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Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:24 pm
by Bob Pl
Wife has been bugging me & I don't want a "free" system with $$$ monitoring/contract.
What about this?
http://www.skylinkhome.com/us/products/ ... c1000.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
For a couple of c notes is it worth a try?
Will blast the burgler's ears for a few minutes, will call a bunch of phones etc. I know ALL my neighbors very well & we all look out for each other. Good neighborhood, but I don't think that gaurantees anything these days.
Comments, even serious ones, are welcome.
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:13 pm
by Bob Pl
bump
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:27 pm
by David Barrish
Bob,
Before I got my start in the securities industry I spent four years in the security industry.
I worked in both the home and industrial markets selling property/premises alarms and fire alarm systems. By the way this was a great industry to ride out the resession of 1990-1992. If people are not taking it home in their pay-checks they take it home in company products.
First, do not put anything in your home that is not monitored. In fact do not bother with a siren, the bad guys know how much time they have once the noise starts. The flashing light next to the garage door lets you know that some one has tripped the system.
The black and whites might enjoy a response to a silent alarm, most of the time they have little reason to roll on an empty house. Do you have any pets? How warn does it get inside in the summer? Does your house have a sprinkler system?
You have a monitoring contract that ties the "Smoke Detector", the fire department response is worth the price.
Just my 2cents.
David Barrish
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 4:13 pm
by Bob Pl
David Barrish wrote:Bob,
Before I got my start in securities industry I spent four years in the security industry.
I worked in both the home and industrial markets selling property/premises alarms and fire alarm systems. By the way this was a great industry to ride out the resession of 1990-1992. If people are not taking it home in their pay-checks they take it home in company products.
First, do not put anything in your home that is not monitored. In fact do not bother with a siren, the bad guys know how much time they have once the noise starts. The flashing light next to the garage door lets you know that some one has tripped the system.
The black and whites might enjoy a response to a silent alarm, most of the time they have little reason to roll on an empty house. Do you have any pets? How warn does it get inside in the summer? Does your house have a sprinkler system?
You have a monitoring contract that ties the "Smoke Detector", the fire department response is worth the price.
Just my 2cents.
David Barrish
Hi David & thanks for your input. Most B&E in CBD seems to be unoccupied homes. So I figured a siren & phone calls to alert all my family members & 2 or 3 neighbors would be helpful. No pets, coastal temps in summer, no sprinklers, yes fire alarms. Most days I (or a family member) can be home as quick as a security company & as you said police do not count.
Don't want the monthly service fee. If I have the system dial my cell & then I call police dispatcher I figure there is a better chance they will roll a unit on my say so to check the house.
That make sense or no?
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:28 pm
by David Barrish
What information will you have when the control panel calls you? What time of day might it call? Are you ready to wait on hold tryin to get to an operator that will have to work with a civilian.
If your system has the ability to record video of what is going on and let you here what caused the event, then you get their attention. Sonitrol makes a very good product.
Again, your neighbors will react like it is a car alarm.
David
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:51 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
They give you a free system or a $99 system for a reason. They make bazillions on the damn monitoring contract.
Solution, go direct and sign up for monitoring yourself. Pre-paid annually I think ours works out to be $12.95 a month.
I use Norco Alarms / homesecuritystore.com (same company).
I went with a wireless system I installed and programmed myself. Cost about $700 total, only because I have a 1940 house with 3-4 double hung windows in every room. A more modern house would be easier. I was a professional alarm installer on super high-end homes in the mid 80's. We did some amazing custom work and some super secure installations. I did nothing like that on my own house. I went for ease with the wireless. I could easily bypass my own alarm if I were a smart criminal. Smart criminals aren't targeting my home.
I used the Honeywell Ademco Lynx-R system with their 5800 series door/window contacts, and a couple of their Passive Infrareds. I'm going to add a GSM cellular dialing module for like a $110 more so you can't cut the phone line and disable it.
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:48 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
I should add.... I picked out the Lynx about 5 years ago when it was the hot thing. And I'd used ADEMCO products for years.
Its an old platform and doesn't program very elegantly. But it gets the job done reliably.
If I was starting over I'd probably look at one of the new systems. My neighbor went with the GE Simon system, I like the step up from that, the Simon XT. Here's a link to a basic kit with some contacts and motions.
http://www.homesecuritystore.com/p-173- ... ystem.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That gets you started and then you map out the contacts you need, smoke/heat, other misc things. I prefer direct contacts over glass breaks. Glass breaks are notoriously troublesome if you try to use them to cover a whole room or area. Installed directly on or next to a large window like a sliding glass door or picture window then they are great. I don't alarm large picture windows in the front of the house. I just let a couple of well placed motions be the catchall. Doesn't go off when you're home though. But I'm just not thinking the home invasion robbery is coming through the huge picture window on the front of my corner house for all to see.
There are other brands out I don't know much about. But the warning is that go with a brand and series that is going to be around for a while. Wireless contacts/motions/etc are the things the ultimately you're going to spend the bulk of money on. The Ademco 5800's have been around for more than 10 years and have a huge selection for different needs. Not true with all brands. And rarely do they interchange as they are on different freq's. GE Home Security has made a big investment, so I consider their line pretty safe to be around for a while.
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:42 am
by Bob Pl
David Barrish wrote:What information will you have when the control panel calls you?
Not sure, just that alarm has gone off?
What time of day might it call? Are you ready to wait on hold tryin to get to an operator that will have to work with a civilian.
Daytime probably, Carlsbad PD pretty responsive, small town, not that much going on.
If your system has the ability to record video of what is going on and let you here what caused the event, then you get their attention. Sonitrol makes a very good product.
Again, your neighbors will react like it is a car alarm.
They would check, we all know each other very friendly & watch out for each other.
David
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:44 am
by Bob Pl
Steve, thanks for the post/time, those are the specifics I was looking for. Glad you are on the mend.
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:32 pm
by Bob Pl
Went with GE Simon xt, easy install, need a few more sensors. Found
http://www.diyalarmforum.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; some very nice helpful pros there.
Thanks all.
Re: Home alarm systems? You know anything?
Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:13 am
by John Fendel
I had a professional alarm installer install a Honeywell system over 20 years ago when the house was built. All hard wired contacts at doors and windows and motion sensors for stairs and entry points. Wired smoke detector also. The system still works flawlessly. I got a discount for the monitoring service when the company I worked for bought Honeywell and that made me a Honeywell employee. The monitoring company has since been sold to someone else. It is still relatively cheap insurance and for peace of mind, especially if you travel a lot. I don't now, but hope to when wife retires someday.