What is the Range on a Qolsys Plus Security System?

The range on a Qolsys Plus Security System varies depending upon the type of sensors that are being used. The maximum range is more than 2,000 feet away from the system when DSC PowerG Sensors are used with a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus System. Other compatible sensors have shorter ranges.

A Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus System has two daughtercards. One daughtercard is used with 915 MHz PowerG Sensors, while the other may be used for a set of legacy sensors. There are three legacy sensor options to choose from. These include 319.5 MHz (for Qolsys and Interlogix/GE Sensors), 345 MHz (Honeywell 5800 Series and 2GIG Sensors) and 433 MHz (legacy DSC Sensors).

In any case, the DSC PowerG Sensors will always present the furthest range for the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus System. These sensors offer a maximum range of up to 2k feet away from the panel. But keep in mind that this is when the sensors are used in open air. The presence of obstacles can greatly reduce this range. This includes walls and large metal objects. Still, the sensors usually have a long enough range that they can be used in separate areas of a property, such as in detached garages and barns. And if a user needs to boost the signal, they can use a DSC PowerG PG9920 Wireless Repeater to essentially double the signal. This will double the range to a max distance of 4k feet.

The legacy sensors operate at a lower wireless frequency, and they offer a much shorter range than the PowerG Sensors. Depending upon the type of sensor, a user can typically expect a range of about 100 to 300 feet out of these sensors. However, an exception is the encrypted Qolsys S-Line Sensors that are used with the 319.5 MHz daughtercard. These sensors have a range of up to 600 feet in open air.

The Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus can also be used with Z-Wave Plus and Z-Wave classic smart home automation devices. A Z-Wave Plus device will have a range from about 50 to 60 feet between hops, while a classic Z-Wave device will only have a range of about 30 to 40 feet between hops. But with Z-Wave, the signal can "hop" through other Z-Wave devices a maximum of four times to repeat the signal. This establishes an effective mesh network to further increase the range of the Z-Wave devices. Also keep in mind that figures listed above are extremely conservative estimates. You may find that your Z-Wave devices can communicate from even further distances if there are no obstacles around.