QOLSYS IQ PANEL Manual de usuario descargar pdf (Pagina 3)

6 / SECURITYSALES.COM / DECEMBER 2014

SSI’s BENCH TEST

Products are tested and reviewed by R. Grossman and Associates Inc., an

independent consulting firm specializing in electronic security products and

projects. For more information, visit www.tech-answers.com.

on Qolsys’ YouTube channel) or both.

To that end, it seems that pretty much every setting on this

panel is customizable. From voice language (currently English

and Spanish) to grouping sensors to conguring alarm types

and delays on a sensor-by-sensor basis, you are covered. An-

nunciation sounds can even be assigned individual “ring

tones” like contacts on a cellphone. is is clearly an installed

product and we aren’t reviewing this in the context of a do-it-

yourself project. ere’s an investment of time required to learn

what can be done, and tinkerers such as ambitious homeown-

ers monkey at their own peril. ere’s a separate installer pass-

word that opens up more conguration options, and we rec-

ommend guarding it with vigilance.

A number of settings are also performed via Alarm.com but

reviewing that software is beyond the scope of this Bench Test.

We did nd that site, and the related apps, to be far more intu-

itive than the front panel from both an end-user and installer’s

prospective. Qolsys says that homeowners are far more likely to

use their smartphone for all but basic arming and disarming of

the system, and we tend to agree with them.

Testing

A key ingredient of an alarm panel is reliability and we put

the IQ Panel through its paces for an extended period with-

out a hitch. Simulated power failures didn’t throw it (there’s a

2500mAh lithium ion battery backup) and a congurable pow-

er saving feature is smart enough to shut o the slide show and

panel lights when the panel is running on battery. We also tried

simultaneous alarm events, tampering with sensors and any-

thing else we could think of. With the exception of the need to

press hard or make sure ngernails weren’t in the way when

activating the touchscreen, the panel performed awlessly.

In fact, the use of a resistive touchscreen, unlike a capacitive

screen such as the ones used in smartphones and tablets, al-

lowed us to arm and disarm the panel while wearing gloves — a

handy feature given the intended application.

e alarm notication via Alarm.com was also appreciated. It

was good to be notied of power failures and water leaks, as well

as the usual “arm” and “disarm” notications. e granularity of

notications borders on creepy, but you can selectively shut them

o as needed. You can be told when your child arrives home from

school and disarms the system, but I’m not sure you’ll want to

know when they’ve opened the refrigerator. Your call.

Our main criticism of the IQ Panel is the end user-facing

software. Sure, we understand that you’ll be using the Web site

and apps more than the touchscreen, but that doesn’t excuse

poor usability. End users will compare this to slick tablets and

be disappointed. For example, a user entering an invalid alarm

code will show up in the Status log on the home screen. Pressing

the Status icon will show you the alarm event, but if you want

to see a picture of the person who entered the wrong code, you

have to go back to the home screen, press the Camera button,

press the Alarm Photos button and view the picture. Why can’t

these be cross-linked? Screens aren’t intelligent or persistent; if

I press on the Status icon because it is showing that there were

alarm events, why can’t it take me to the Alarms tab instead of

always taking me to the Status tab? ere’s no way to clear an

alarm event without deleting it — suppose I want a record of

how many times little Johnny entered the wrong code? Sure,

I can look in the History log, but there are a lot of entries there

and things will get lost. You can’t page down through long logs,

even though a scroll bar appears on the right side of the screen.

Granted, these are issues relating to renement rather than

functionality, but they can be frustrating, particularly to non-

technical people who seem to complain the loudest.

Conclusions

e Qolsys IQ Panel is a well-designed, solidly built alarm pan-

el that can serve as the brains of a smart home while reliably

handling routine alarm duties. It is constantly evolving and

improved quite a bit during the course of the review period. A

better screen, some software renements and perhaps an eye

on outward aesthetics might make this product even more ap-

pealing, but these aspects of the panel by no means diminish

the ease of use and versatility of this innovative product. After

playing with the Qolsys panel for a few weeks, it will be dicult

to go back to my basic teeny

alarm keypad, its green LCD

display and tinny beeping

noises! To say nothing of the

huge locked cabinet in my

utility room that Qolsys is

rendering obsolete.

SSI

VERDICT

FEATURES ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎

CONSTRUCTION ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎

SETUP ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎

PERFORMANCE ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎

OVERALL ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎

The IQ Panel’s construction is impressive, with careful attention

to ventilation and serviceability. The various radio antennas are

ingeniously arranged around the edge.

1 2 3

Comentarios a estos manuales

Sin comentarios

QOLSYS IQ PANEL Manual de usuario Pagina 3

Comentarios a estos manuales

Relacionado con productos y manuales para Los Sistemas De Control De Acceso De Seguridad QOLSYS IQ PANEL