keypad but I'll give it a go...


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## NumberSix (22 Aug 2009)

Hi there,
To change the phone numbers the digi-dialler sends alerts to you need to get into 'engineer mode' from the keypad. For that you need the engineer code. Who ever set those numbers for you in the first place probably has that code. Not sure they will want to part with the code thought since they might typically charge for such a change. Maybe pay them once but get the code from them. After all it's your alarm box and no one should have a code for it that you don't know. You can change the engineer code once you know it, and then issue it to an engineer in the future if you need to call someone out.


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## colm (22 Aug 2009)

NumberSix said:


> After all it's your alarm box and no one should have a code for it that you don't know. You can change the engineer code once you know it, and then issue it to an engineer in the future if you need to call someone out.


 
No reputable company will service & certify your alarm if you have engineer access. Your alarm , the same as most appliences has an engineer code to protect essential programming within the system. I bet there is not other device in your house you have engineer access to.
One bit of advice here. For your own sake check your home insurance policy re your house alarm. In most cases your company are giving you a discount for have an alarm system that conforms to EN50131.
If your alarm is not serviced & maintained by a PSA licenced company then your system does not conform to the standard ( the same applies to anyone making changes in engineer mode) & your insurance company can render your policy null & void in the event of a claim. Believe me insurance companies are looking for any excuse not to pay a cliam in the currant climate.


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## NHG (28 Jan 2010)

Trying to cut down on annual bills and thinking of geting rid of house phone and changing our monitored alarm to work off a sim card to txt to our mobile should the alarm go off (alarm set most of the time), I was quoted €600 from our alarm company - does this seem crazy.  Our phone bill is aprox €60 every two months and the only thing on it is the monitored alarm for the last ten years. (Phone bill for year aprox €400 + monitored alarm €242 so it would pay for itself after 1 year)

On my parents house, they will be keeping the home phone and I was thinking of changing their monitored alarm (very rarely used) over to text from the landline - aprox €90, but the alarm company guy told me that eircom will be stopping the txt service from their landlines during the summer - is this true, or is he just trying to get us to keep the monitored system so that he has an income from our alarms each year?  He dropped their bill from €242 to €120 this year for them to keep the monitored alarm and said sure thing will hopefully be better next year (basically people won't think twice about what they are paying for like it was for the last number of years)


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## Leo (28 Jan 2010)

Reminder, do not seek or provide recommendations in this forum, please post them in *Recommend tradesmen and suppliers.*


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## NHG (28 Jan 2010)

Sorry, but I am not looking for someone to recommend anyone else to do the job, I just wanted to know if it is correct what I was told with regard to eircom stopping the text service from landlines this year, it will effect alot of people i would imagine who already use this service.


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## Leo (28 Jan 2010)

NHG said:


> Sorry, but I am not looking for someone to recommend anyone else to do the job, I just wanted to know if it is correct what I was told with regard to eircom stopping the text service from landlines this year, it will effect alot of people i would imagine who already use this service.


 
Wasn't directed at you NHG, I removed the offending posts.
Leo


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## NHG (28 Jan 2010)

Ok, sorry for posting back at you


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## jnealon (29 Jan 2010)

I think it is very unlikely that eircom would stop this service as it is also used by normal house phones for sending texts.
Even if it stopped there are plenty of other sms servers that you can hook up to.
€120 per year for monitoring is peanuts especially if you have a URN and will get garda response


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## NHG (29 Jan 2010)

I agree that the €120 per year is very little, but it was €242 until I asked about the txt system and the house keeps students and some B&B therefore the alarm only gets put on when they are gone away on holidays.

I don't know of anyone that uses the landline to sent text messages, everyone uses mobiles to text (except alarms).


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## teapotowner (21 Jan 2012)

hi ohPinchy - did you ever get this setup to work? Ive been trying to get my HKC alarm to route texts through Blueface via an ATA to Eircom SMS Gateway but with no success. I can see the text being sent from my blueface call history but texts dont seem to get forwarded to phones. Is Eircom blocking because its not originating from an Eircom number or has anyone come across this issue before. Thanks in advance


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## KoolKid (21 Jan 2012)

Eircoms message centre will reject texts if it does not recognise the number it originated from. This is because it has nowhere to bill the text to.


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## teapotowner (22 Jan 2012)

Thanks koolkid. Getting it hard to find an open SMS gateway or one provided by blue face.


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## KoolKid (22 Jan 2012)

Good luck with it. If you find one let me know.


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