Honeywell 5881ENH vs Honeywell 5881ENM

The Honeywell 5881ENH and the Honeywell 5881ENM are two similar wireless receiver modules designed for use with Honeywell VISTA Systems. The only difference between the two is that the 5881ENM supports 16 wireless zones, while the 5881ENH supports as many as the panel will facilitate.

A Honeywell VISTA System does not come with a wireless receiver for supporting wireless sensors. Instead, one has to be added to the system separately. Otherwise the system will only be capable of supporting hardwired sensors and zones. One way to add a wireless receiver is with a standalone module like the 5881ENH or 5881ENM. Another way to do this is with a keypad that includes an integrated wireless receiver, such as the Honeywell 6160RF.

The 5881ENH and 5881ENM essentially accomplish the same goal. They allow a Honeywell VISTA System to support uni-directional 345 MHz Honeywell 5800 Series Wireless Sensors. They do not support bi-directional devices, as the receiver has no way of sending out any signals of its own. It can only receive signals.

Whether a user obtains a 5881ENH or a 5881ENM depends on how many zones they need. The 5881ENM can support up to 16 wireless sensors. The 5881ENH can support as many sensors as the panel will facilitate. A VISTA-15P can support up to 26 wireless zones and 8 key fob zones, while a VISTA-20P or VISTA-21iP can support up to 40 wireless zones and 16 key fob zones.

Additionally, Honeywell also offers the 5881ENL and 5883H. The 5881ENL can support 8 wireless zones. This is fewer than both the 5881ENM and 588ENH, bit it can still be useful if a user only needs to add a small number of wireless sensors. If you require more than 8 wireless zones, you are better off using one of the other modules.

The 5883H is a wireless transceiver that will support both uni-directional and bi-directional 345 MHz devices. The advantage to using the 5883H is that you will be able to use bi-directional devices like the Honeywell 5828 Keypad the Honeywell 5800WAVE Siren. These devices require that the panel is able to send signals to the device as well, which is not possible with a standard receiver like the 5881ENH or 5881ENM.