alarm sensor in safe

eoin.d

Just wondering would a hkc wireless sensor work inside a gunsafe with 3mm thick steel. Thanks

kub

eoin.d wrote:

Just wondering would a hkc wireless sensor work inside a gunsafe with 3mm thick steel. Thanks

It is doubtful, if possible you could fit a wired sensor within the safe, connect it to the wireless one that could be fitted outside the safe obviously on which ever side your panel is located.

Luckysasha

You could put a PIR in the room or like I have a dedicated sensor on the room door where my gun safe is.

degsie

The safe would work as a Faraday cage and thus block any wireless signal.

eoin.d

Thanks for all the replies. Great idea kub about having two sensors. One inside one outside. I have a pir in the room with the safe but was hoping to leave the alarm armed in the safe while the alarm in the rest of the house was disarmed during the day

spongerobinson

kub wrote: »

It is doubtful, if possible you could fit a wired sensor within the safe, connect it to the wireless one that could be fitted outside the safe obviously on which ever side your panel is located.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, why not just fit a wireless contact outside the safe? I might be missing something, but surely the sensor on the outside of the door would do the same job? Admittedly it could be interfered with easier, but this would trigger the tamper?

eoin.d

spongerobinson wrote:

Just to satisfy my curiosity, why not just fit a wireless contact outside the safe? I might be missing something, but surely the sensor on the outside of the door would do the same job? Admittedly it could be interfered with easier, but this would trigger the tamper?

I just thought it would be better inside where it couldn't be seen or tampered with.

kub

spongerobinson wrote:

Just to satisfy my curiosity, why not just fit a wireless contact outside the safe? I might be missing something, but surely the sensor on the outside of the door would do the same job? Admittedly it could be interfered with easier, but this would trigger the tamper?

Alarm devices should always be within the protected area, I have a 1 tracked mind that way.

Mech1

My safe was on a HKC system, sensitive vibration sensor in the safe (wired) was on a constant armed zone independant of the rest of the house. Different passcode and reset itself after 1 min so disarm, get or put your stuff in quickly.

spongerobinson

kub wrote: »

Alarm devices should always be within the protected area, I have a 1 tracked mind that way.

I see the point now. I wouldn't put the sensor for my front door on the outside of the house! Just thought it might be OK to do seeing as how the safe is presumably inside the house which already has perimeter protection.

Thats a great idea above about having it constantly armed.

eoin.d

Mech1 that sounds perfect having an independent zone. I can't get a wire to the safe easily where it's located so I will go with what you said kub and put one inside with a wire going to a wireless one.

kub

All the best with getting the cable into it, I hope you have a good drill and lots of drill bits.

eoin.d

kub wrote:

All the best with getting the cable into it, I hope you have a good drill and lots of drill bits.

Luckily enough there is a hole in it to run a cable for a dehumidifier through that I don't use. If I have a sensor outside the safe am I going to get any benefit having another one inside?

mickjohnlong

It should work just depends on distance away from panel have fitted a few inside safes with no problems the hard part is getting them to line up

Jnealon

eoin.d wrote: »

Just wondering would a hkc wireless sensor work inside a gunsafe with 3mm thick steel. Thanks

A safe limpet is what you need. I have fitted a good few of these

2011

spongerobinson wrote: »

Just to satisfy my curiosity, why not just fit a wireless contact outside the safe?

Because an alarm contact sensor works on the principle that the magnetic flux from a magnet mounted close to it holds a spring loaded internal electric contact closed. When the safe door is opened this magnet moves away from the contact. This causes the internal contact to open, thus activating the alarm. An intruder could easily defeat this by holding another magnet beside the contact sensor when openeing the safe door.

It costs no more to install the contact inside the safe, and is so much more secure.

degsie wrote: »

The safe would work as a Faraday cage and thus block any wireless signal.

In my experience it works fine with HKC wireless sensors. Perhaps it would be an issue for a device that is on the limit of its range.

I normally install the safe on a dedicated zone that is armed 24/7.

kub

2011 wrote:

Because an alarm contact sensor works on the principle that the magnetic flux from a magnet mounted close to it holds a spring loaded internal electric contact closed. When the safe door is opened this magnet moves away from the contact. This causes the internal contact to open, thus activating the alarm. An intruder could easily defeat this by holding another magnet beside the contact sensor when openeing the safe door.

Technically speaking you are correct, but if the magnet has been fitted with the correct orientation then one magnet will cancel the others magnetic force and the switch will open regardless.

2011

kub wrote: »

Technically speaking you are correct, but if the magnet has been fitted with the correct orientation then one magnet will cancel the others magnetic force and the switch will open regardless.

There are ways to deal with this that I am not going to get into, suffice to say installing the contact inside the safe makes it far less vulnerable.

kub

2011 wrote: »

There are ways to deal with this that I am not going to get into, suffice to say installing the contact inside the safe makes it far less vulnerable.

Agreed, as i recommended earlier in the thread.