Product Highlight: Qolsys Image Sensor

Hi DIYers! Today, we're taking a quick look at the Qolsys Image Sensor. This handy device will produce a high-quality image whenever it detects motion while your Qolsys Panel is armed. This is great for confirming a break-in while you are away and for presenting evidence to the authorities.

The best way to think of an image sensor is to imagine a motion sensor with a built-in picture camera. This is similar to a security camera that responds to motion. The difference is that an image sensor will only produce a still image rather than a video clip. This is perfect for quickly checking to see if a break-in really occurred, or if the motion sensor activated due to some other cause. The still images have a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, and any abnormal activity can be quickly spotted.

Once the Qolsys Image Sensor activates, the produced image will be visible through Alarm.com. To access the image, the user can check the Alarm.com Mobile App or go to the Alarm.com website. The user can also tell Alarm.com to send them text and email alerts whenever their image sensor takes a picture. They can also receive push notifications from the Alarm.com App. That way, they will immediately know when there is a picture to check.

Keep in mind though that the user will need an alarm monitoring plan that includes access to Alarm.com in order to do this. For Alarm Grid customers, this is the Gold Plan or higher. This is a big reason why many Alarm Grid customers choose to go with image sensors instead of full-video security cameras. Using a conventional security camera will require upgrading to a Platinum Plan. However, the Gold Plan is already standard for accessing Alarm.com and using a Qolsys System anyway.

The motion detector on the Qolsys Image Sensor is quite effective in its own right. It can respond to motion from up to 30 feet away, and it will work from up to 400 feet away from the panel in open air. For best results, the sensor should be mounted at a height of roughly 7.5 to 8 feet. Pet owners will appreciate the fact that the Qolsys Image Sensor offers pet immunity for small animals weighing up to 40 pounds.

For compatibility, the Qolsys Image Sensor will work with any original IQ Panel System, as well as any IQ Panel 2 that has a Qolsys Image Sensor Daughtercard installed. Please note that the Image Sensor Daughtercard uses the same antenna slot as the PowerG Daughtercard used with the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus Systems. As a result, there is no way for the IQ Panel 2 to use both an Alarm.com Image Sensor and PowerG Sensors. If a user has an IQ Panel 2 Plus and they want to use the Qolsys Image Sensor, they will need to remove the PowerG Daughtercard and insert the Image Sensor Daughtercard. Doing this will remove PowerG compatibility for the system.

However, the one advantage to using the IQ2+ and swapping out the PowerG Daughtercard is that the user will have the option of choosing either the 345 MHz or 433 MHz legacy daughtercard versions. If a user obtains a standard IQ Panel 2, they will only have the option of using 319.5 MHz sensors. The only way to use the Qolsys Image Sensor on an IQ2 System with 345 MHz or 433 MHz sensors is to get the IQ2 Plus and swap out the daughtercard.

The Qolsys Image Sensor, Qolsys Image Sensor Daughtercard and all Qolsys Systems are all available for purchase from Alarm Grid right now. Get one now to protect your home! If you need any help deciding on security equipment, please reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com, or call us at (888) 818-7728 during our normal business hours of 9am to 8pm EST M-F. We look forward to helping you.