View Full Version : Home Alarm Systems
Sooo...the wifey read some uncomfortable news regarding burglaries and what not, so since we're new to our home it's got us shopping for security system options. Naturally we have some 9x19, .40, and 5.56 options at the ready also, but the alarm etc. stuff is another tool we want to implement as an addition. I've just never bought one before. What do you guys use around here and what are your experiences with them so far? Any particular ones to really like or avoid?
Glad you started this thread, looking forward to responses.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?148308-What-secuirty-system-do-you-use-while-away
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?113302-Pre-SHTF-Home-Security-CCTV-Hardening
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?24410-Home-Alarm-Systems
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?106848-Security-Cameras
First thing you need to know is that monitored alarms all use the same call center REGARDLESS of the company that you go with.
That means the same people answer to phone with the same level of competence and it doesn't matter if you are spending $25, $45 or $99 a month. When I used to work for a central call center we managed calls for about 45 different alarm companies who contracted with our call center. We were also doing calls for Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
First thing you need to know is that monitored alarms all use the same call center REGARDLESS of the company that you go with.
That means the same people answer to phone with the same level of competence and it doesn't matter if you are spending $25, $45 or $99 a month. When I used to work for a central call center we managed calls for about 45 different alarm companies who contracted with our call center. We were also doing calls for Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
That's good info. I'm on a response team at my place of employment & can tell you from first hand experience, those people at our call center are seriously lacking.
I'm in the process of installing an alarm system at home & I'm going to set it up so that I'll just self monitor it. Instead of call to a central call center, it'll call myself & other family members. I'll also be able monitor it remotely via cell phone app.
MorphCross
01-17-15, 23:56
Just out of curiosity, have you checked to see if your local paper has a police blotter section that describes the criminal activity by neighborhood and block? This is a good resource for determining the need.
There are so many things that you can do as a home owner to make your home more of an implacable fortress that don't require a monthly subscription. If possible ask around with local LEOs to gauge how they respond to an alarm code from one of these companies. It doesn't do you a lot of good if the boys in blue do a drive by on a house with an active alarm that has no response from the homeowner.
Get on good terms with your neighbors, if you have a number of elderly retirees in your neighborhood they can be far more effective to prevent an invasion on your home as they will be able to place the 911 call and convey to the dispatch the need for officers.
I'm in the same boat as you OP. Personally I've been thinking of simplisafe because it is a good bit cheaper for the monthly service than most with no long term contracts. I've read both good and bad things about them but really I think you will find that with any of the alarm companies.
To the ones with experience do you have any others like this that are worth looking at?
I have some experience with this as both a user and LEO.
Back in 2007 my wife and I bought a house in an "up-n-coming" area of town. It was one of the only places we could afford a nice house during the housing bubble. After the economy took a shit the area went downhill quick. Our house was fully wired for an alarm as it was a new build. I started noticing signs that someone was trying to break into my house. Pry marks on the door jams, bent window screens, etc. One day our alarm went off but the police never showed up. My wife called the police (I was at work) and they came out. They found that my alarm had been cut from the phone line. The alarm still worked in the house and our phone line still worked but they were not connected. After that we got a model installed that ran off the cell phone system.
As a LEO we always treat the alarm as a possible burglary. I check all the doors and windows that I can get to. That being said if your walls are really hard to jump most of us are not going to jump it unless we see an obvious sign like an open or damaged door/window. Also if you have a crappy wall or fence that is about to fall over Im not jumping that either. Same with a big dog, though that usually (not always) is a good deterrent to burglars.
The different companies might all work the same but in my experience it seems that the no name companies seem to have more false alarms. Sometimes the systems will have bugs and just randomly trip. Here in Phoenix you get one free false alarm a year and after that the city charges like 75 bucks. I try and inform everyone about that because all of my coworkers think its bull but the city leaders wanted it.
I am a fan of alarms. Especially the ones with a siren inside. While they usually dont prevent a burglary from happening I can tell you there usually is a huge difference in the amount of property stolen and destroyed between a house with an alarm and one without.
mikelowrey
01-18-15, 08:07
I am very happy with my custom system using Alarm.com. Very responsive. If you need help let me know.
ForTehNguyen
01-18-15, 15:37
happy with Frontpoint Security, picked what sensors I wanted, installed it myself easily. Been using them several years and always had a great experience when I called in for tech support
skywalkrNCSU
01-19-15, 14:14
happy with Frontpoint Security, picked what sensors I wanted, installed it myself easily. Been using them several years and always had a great experience when I called in for tech support
Another satisfied Frontpoint customer here. Completely wireless system so you can take it with you if you move and it is incredibly easy to set up and customize to your liking. They have the Alarm.com app that works great and is one of the best parts of having the alarm system in my opinion (I know others offer this as well). I have had to call customer service a few times (when we moved, bought more equipment, had issues with the system) and every time I get connected to a native English speaker who is great to work with. I am sure there are cheaper options out there but I am very happy.
for the front point how much did all the hardware cost ?
might have to look into that we have ADT our system is kinda built into the home when built but guess I could have two sensors :) but do like how the built in is just that cut into the doors and door jams so nothing ON the outside
we use ADT but not totally happy with the pad controller and some other things with the monitoring etc...
skywalker since you mentioned the app that was one thing I wanted :)
for those using front point ? what issues have you had ?
any one else here using that App option with the front point ?
or anyone using cameras ?
have to read up the other links above again
skywalkrNCSU
01-19-15, 18:42
I have no idea how much I paid for everything. I bought a bunch when we signed up and then more when we moved to a bigger house. They actually talked me into buying less equipment when I called them up.
The issues I had with front point were the antenna had issues (they promptly sent a replacement) and another time the response time was slow. They ended up sending me a new receiver, I had a T-Mobile one and they replaced it with a Verizon one. Once again, the replaced it for free and did so either next day shipping or close to it.
You can give them a call and they will give you a quote. They have video monitoring too but that was too pricey for me for what I needed.
thanks :)
I have no idea how much I paid for everything. I bought a bunch when we signed up and then more when we moved to a bigger house. They actually talked me into buying less equipment when I called them up.
The issues I had with front point were the antenna had issues (they promptly sent a replacement) and another time the response time was slow. They ended up sending me a new receiver, I had a T-Mobile one and they replaced it with a Verizon one. Once again, the replaced it for free and did so either next day shipping or close to it.
You can give them a call and they will give you a quote. They have video monitoring too but that was too pricey for me for what I needed.
Moose-Knuckle
01-20-15, 03:32
Sooo...the wifey read some uncomfortable news regarding burglaries and what not, so since we're new to our home it's got us shopping for security system options. . .
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/AKS-74/GSD_zps922014a5.jpg (http://s10.photobucket.com/user/AKS-74/media/GSD_zps922014a5.jpg.html)
Crow Hunter
01-20-15, 07:17
I have a home alarm system. It is less for protection while I am there or even to protect my stuff. It is there to protect my wife or myself from coming home and finding someone already there.
A guy I work with had his wife come home from getting groceries and found 2 men and 1 woman ransacking their house. They beat her pretty badly and she managed to get away and hide under a neighbors porch. They were looking for her and who knows what they might have done if they had found her.
I have motion detectors setup throughout the house. If the alarm goes off they call me and/or my wife on our cell phones. That way we know not to go into the house until it is cleared by the police.
I have a cell backup monitored system from a local company. I pay for it a year at a time and I think it is right at $30/month.
It is worth it to me to know that my wife isn't walking into the house with an armload of groceries while some lowlifes are waiting to ambush her since she is usually the first one home.
Moose-Knuckle
01-20-15, 09:32
Per our SOPs I do the shopping or we do it together for reasons such as this. When we come home we keep our head on a swivel and even though I have an alarm system, plus a 100lb GSD who has the run of the house I still inspect every room/closet/under beds upon returning home all the while armed with my CCW at a minimum.
Eurodriver
01-20-15, 09:41
Per our SOPs I do the shopping or we do it together for reasons such as this. When we come home we keep our head on a swivel and even though I have an alarm system, plus a 100lb GSD who has the run of the house I still inspect every room/closet/under beds upon returning home all the while armed with my CCW at a minimum.
I thought only I was that crazy.
My girl gets mad that I always go inside first (I don't hold the door open for her and let her in). She's from the hood, so I don't get why she doesn't understand it. I always do a quick check of the back door (I only have two exterior doors) and all the windows. Then I check the rooms. This serves two purposes - checking for BGs and making sure my Great Dane didn't use some of my shoes for lunch.
Look into creating your own 'alarm system' using a smart home solution of some sort. There's a little bit more hands-on and learning involved but the possibilities are endless. The flexibility is incredible and the price is killer compared to most monitored professionally installed systems. More than just window and door alerts you can not only monitor all of the above but even control them. Open a deadbolt for a house sitter or close a garage door if you forget. There's water/flood sensors you can add to the basement or other areas that are higher risk for flood (aquarium) and even smoke detectors that can be connected to your smart home controller. I'm even designing a controller for my electric smoker that will allow me to monitor the temperature of the smoker and my meat and even adjust the temperature of the smoker when I'm not at home and running errands or something. Add in motion sensors and cameras to make your system even more comprehensive than most box security systems. You can even schedule events to occur on certain days, certain times or when other events happen and certain criteria are met. Have it text or email you when your front door opens and closes between a set time M-F so you know when your kid gets home or have it email or text you if everyone is away and your window opens or a specific motion sensor triggers. You can have it turn on all the lights & unlock all doors and open garage doors if it's dark and the smoke detectors go off (or have it not open garage doors or unlock doors if you have it in vacation mode or nobody is home). With all of this you can easily call 911 yourself with exact information about what's going on rather than some random stranger 1,000 miles away calling with a vague description of an automated alert they've received. No more false alarms.
We're only in the infancy stages of what's possible and it's already pretty amazing what's possible. I control/monitor a LOT of things around my house and am only limited by the budget really. I use a VeraLite controller and while I can't recommend it 100% it is about the best option on the market for universal compatibility w/o the need for a monthly service plan or dependability of a 3rd party server for use. I paid almost $200 for mine at the time and I would do it again based on what it's opened up for me. Now they're less than half that price and I feel like it's a killer deal for what you get. The Z-Wave devices themselves will start to eat at the budget as they generally start at $30 for basic switches and outlets and go up from there. I have two garage door controllers that cost me about $100ea and the touchpad deadbolts will set you back over $200ea. The initial investment will be more than a monthly monitored service but you'll make that back pretty quickly from not having to pay a monthly service fee and IMO the possibilities it opens up for you are well worth the initial investment.
That's my outside-the-box solution suggestion. It's not something you can pick up the phone and schedule an install in about 30 seconds so it takes a lot more research than traditional systems but the reward for time invested is better.
Whiskey_Bravo
01-20-15, 10:02
Per our SOPs I do the shopping or we do it together for reasons such as this. When we come home we keep our head on a swivel and even though I have an alarm system, plus a 100lb GSD who has the run of the house I still inspect every room/closet/under beds upon returning home all the while armed with my CCW at a minimum.
Damn, you have me beat man. I can't say that I clear the entire house each time I get home. I do that after I have been gone on vacation or if my dog isn't there for some reason.
Between my alarm system(all doors, windows, and motion sensors) and my dog, if someone was able to get in the house and not trip either they are a much better ninja than me and if I find them in the closet I will never know what hit me so it doesn't matter anyway.
Crow Hunter
01-20-15, 10:25
Per our SOPs I do the shopping or we do it together for reasons such as this. When we come home we keep our head on a swivel and even though I have an alarm system, plus a 100lb GSD who has the run of the house I still inspect every room/closet/under beds upon returning home all the while armed with my CCW at a minimum.
Wow.
I don't check under my beds or closets unless I am looking for something that is supposed to be stored there.:o
Of course, we have a very small house with limited storage space so if someone was hiding in either place there would be crap laying everywhere where they had to move stuff to get into there to hide.:D
I have kinda wondered about this way myself good to hear someone else doing it ;)
Look into creating your own 'alarm system' using a smart home solution of some sort. There's a little bit more hands-on and learning involved but the possibilities are endless. The flexibility is incredible and the price is killer compared to most monitored professionally installed systems. More than just window and door alerts you can not only monitor all of the above but even control them. Open a deadbolt for a house sitter or close a garage door if you forget. There's water/flood sensors you can add to the basement or other areas that are higher risk for flood (aquarium) and even smoke detectors that can be connected to your smart home controller. I'm even designing a controller for my electric smoker that will allow me to monitor the temperature of the smoker and my meat and even adjust the temperature of the smoker when I'm not at home and running errands or something. Add in motion sensors and cameras to make your system even more comprehensive than most box security systems. You can even schedule events to occur on certain days, certain times or when other events happen and certain criteria are met. Have it text or email you when your front door opens and closes between a set time M-F so you know when your kid gets home or have it email or text you if everyone is away and your window opens or a specific motion sensor triggers. You can have it turn on all the lights & unlock all doors and open garage doors if it's dark and the smoke detectors go off (or have it not open garage doors or unlock doors if you have it in vacation mode or nobody is home). With all of this you can easily call 911 yourself with exact information about what's going on rather than some random stranger 1,000 miles away calling with a vague description of an automated alert they've received. No more false alarms.
We're only in the infancy stages of what's possible and it's already pretty amazing what's possible. I control/monitor a LOT of things around my house and am only limited by the budget really. I use a VeraLite controller and while I can't recommend it 100% it is about the best option on the market for universal compatibility w/o the need for a monthly service plan or dependability of a 3rd party server for use. I paid almost $200 for mine at the time and I would do it again based on what it's opened up for me. Now they're less than half that price and I feel like it's a killer deal for what you get. The Z-Wave devices themselves will start to eat at the budget as they generally start at $30 for basic switches and outlets and go up from there. I have two garage door controllers that cost me about $100ea and the touchpad deadbolts will set you back over $200ea. The initial investment will be more than a monthly monitored service but you'll make that back pretty quickly from not having to pay a monthly service fee and IMO the possibilities it opens up for you are well worth the initial investment.
That's my outside-the-box solution suggestion. It's not something you can pick up the phone and schedule an install in about 30 seconds so it takes a lot more research than traditional systems but the reward for time invested is better.
Skittish wife is the same reason we put one in when we built. Went with ADS Security (through a merger with a local company that went through in the middle) based on the recommendation of our friends that own the local building supply house.
http://adssecurity.com/
They're significantly more custom than any of the big boys and can make just about anything you want. They even set up a monitored humidity sensor for my gun safe. The monitoring isn't super expensive either.
As a home alarm user I found I really like the use of home cameras to verify any alarm to make the judgement of rolling PD. The motion sensors and door/window sensors were ok, but over time had the same false alarm trips. (That leads me to believe it was that particular item/install or even infrastructure itself ((rattly window)) but I'm just speculating.) I did feel better knowing that if I was away there was a mechanism in place that would alert to unauthorized entry for at least that one time it could be real. IMO I wouldn't run a system without video cams as part of the tool.
As one who receives calls from security monitoring companies, there are days when home alarms are the bane of my existence. These days are very often when the weather is inclement, lots of wind, storms, etc. Often it is the same addresses. There are calls from all the big names and calls from smaller companies. The difference I do see in that is what information the operator provides to me. The other day I had a call from a company providing commercial security that gave me no valuable information other than the address and a business name. It was a video monitor alarm - couldn't describe the actors, unsuredly gave the number of actors, couldn't give property info or building numbers/zones - it was worthless. Only served to make officers unav. IMO, this monitoring company was worthless - their equipment was the first problem, their operators were the next. After comparing notes from previous calls, I wouldn't ever use this company.
In home security, an alarm system is just one layer in the home security parfait. Do your homework, buy quality, use a variety of methods.
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