EVL4+Sidekick Review

[hokie21]

I recently upgraded my EVL3 to an EVL4 and added the Sidekick cellular backup device. I thought I would give a short review of the Sidekick and what I learned from my installation.

I ordered the Sidekick and EVL4 directly from Eyezon. They shipped it to me in the U.S. from Canada, so I think that accounts for the higher than expected $30 shipping fee for two small items.

Updating from the EVL3 to EVL4 was very easy. I really appreciate that the mounting holes for the two PC boards are in the exact same position. I didn’t have to drill new holes to mount the plastic standoffs to hold the EVL. I was able to use a portal menu selection to copy my existing zones from the EVL3 profile to the EVL4 profile. I did need to re-enter my contacts and users in the portal.

I used masonry anchors and screws to mount the SideKick to the concrete wall next to my Vista 20P panel. The interconnect cable provided with the Sidekick is only 14 inches long. Luckily it was long enough for my installation. If I had previously mounted the EVL in the other side of the alarm panel box, I would have had a problem. A longer Sidekick cable would be an improvement.

I did need a little back and forth with Eyezon support to sign the cellular agreement and get the device provisioned. It wasn’t too painful and my device was set up in half a day.

I tested it by disconnecting my Ethernet connection and sending an alarm to the alarm company in test mode. The alarm was received after about a minute delay for retries on the now missing Internet connection to be exhausted. What did surprise me was that I did not get any app indication or text message for the events that were reported over Sidekick. EyezOn says that they will be addressing that shortcoming soon. This is a particular issue for me as I have “log-only” reporting for pumps and generators that I do not get central station phone calls on, but I still depend on the app and text messages for status.

There are three green LED indicators on the Sidekick, but their position on the bottom of the enclosure makes them very difficult to see for a wall-mounted device. They are labeled OPR, ACT and LTE and were always green in my installation. Unlike the EVL documentation, there is no explanation of these indicators with the Sidekick. There is also a green LED inside the box where the light peaks through at the top of the case. This is also undocumented.

The EyezOn portal allows you to see the in-service, out of service status of the Sidekick. The signal strength of the LTE signal is also reported. This is very helpful.

When the Internet connection goes down, EyezOn notifies you in ten minutes. Loss of the cellular connection is provided after 24 hours. I would prefer a quicker notification of a cellular outage.

I’m very happy to have the security of cellular backup for my alarm system at an affordable price.

[crosswicks]

I followed your review very closely, and my results have been quite positive. The install was easy, and my subsequent correspondence with EyezON was good. I spoke with the company directly, submitted the forms, and the overall setup took something in the neighborhood of 30 minutes. The physical setup was simple.

Later I disconnected the Internet alarm cable, established test mode with the monitoring service, and began to receive mobile phone messages that corresponded with my settings on the panel (lack of supervision, alarm settings, specific zone violations, etc.), all this via the cell phone connection. Quite cool if you will.

My cell phone agreements and contract did not mention data transfer restrictions similar to other posts here. I asked EyezON tech support about this and they said that the likelihood of going over the data limits are slim. Just saying, etc.

I have always wanted to enable cell phone monitoring and now that it's set up I think it will serve my needs. Time will tell, but so far, so good. My signal strength is between 2 and 3 bars on the EyezON portal, and this seems to do the job. Maybe I will add a longer antenna cable, but we shall see.

[GrandWizard]

My signal strength is between 2 and 3 bars on the EyezON portal, and this seems to do the job. Maybe I will add a longer antenna cable, but we shall see.

The Sidekick uses a technology called CAT-M1 (LTE-M1) and NB-IoT that optimizes signal reliabilty and reception over bandwidth. In tech support we've only seen two installations that have required a cable extension. One customer described the room with all his media servers and security equipment as being completely enclosed in metal. The other had placed his entire panel inside a furnace duct.

At 2-3 bars in a fixed installation, you are golden.

[GrandWizard]

I tested it by disconnecting my Ethernet connection and sending an alarm to the alarm company in test mode. The alarm was received after about a minute delay for retries on the now missing Internet connection to be exhausted. What did surprise me was that I did not get any app indication or text message for the events that were reported over Sidekick. EyezOn says that they will be addressing that shortcoming soon. This is a particular issue for me as I have “log-only” reporting for pumps and generators that I do not get central station phone calls on, but I still depend on the app and text messages for status.

....

When the Internet connection goes down, EyezOn notifies you in ten minutes. Loss of the cellular connection is provided after 24 hours. I would prefer a quicker notification of a cellular outage.

I just want to provide an update on Hokie21's comments in March. Both of this user's issues have been addressed in the current EVL4 firmware.

As Crosswicks mentions, you now get LTE alerts to your phone, via PUSH and SMS, for all panel events, along with the normal Envisalarms signals to the central station.

The Loss of LTE service notifcations are now within 15 minutes of loss of service. This includes loss of the Sidekick itself.

[mossback]

[quote="hokie21"..... The interconnect cable provided with the Sidekick is only 14 inches long. Luckily it was long enough for my installation. If I had previously mounted the EVL in the other side of the alarm panel box, I would have had a problem. A longer Sidekick cable would be an improvement.
....[/quote]


If I need a cable that's closer to 36" in length, can I fabricate this by extending the included cable or are there any plans to sell longer cables as accessories? Thanks.

[GrandWizard]

If I need a cable that's closer to 36" in length, can I fabricate this by extending the included cable or are there any plans to sell longer cables as accessories? Thanks.

The cable length is limited due to the surge current used in CAT-M1, and all 5G for that matter, devices. If you need to extend the unit you can extend the antenna up to 30m (100ft) from the Sidekick.

[hokie21]

The cable length is limited due to the surge current used in CAT-M1, and all 5G for that matter, devices. If you need to extend the unit you can extend the antenna up to 30m (100ft) from the Sidekick.

Would decreasing the wire gauge allow EyezOn to offer a longer cable option?

[GrandWizard]

Yes, everyone asks that. The engineers were limited to what the expansion connector on the EVL4 could support so that is the thickest wire available.

I've been told they will be offering a 60cm cable with the next version of Sidekick that uses a lower-power radio.

[fastjet]

What is the antenna connector type needed to "extend" the antenna for the sidekick. I find the cable is too short and there is too much electrical, ductwork, network wires, interfering with getting a signal bars. I can barely get 1-2 bars, right now.

[dougpark464]

Ordered mine on Amazon. There were lots of options. I think it was SMA female to male coax cable. I got one with a magnetic base for easy install on top of the panel.