Eaton Scantronic Wireless Door Contact, Slimline, Grade 2, Brown DET-2R-DC-B

What this door contact is for

A door contact tells an alarm that a door or window has opened. A radio model does that with no cable back to the panel, so it suits finished rooms where chasing walls is not an option.

This Eaton contact comes from the Scantronic slimline range. The brown finish is one of three, so it can sit on a brown frame without standing out.

How it works

• Sensor and magnet: the sensor goes on the frame and the magnet on the moving part, or the other way round. Moving them apart signals an opening.
• Scantronic Secure Radio: SSR is the maker's name for its encrypted, two-way radio link. Two-way means the panel can talk to the contact as well as listen.
• Legacy mode: a separate legacy frequency is also offered. Check the panel's documentation before relying on it.
• Faster messages: shortened response times help battery life and event notification.

Where to use it

Doors and windows on the perimeter of a home or small business are its natural place. It suits dry indoor positions, given its IP40 and Class II ratings.

Garages, porches and unheated outbuildings can get damp, so check those positions against the ratings first.

What the figures mean in practice

• Radio range: walls and metal shorten any radio link, so test signal strength at the door.
• Battery life: heavy door use and a weak signal both tend to shorten it, so rely on the low battery warning rather than a calendar.
• Current: 35mA is the most it draws, and that is a peak rather than a constant load.

Installing it

• Add it to the panel first: learn the contact on to the panel on the bench, then fix it. That saves you going back up a ladder.
• Check the gap: a dropped door or a loose magnet widens the gap and can cause false alarms. Line up the two parts carefully and test with the door moved through its full travel.
• Metal frames: metal can affect both the magnet and the radio, so try the position before fixing it.

Planning your system

It needs a compatible radio alarm panel, which is not part of this contact. Check the panel's compatibility list before you order.

The same contact also comes in white as the DET-2R-DC-W, if other doors need a different finish. Keep a spare battery on hand once you have read the fitted cell, and read this guide to replacing alarm batteries.

Standards and ratings explained

• Grade 2: EN 50131 sorts alarm equipment into four grades by risk. Grade 2 is the usual level for homes and many small businesses.
• Class II: under EN 50131, this environmental class is for general indoor use.
• IP40: the 4 means protection against solid objects over 1mm. The 0 means no rated protection against water.