Getting Started — Security Alarms

This document gives you the foundation knowledge you need before working on intruder alarm systems. Read this before your first alarm installation. It covers what the system does, how it's built, the key terminology, and what Grade 2 means in practice.

What an intruder alarm system does

An intruder alarm detects unauthorised entry into a building and raises an alert — either locally (sounder), remotely (ARC signalling), or both. The system is always monitoring, even when the user isn't home.

At Wilsons, our primary brand is Texecom Premier Elite.

System components

Every alarm system is made up of the same core parts. Learn these — you'll hear them every day.

Control Panel (the brain)

The central unit. Receives signals from all detectors, decides whether to trigger an alarm, communicates with the outside world. We use Texecom Premier Elite panels (24, 48, 88, 168, or 640 zones depending on the size of the job).

Always mounted in a secure location — utility room, cupboard, or comms room. Mains powered with a backup battery inside the panel.

Keypad (the user interface)

How the customer arms and disarms the system. Mounts at entry/exit points — usually front door, garage entrance. Runs on a data bus cable back to the panel (or wirelessly with Ricochet).

Texecom keypads: Premier Elite Touch, Premier Elite TM, or the wireless V2W keypad.

Detectors (what senses movement / entry)

Detector type	What it detects	Where it goes
PIR (passive infrared)	Body heat movement	Corners of rooms, hallways
Door/window contact (magnetic)	Opening of doors or windows	Frame of every external door/window
Shock sensor	Impact, breaking glass	Windows, vulnerable walls
Dual-tech (PIR + microwave)	Movement — dual confirmation reduces false alarms	High-risk areas, pets present

Sounder

The device that makes noise when the alarm triggers. Two types:

Internal sounder — siren inside the building (deterrent, wakes occupants)
External bell box — weather-proof box on the outside of the building (visible deterrent, alerts neighbours). Usually has a strobe light and a backup battery so it still sounds if the panel is disconnected.

Communicator (SmartCom)

Connects the alarm to the Texecom Connect app and the ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre). Plugs into the panel. Uses IP (broadband) as primary comms and GPRS (mobile data) as a backup. For Grade 2 ARC-monitored systems, this is required.

Wiring

Traditional wired systems run alarm cable from the panel to each detector and keypad. At Wilsons we always run 6-core cable as standard — the extra cores provide fallback capacity and spare connections if needed. Texecom Ricochet wireless devices communicate via 868MHz mesh — no cable run needed for those devices (battery-powered), but the panel still needs a mains supply.

Grade 2 explained

Security alarm systems are rated on a Grade scale (EN 50131 European Standard). The grade tells you how sophisticated the system is and what level of intruder it's designed to deter.

Most residential and small commercial installations we do are Grade 2.

What Grade 2 means

Grade 2 is designed to deter and detect intruders with limited knowledge of alarm systems. It covers the majority of domestic and small business premises.

Key requirements for a Grade 2 system:

Requirement	Detail
Detection	Must cover all accessible entry points (doors, ground floor windows)
Tamper protection	All devices must trigger an alarm if opened or removed
Power backup	Panel battery must provide minimum 12 hours standby
Signalling	Must be capable of ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre) connection for police response
Programming	Engineer access must be separate from user access
Anti-code	Anti-code protection (limits attempts before lockout)

What Grade 2 does NOT require

Detection of every internal room (that would be Grade 3)
Seismic detection or professional attack resistance (Grade 4)

In plain English for customers

"Grade 2 means your system is designed to the standard required by most home insurance companies and will qualify for police response if monitored. It's the right spec for virtually all homes and small businesses."

ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre)

If the customer wants police response, the system needs to be monitored by an ARC. The ARC watches for alarm signals 24/7 and calls the keyholders or police when triggered. Texecom SmartCom handles the signalling. We register the system with an approved ARC (e.g. RST, Reditron, Secom).

First fix vs second fix vs commissioning

Every alarm installation goes through three stages:

First fix (cabling)

Pull cable routes before plastering / decoration
Run 6-core cable from panel position to each detector position, each keypad position, siren positions — we always use 6-core as standard for spare cores and fallback
Leave tails at every position — label each cable
No devices fitted yet — just cable

Second fix (fitting devices)

Panel goes in its enclosure
Detectors, keypads, bell box all fitted and wired
No programming yet

Commissioning (programming and testing)

Power up the panel for the first time
Follow the setup procedure (see: Texecom Premier Elite — Commission — Initial Setup Procedure)
Walk test every zone
Set up user codes and hand over to customer

Key terminology

Term	Meaning
Zone	A single detection circuit (one detector = one zone, usually)
Area	A group of zones that arm/disarm together (e.g. "house" and "garage" as separate areas)
Arm / Set	Activating the alarm — all armed zones will trigger if activated
Disarm / Unset	Deactivating the alarm
Full arm	All zones armed (property unoccupied)
Part arm	Only perimeter zones armed (customer home at night — internal PIRs bypassed)
Entry delay	Time given to disarm after walking in through the entry door before alarm triggers
Exit delay	Time given to leave after arming before detectors activate
Walk test	Test mode that triggers LED/beep for each zone without activating the alarm
Tamper	Alarm triggered by opening or removing a device
ARC	Alarm Receiving Centre — 24/7 monitoring station
Wintex	Texecom's PC programming software
Ricochet	Texecom's proprietary wireless mesh protocol for wireless devices
SmartCom	Texecom's IP/GPRS communicator for app control and ARC signalling
Engineer code	The code used to enter engineer programming mode — kept private from customers
User code	The customer's arming/disarming code

Skills roadmap — Security Alarms

Level	What you can do
L1 — Assist	Cable pulling, device fitting (no wiring), tidy-up on site
L2 — Install supervised	Full first and second fix wiring under supervision, basic panel power-up
L3 — Install solo	Full install, commission using the setup procedure, walk test, user handover
L4 — Programme solo	Wintex programming, SmartCom setup, ARC registration, fault-finding, complex multi-area systems