I have an IQ4 panel that works with 915MHz PowerG sensors, but I also have some Honeywell 58xx sensors that use 345MHz. I’m considering whether it would be safer, especially against jammers, to buy more PowerG sensors or if adding a daughter card to make my panel compatible with 345MHz sensors would offer similar security.
Jammers aren’t a common method of attack these days, so it’s not something to worry too much about. Plus, your panel has jam detection, so if a sensor loses signal, it will trigger the alarm. You should be fine getting the daughter card and using the 5800 series sensors.
I’m not sure if that jam detection feature works without PowerG sensors, but it might be possible. The panel can’t directly communicate with standard sensors; it only receives signals from them.
The 5800 series sensors do use 345MHz. I’ve been installing 319.5MHz, 345MHz, and 915MHz sensors for years. The range is definitely better with the 915MHz PowerG sensors, and I believe they offer more security. However, the 5800 series sensors are still very reliable and work well without any major issues.
Thanks, you’re right, I corrected my text.
To your knowledge, do they make 915mhz garage tilt sensor? I can’t find any, it seems like I have no choice but to add the daughter card if I want a garage tilt sensor.
Sorry I’m not aware of a 915 tilt. I typically use a qolsys s line 319.5 for a tilt sensor
PowerG sensors use Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) with 50 different channels, hopping 64 times per second, making them very difficult to jam. In contrast, the 345MHz sensors operate on a single channel, which can be intercepted and blocked with something as simple as a laptop and a $50 device from Amazon.
Before you buy the sensors, make sure your system supports both frequencies. The 900MHz range is known as the ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical), which is an open band that anyone can use. Sometimes, this can lead to interference. For example, in some areas, like near an Airforce base, 900MHz signals have caused issues like garage doors opening unexpectedly, and residents couldn’t do much about it. However, alarm sensors have added intelligence to stay on the correct frequency to avoid this kind of interference. Overall, 900MHz is still a better choice. The ISM band typically covers 902-928MHz. Hope this helps!
Won’t jammers become more widely available in the future? It seems like criminals are getting more advanced in their methods of stealing cars.
The challenge is that it requires a good understanding of how the sensors are configured, including motion detection, to bypass them effectively. Additionally, it doesn’t disable any cameras, and even the Gen 3 SimpliSafe system is designed to detect such tampering—though its effectiveness can vary.
There are quite a few uncertainties with this approach. The second type of attack, where an alarm is triggered repeatedly until people stop using it, is considered safer for criminals. However, this method requires patience and likely indicates that your home is being specifically targeted.
Typically, break-ins are about finding the easiest target, so as a homeowner, your goal is to make your property as difficult as possible to breach safely. This involves measures like having dogs, alarms, cameras, functional lights, secure locks, and so on.
Last sentence is absolute truth.
So, PowerG systems use two-way encryption, which offers two key benefits. First, they can’t be jammed. If you’re curious about what this means, you can search for “lockpicklawyer SimpliSafe” to get a better understanding.
Another advantage is that someone can’t sit outside your home and send false signals to your system. This kind of attack is used to make homeowners think their alarm system is unreliable, eventually leading them to stop using it.
As others have pointed out, when ADT settled a lawsuit related to this, they claimed there was no evidence that such an attack had ever occurred. SimpliSafe also responded, stating that this is not a common method of attack and correctly advising that it requires more than just knowing what system you have.
Hope this information is helpful!