Can You Use Life Safety Devices with a Repeater?

Yes, you can use life safety devices with a repeater. The Honeywell Home 5800RP is compatible with all of the 5800 Series life safety sensors. Similarly, the DSC PG9920 PowerG Repeater can be used with life safety devices. However, not all applications meet agency listing requirements.

Left Honeywell Home 5800RP, Right DSC PG9920:

The purpose of a repeater is to extend the effective range of a transmitter. The Honeywell or Resideo 5800 Series wireless devices generally have a transmitting range of around 200' (60.9m) in open air. Some devices, such as key fobs have a shorter range, around 50' (15.2m), and other devices may have a longer range. In some instances either the distance between a transmitter and the receiver is too great, or there may be obstacles within the transmission path that cause the signal not to reach the receiver reliably. In most of these cases, a repeater is recommended.

PowerG devices have a much longer transmitting range, depending on the panel or transceiver they are being used with. With a range of anywhere from 2,000' (609m) to 4,000' (1219.2m) the need for a repeater with these devices is much less likely. However, there are instances where a repeater can be helpful, even for these long-range transmitters, and in such cases, the DSC PG9920 is the repeater to use.

A repeater works by listening for a transmission within its frequency range, and then repeating that transmission. Generally speaking, within the context of security systems, a repeater cannot repeat a signal that has already been repeated. Therefore, the repeater must be within receiving range of the transmitters it will repeat for, and within transmitting range of a system's receiver.

Where the question comes in with regard to using life safety devices with a repeater is when it comes to agency listings. For example, the Resideo 5800RP is UL-listed for household burglary (UL1023), and commercial burglary (UL 1610) in the United States, and for Household Burglary (CUL 1023-1974) in Canada, but it is not listed for any type of UL fire application. This information can be found in the Install Guide, under Specifications.

The DSC PG9920 is listed for UL Commercial Burglary (UL 1610) and UL Residential Burglary (UL 1023) and UL Residential Fire (UL 985) within the United States. It is listed for residential burglary only (ULC/ORD-C1023, ULC S545) in Canada. The agency listing information can be found in the Install Guide, in the section titled UL/ULC Notes.

So, what does all this mean for you, the DIYer? While we always recommend installation following the guidelines put forth by the manufacturer, and by UL or ETL, in order for a system to be considered UL-listed it has to be installed by a UL-listed installer who works for a UL-listed installation company. Most DIYers are not going to meet this requirement. So, if we remove any agency listing requirements from the equation, the answer is yes, you can use life safety devices with a repeater as long as the manufacturer doesn't specifically state that the two devices are incompatible.