The VanSecure Dual LP Gas and Intruder Alarm System

 

A standalone caravan alarm system remote controller from a mobile phone that monitors two LPG detectors, 4 intruder alarm zones, and an ultrasonic scanner. Reporting is by a local buzzer, mobile phone screen messages, and SMS to a designated SMS- capable device. 

 

The alarm zones can be individually disarmed by panel-mounted switch, and the entire system is armed/disarmed remorely from a mobile phone. Zones 1 - 3 have a Normally Closed (NC) input, Zone 4 has both an NC input as well as a Normally Open (NO) input. All zones have a 1 second debounce delay. The alarm buzzer sounds for 1 second when an alarm zone is tripped but can be muted by a toggle switch.

 

The two gas detector alarms cannot be disarmed - but they can be unplugged in the unlikely event of a malfunction. The ultrasonic scanner is only disarmed by the master armed/disarmed setting, but it can be defeated by covering the transmit and receive ports, as they are when the scanner is exposed to the weather.

 

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Available extensions:

 

• Basic Mover Remote Control
• Flow sensor monitoring of 2 water tanks, up to 200L per tank.
• LPG gas cylinder weight monitor

 

LPG Gas Alarm

 

The controller can monitor two LPG gas detectors and notify via a local buzzer, a mobile phone screen indication, and an SMS sent to a designated device with SMS capability. The second Gas Alarm channel is used to monitor the storage compartment where the cylinders are stored. The Gas Alarm cannot be disarmed but unplugging it closes the detection channel. As long as the SIM card has prepaid creditand power is applied the unit will always generate a Caravan LP Gas Alarm SMS. To generate a Caravan LP Gas alarm annunciation requires that a mobile phone be connected via Bluetooth.

 

Intruder Alarms

 

The controller can monitor up to 4 intruder alarm circuits and notify via local buzzer, mobile phone screen indication, and a caravan intruder alarm SMS sent to any designated device able to receive SMS messgaes. The alarm circuits are normally closed in SAFE condition and can be overridden by panel-mounted switches. There are LEDs indicating which zones are overridden and which are in ALARM state.

 

Alarm circuits usually maintain a Normally Closed state while SAFE, that is to say the there must be an effective short circuit, which means a broken wire or loose connection will indicate ALARM. However certain devices, such as pressure mats, lend themselves to maintaining Normally Open while in the SAFE state, and close when they detect an intruder. To accommodate these devices Zone 4 has a dual input, one Normally Closed, and the other Normally Open (labelled Zone 4 Alt). Either of these inputs can be used while the unused input is left in the ALARM state.

 

Ultrasonic Scanner

 

The Alarm System can connect one ultrasonic scanner, primarily intended for use in the side tent where other intruder detection devices are difficult to implement. The ultrasonic scanner needs an entirely clear field of view because any object within the scanning range will reflect a sonic pulse and generate an alarm, whether it is hot, old, moving or stationary. 

 

The scanning sensor is attached to the outer wall of the caravan at a central spot and at chest height, looking into the side tent. Any object that approached within 2 metres of the sensor for longer than a second will generate an alarm SMS to the designated mobile phone, as well as an alarm display on the Bluetooth connected mobile phone. The ultrasonic sensor cannot be individually disarmed but is armed/disarmed by the master setting on the controlling mobile phone. 

 

The sensor is held in a lightweight housing that is weatherproof except for the transmit and receive ports which must be open to the air in order to function.  When exposed to the elements, such as when travelling or in outside storage, these ports can be covered with small pieces of masking tape to prevent ingress of water. Leaving the ports taped will render the ultrasonic sensor ineffective.

 

The UltraSonic Scanner, which weighs just 25g attaches to the caravan sidewall with double-sided mounting tape and requires only one 4mm hole for cable access to the interior of the caravan.

 

 Arming the Alarm System

 

Individual zones are armed/disarmed by a toggle switch on the VanSecure controller. A disarmed circuit will show a yellow LED indication if it is in the ALARM state, or green if it is SAFE.  Once the entire caravan is closed up the Alarm System is armed from the mobile phone by double clicking a button on the screen. The VanSecure controller will maintain its Armed/Disarmed state even if it temporarily loses power. On your return the mobile phone is Bluetooth connected to the controller and the system is Disarmed by double clicking the screen button.

 

When the system is armed from the mobile phone any Zone that is not disarmed by front panel switch will generate a caravan intuder alarm SMS (as long as there is prepaid credit on the SIM card), and annunciate a caravan intruder alarm on the mobile phone (as long as they are connected via Bluetooth).

 

The Target SMS Phone Number

 

The number of the mobile phone that will receive the Alarm State SMS messages is stored in the controller as well as the mobile phone that serves the controller. The mobile number can be edited at any time and will be automatically transmitted to the controller when the Bluetooth link is established.

To edit the target SMS number double click the Caravan Pilot title. The currently stored number will be displayed. Tapthe number to bring up the keyboard, and double click the red underscore to the right of the number when done. 

If the controller is online to the controller the new number will be transmitted immediately, otherwise when the next Bluetotth connection is established. The phone number consists of only the 10 digits directly attibutable to the phone - no country code is entered here.

 

Soft Alarm Zone Names

 

Alarm zone names of up to 12 characters in length can be edited to better reflect the source of the alarm condition. Zone numbers are still used, but zone names can be user-edited for additional clarity. To edit the alarm zone names double click on the Caravan Pilot title at the top of the screen. The existing alarm names will be displayed as well as a Check Box asking whether you want to reset the counter. If you tick this box and double click on the red line under the SMS target phone number a command will be issued to the controller to reset the counter to 1.

 

See Mobile Network Signal Strength

 

 

 

Extended Antenna

 

It is often desirable to locate control equipment low down in the caravan under the dinette or near the battery, and this is not always the most favourable position for acquiring network signals. For that reason we can supply antenna extension cables which allow the antenna to be mounted a distance away from the control unit where the RF reception is better.

 

SMS Credits on the Network

 

The GSM module in the controller contains a standard network SIM card to which are credited a number of SMS messages either through airtime or by an SMS bundle. If there are no SMS credits on the SIM card then no SMS alarm messages will be sent. There is no way for the GSM module in the controller to determine how many, if any, SMS credits the SIM card currently possesses. It is up to the user to ensure that there are sufficient SMS credits on the SIM card.

 

 To make it a little easier to keep track of SMS credits the controller keeps a count of the number of SMS messages it sends and this count is displayed on every SMS sent. The count will increase to 200, and then reset to 1. It is also possible to reset this count to 1 from the mobile phone.

 

 By resetting the counter when a new SMS bundle is credited to the SIM card it is possible to anticipate when this bundle is nearing depletion. 

 

LPG Gas Cylinder Weight Monitor

 

The control unit can monitor a load cell which, when placed under an LPG gas bottle, can to measure it's weight and report this to the mobile phone which will display it on the screen.

The empty weight of a gas cylinder, which is always clearly marked, can be entered on the mobile phone so that only the net weight of the gas in the cylinder is displayed. The load cell is placed under the cylinder so that the lower bowl rests on the metal button. The clamp around the cylinder is loosened so that its full weight is borne by the load cell.

 

To enter the empty weight of the LPG cylinder tap the Gas Weight icon and then immediately double tap the Caravan Pilot title. A slide control will appear which can be adjusted to reflect the Tare of the gas cylinder. To Save tap the title again.

 

Tow Bar Weight Measure and Display

 

The controller can connect to a load cell placed under the jockey wheel and display the weight on the jockey wheel, corrected for the tow bar location, on the screen of the mobile phone. This compact unit is easily portable, it weighs only 1 Kg and is deployed under the jockey wheel within seconds. A correction factor is automatically applied to account for the jockey wheel's loction in relation to the tow bar.

 

Tow ball weight may not be more than 100 Kgs and no less then 25 Kgs. The background colour of the Tow Ball weight display will change from green to red if the corrected weight of the tow ball falls outside these limits.

 

Some manufactures also specify the the tow ball weight should fall into a proportion range of the gross weight of the caravan. This range is normally between 5% and 7%. The gross weight of the caravan can be entered and the app will display the percentage of gross caravan weight that is carried by the tow ball.

 

Ewiks Mover Control Extension

 

An existing Ewiks Mover Controller can be modified to serve as an extension to the VanSecure control unit, thereby enabling mover control via the VanSecure. The Mover Controller unit is returned to us for modification at no charge. The wiring for the unit remains unchanged except for an umbilical cable which is added to connect it to the VanSecure unit.

 

The MAC Address

 

 In the Bluetooth Communications world the master device (the mobile phone) needs to know the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the slaves (the remote control units). For security (to prevent others taking control of your caravan) the Caravan Pilot app (CPX.apk) needs to be given the MAC address of the remote control unit, which is given on an attached label. To facilitate easy switching between two control units from a single phone 2 MAC addresses can be entered.

  

To enter the MAC address double click on the Caravan Pilot heading. A list of progammable parameters shown at right will appear. These include the SMS target phone number for VanSecure alarm system, the 4 zone identifiers fornthe alarm zones, a check box to clear the sequential SMS numbering, and 2 MAC addresses. (If only one MAC address exists the lower line will show only spaces).

 

 When establishing a Bluetooth connection between the mobile phone app and the control unit for the first time you will be asked for a Pairing Pin. This is PIN is 1234.

 

 Edit the upper (or lower) MAC address to what is reflected on the product label and double click on the extended red line under the SMS target number. The data as entered will be saved.

 

 The soft names of the four alarm zones are alse edited here, as is the number of the mobile phone designated to receive the LPG gas alarm SMS messages.

  

When installing app updates it can be expected that the data previosly entered in this area will be lost, and you will need to re-enter it.

 

  

From V6.0 upwards the Android operating system requires the user to grant permission for an app to use system resources such as the camers flash. The first time (only the first time) the flash is used you will be asked to grant permission for it's use. When this happens the app will be paused by Andoid and will have to be manually resumed.

Prices

 

Basic VanSecure Control Unit, 4 Zones, SMS Capable               R1900

Gas Detectors - Sensor, Cable, Plug, Housing, each   (max 2)    R220

Flow Sensor - Sensor, Cable, Plug,  each    (max 2)                    R350

Ultrasonic Scanner                                                                        R200

Extension Antenna  Cable  (3 metres)                                          R100

Magnetic Switch with door bracket                                                R80

Magnetic Switch with window bracket                                           R60

PIR Kit - PIR, Cable, Plug + Housing, Clamp                                R280

Caravan Mover Extension (Basic ewiks functions only)                R500

LPG gas cylinder weight monitor                                                   R200

Jockey wheel weight sensor                                                          R500

 

Typical Setup

  

Basic VanSecure Control Unit, 4 Zones, SMS Capable               R1900

1 x Gas Detectors - Sensor, Cable, Plug, Housing,                        R220

1 x PIR Kit - PIR, Cable, Plug + Housing, Clamp                            R280

1 x LPG gas cylinder weight monitor                                               R200

1 x Digital Temperature Probe                                                         R200

1 x Magnetic Switch with door bracket                                              R80

2 x Magnetic Switch with window bracket                                        R120

 

Total                                                                                              R3000

 

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