- The Lynx Touch L5000 Keypad, including an entire kit for installation
- 5816 Door/Window Transmitters,
- 5834-4 Wireless Key Remote and (1) 5800PIR-RES Wireless Motion Detector
The good: After reading the manuals I was able to install the system and get it operating at the level I desired. It has lots of built in sub-menu screens in the programs that make it easy to set up each sensor and the type of response you desire for your specific home.
The 4 button keychain remotes work great. The three manuals seem overwhelming at first but an included summary sheet highlights most of the basic programming that I needed. Programming is done using the control units touch screen and the manuals have examples of what the different options do.
Most of the problems I had were minor and easy to figure out after referring back to one or more of the manuals. I learned that some sensors can have more than one trigger (loop). For example if the door is opened an alarm will sound but also if the sensor case is tampered with that also will trigger an alarm report. It took me a little time to understand loops, reports, faults, and other jargon used in the manuals but it all makes sense. Just take your time. Programming changes are easy to make.
I really like the control unit voice telling you what is going on and the control unit screen is very readable and menus well layed out.
The not so good: From other reviews I understand that Honeywell/Ademco will only answer calls or assist with technical questions or problems from LICENSED installers not retail customers. If you think you may need technical support you will want to confirm this before you buy.
2. You need to buy some at least 20 gauge alarm wire and then attach the 9 volt power plug to the power terminals inside the control unit. You also should attach a grounding wire according to the diagrams and instructions. I didn't link it to our landline system so I can't address that. Note that the power terminals are marked negative and positive so don't get them reversed.
3. I don't recommend buying the L5000 kit, just buy the control unit. The door/window sensors that come with the kit are the older type that seems bulky to me. Consider just buying the control unit alone and then buy the more modern much smaller 5820L wireless sensors and keychain or keypad remotes. The door/window sensor cases and magnets I intend to paint to match our doors.
Other I didn't get any alarm window stickers in the box. But I already have a couple of small ones visible on our exterior doors and windows. Hey, it can't hurt right, better a burglar knows you have an alarm systems before he breaks one of your doors or windows and then finds out.
The double sided mounting tape did pull off some door paint when I was repositioning it. So you may want to only use a little tape it you want to move things around initially and then use full strips or screws for final mounting of door sensors.
I chose this system because it had good reviews except for lack of tech support for non Installers. Also, my wife and I will appreciate the simplicity of having to only use our keychain remotes to operate all the main functions. A wireless keypad can also be purchased for outside mounting if desired.
Buy Lynx Touch Starter Kit Now
When we bought our current home nearly 8 years ago, the best wireless alarm system that was available at the time that I could find was the Ademco LYNXR-EN, which Honeywell subsequently purchased and re-branded a short time thereafter. I was able to install it all myself, with some difficulty, because the programming interface was not very intuitive. I could never remember how to reprogram a zone or eliminate a zone after a sensor went bad and somewhere along the line, I lost the documentation, which REALLY made it tough. I had wired it to trigger the X10 modules I had in our home, so if the alarm went off, light would turn on, which I thought was pretty nice. Of course, the downside to that was when we arrived home after dark, disabling the alarm would then turn OFF the lights if they were already on.
Generally speaking, for several years, the old system did a great job for us. About a year ago, the chime/speaking capabilities of the control unit failed, which was annoying, because occasionally my wife and I would go out, our son would come home, not hear a chime alerting him that the alarm needed to be disabled, etc., but, we sort of got used to the speech and chimes being gone. Another problem with losing the audio is that I lost the ability to query the system for details on a fault condition. A number of the zone would show up on the display, but I long ago forgot what number belonged to what zone transmitter, etc., so frustration was building.
More recently, our alarm monitoring company kept calling us to report a tamper condition on one of our transmitters. Even after changing the battery on the transmitter, we still got occasional calls, even though there was no indication here that anything was wrong and the alarm wasn't even set! So, bearing in mind the previous failure with the speech function, I decided to replace the control panel, wondering if the false tamper signals might be due to something in the control panel as well. Originally, I was just going to purchase a new Ademco / Honeywell LYNXR-EN control unit (the same model), for an easy swap, but this newer touch screen model caught my eye and I decided to "upgrade".
I was hoping the Lynx Touch ran off the same power supply/voltage as the earlier model, because getting to it after my original installation was sort of a pain, but no such luck. The good news is that the power supply that ships with the Lynx Touch is a lot simpler with just positive and negative terminals to contend with. Very easy to wire. The old power supply for the earlier model had 5 or more posts on it and all had to be connected to provide X10 lighting control.
The only downside to the Lynx Touch that I can tell is that it will no longer control my lights. Not a big deal. The fact that I can order a module to give me internet connectivity and attach a video cam more than outweighs the loss of the outdated X10 control.
On the up side (WAY up), the Lynx touch is FAR more intuitive and FAR easier to program than the Ademco / Honeywell LYNXR-EN that it replaced, yet still works with all the 5800 series transmitters that I already have installed throughout my property. I love that the screen displays the zones, by number AND an icon with a description of each zone.
The Lynx Touch is smaller than the model it replaced, so I had to create new mounting points and patch the holes where the former unit mounted. Even so, within a few hours, I had all of the zones programmed and working, including two wireless Honeywell smoke detectors and a heat sensor.
The only hangup I encountered was that I installed the unit on a Saturday, when my alarm monitoring tech support dept was closed, so I had to wait until Monday to get the info needed to program the alarm company info, including their dial-in number, etc.
I DID run into a problem with the smoke detectors. I have one mounted in a hallway on the opposite wall of our kitchen and one upstairs from the kitchen. My wife pulled some chicken out of the oven (not at all smoking or even overcooked) and first the downstairs smoke detector went off, followed by the upstairs smoke detector a couple of minutes later. Our other hard-wired smoke detectors not associated with the alarm system were NOT triggered.
So, now I need to research this "over sensitivity" of the smoke transmitters and see how to address this problem. But other than that rather strange anomaly, I absolutely LOVE the Lynx Touch over our earlier model Lynx product.
Read Best Reviews of Lynx Touch Starter Kit Here
I have set the system up in about three hours, adding sensors, internet module, motion sensors, very use to program and operate, the interface is extremely user friendly.
highly recommend this product.
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This is an excellent Alarm system with a lot of possibilities. Coupled with the Wifi module and Zwave module it not only performas as an alarm system but also as home automation nexus. The Wifi node allows you to control the system from an Android tablet (Honeywell MID-7 , which is a Coby 7012) with the L5100 connect software. No monthly fee is required for this. It works with up to 5 tablets. Note that this connection ONLY works if you are on the SAME wifi node as the L5100. So you can NOT access from outside your own home network ! Accessing outside your network does require a subsription to Honeywells Total Connect service. For those there is a different application that wokrs both on Android as iOS.
Installing the central system in a remote location of the house prevents quick smash and disable. You can then simply place a cheap android tablet on the wall as the 'control panel'. Smashing that does not defeat the systems core. Programming is a breeze. Simply select a zone , activate a sensor 3 times and the central system 'learns'. Set up your own rules , and even program scenes to turn on lights (z-wave) when an alarm is triggered. It paired with both my Z-Wave thermostats as well as the Z-wave door locks.
This starte kit comes with the central system , a keyfob for remote arm/disarm, three 'old style' door sensors and a pet-resistant PIR (passive infrared) detector.
The old style door sensors are a bit big but do have the option to run a second loop. I used these for the back door / garage door and opted for the slimline sensors for the in-house doors.
Note that this kit does not have the Z-wave transceiver nor the Wifi transceiver. Those are options that can be installed in a matter of seconds. They are small boards that simply snap into place in the central system.
First off I want to say that I was in fact one of those lucky people that got one of the "improved" alarm systems that turn on and then only half boot up, but the seller on Amazon was really good about swapping the non working unit for a working unit.
This alarm is installed in a vacation home and had to be setup in a hurry at a somewhat remote location and use the GSM module. Everything went easily, and it was really simple to get all the sensors working with the alarm with minimal reading of the instructions. As others have said, the quick setup guide is really great.
As for the mechanical instillation, it was fairly straight forward. There were a couple of things that I did a little different because I wanted a robust system that could go unattended for several months at a time. First of all, everything is attached with screws, the only thing I used the double stick tape for was to hold things in place while I put the screws in. For the heavier items like the panel and the smoke detector, that I purchased separately to go with the system, I used medium duty Sheetrock molly's that I purchased at a hardware store, two on the smoke detector, and four on the panel, Honeywell only gives you two screws to hold the panel on the wall, but that felt flimsy to me so I used four, you could use my panel as a coat rack if you wanted to. Was my install overkill? Perhaps, but it doesn't feel cheep and flimsy either, I think I did a really solid professional looking and feeling install on this system.
Tools and supplies used, because it is always nice to know what you need.
#0, #1 and #2 Philips screw drivers.
1/4 inch straight screw driver.
Wire cutter and stripper
Electric drill and 3/32 bit (I had to put magnets onto aluminum framed doors)
Hammer and nail (used as a quick way to pre-drill for screws in wood, and as a center punch)
6 50 pound mollies (the good ones that screw into the Sheetrock)
10 feet of 3 conductor bell wire.
I was able to setup monitoring service with Smarthome (Another Amazon Vendor) and they took care of all the interaction with Honeywell including setting up with alarmnet.
Overall it is still early days, but so far I am happy with the system and how easy it was to install, once the dust settles from this install I plan to put this same system into my primary home as well, but with some added sensors, and perhaps a camera.
