Alternative Methods for Transmitting Fire Alarm Messages
Promoting AlarmNet™ Long Range Radio in Your Area
Honeywell Sales Coaching Series
© 2004 Honeywell
Alternative Methods for Transmitting Fire Alarm Messages
Description and Purpose
Using LRR (Long Range Radio)
for fire alarm system
communication provides
superior message transmission
with better supervision using a
less costly method of
connecting to a monitoring
station. In addition, AlarmNet™
creates a win-win scenario
because dealers realize an
increase in monthly profit, while
end users see reduced costs in
monthly fire alarm
communications costs (see
Figure 1).
User Benefits
Figure 1: Comparing Phone Lines to AlarmNet™
The cost of typical fire alarm
systems breaks down into three basic types of charges: Installation Costs, monthly
maintenance and monitoring charges, and substantial telephone line charges.
In most jurisdictions, Fire Alarms require that a fire alarm communicate with a monitoring
station. It is typical for the contractor
to use standard telephone lines for
Item
this connection.
Maximum Cost Savings for End
Users: For example, if the system
requires two telephone lines for the
connection that cost $45.00 per
month, this adds a $90.00 cost to
the alarm company’s regular
monthly fee (see Table 1).
Number of Sites
2
Number of Phone Lines at each Site
X
2
Total Phone Lines
=
4
Monthly cost for each phone line
X
$45
Total Phone Line Cost
=
180
Months in Contract Terms
X
60
Better than other connection
methods: Typical monitored fire
Total phone line cost to save
=
$10,800
alarm systems supervise the
primary telephone line with a
Table 1: Calculating End-User Communication Costs
secondary telephone line.
Additionally, the system sends a test message once every 24 hours. Disadvantages
relate to the high monthly cost of the phone lines used for communication, and poor
supervision in the event that both telephone lines are out of service at the same time.
Systems not compromised when phone lines are cut: Although telephone lines are
often exposed, because AlarmNet™ does not use telephone lines, there is no need to
worry about cut phone lines
Protect distant building locations rural areas: You can protect facilities where phone
service is not available. Within the service area, use AlarmNet™ to monitor buildings
under new construction, remote well sites, roadside rest areas, grain elevators, and utility
vaults.
Speed – When Seconds Count: AlarmNet™ provides very-fast signaling of events and
status to the central station. AlarmNet™ communicates in a small fraction of the time it
takes to send messages by way of a standard telephone line connection.
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© 2004 Honeywell
It is all in one box: The controller and transmitter are in a single, self-contained
package, all inside a single enclosure. Unlike competitive products, we provide the entire
fire alarm and radio communication as a single unit.
Network redundancy built-in: AlarmNet™ offers a primary, secondary, and tertiary
methods of communication. When needed, AlarmNet™ can route critical messages to
the monitoring station in three ways: radio, Internet, and telephone line.
AlarmNet™ is clearly the most cost effective way to meet the AHJ’s requirements for fire
alarm monitoring.
Why Honeywell is Better
Long-term experience: For over 15 years, Honeywell’s AlarmNet™ communications
company has provided this connection by way of a Long Range Radio Network in most
major metropolitan areas (Click here for a list of cities). Honeywell’s method of
communication sends regular check-in messages through AlarmNet™ to the central
monitoring station.
Knowledgeable, caring staff: The capable staff at AlarmNet™ continuously watches
over the network, making sure that it remains in reliable operation - always in continuous
compliance with listing agency requirements. The system is fully redundant; each server
has two or more connections to the network.
Advantages of dynamic addressing: Honeywell’s unique dynamic addressing ensures
that the system IP address need never be changed due to network service provider
alterations or host changes.
Superior communication supervision: AlarmNet™ can optionally send a check-in
message every 6 or 24 hours. Even if the transmitter completely fails to communicate,
AlarmNet™ notifies your alarm-monitoring center, triggering a status message of the
outage, which allows maintenance personnel to quickly restore service.
End-user Examples
Within the range of the service, great places to use this application are for fire alarm
systems in school districts, property management companies, parks and recreation
facilities, warehousing, new construction, highway rest stop areas, and remote well sites.
Required Equipment
To use Long Range Radio in a
system that meets listing
requirements, use the following
items:

7720ULF Fire Alarm
Transmitter

System Sensor 4-wire Smoke
detector

5140 MPS-1 Pull Station

A Systems Sensor Horn/Strobe
Figure 2: Typical System Connections
Connect the Fire Sprinkler system to monitor water flow, PIV Tamper, Knox box, and
other equipment to the system. Take a look at Figure 2 for a system example.
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© 2004 Honeywell
Marketing Resources
We offer many valuable resources and ways to help you successfully market Long Range
Radio. While connected to the Internet, click on the links below to learn about great
resources we provide to help you successfully market Long Range Radio.
Web Site
AlarmNet™ offers a wide variety of
documentation for your support. See
http://www.AlarmNet.com/ for the
official web site.
For a coverage map of locations
AlarmNet reaches, see AlarmNet™
Coverage Maps
Get to know a dealer in your area, see
the list of AlarmNet™ Dealers here.
Click a column to sort the list.
Familiarize yourself with the panel at
the Panel information page.
To see compatible accessory
equipment, see the compatibility chart.
A&E Specifications
For Professional Engineers and others
who require RFP assistance, here are
the A&E A&E Specifications.
Figure 3: The AlarmNet™ Web Site
Compliance Listing Documents
Click here for UL Listings
Click here for CSFM Listings
Technical and User Documents
Honeywell offers a number of brochures, specification sheets, and other information at
the Document Library.
Design and Technical Support
Technical Support is available between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm EST, Monday though
Friday. Contact our Technical Support Line by calling 800-222-6525.
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© 2004 Honeywell