Home Alarm Systems

[DontGetMeStarted]

Thinking about buying a home alarm system but not reading many good reports about ADT or Swann self install cameras. Really at the beginning of investigating for a simple system, either cameras, security lights or noise alarms / combination of all. Have no idea on cost either but thinking $1K would be the limit...anyone have any suggestions ?

 

[Deleted member]

A large and ferocious dog, or even a smaller noisy (when disturbed) one

 

[VPS]

Don't know about self installed but I used ADT for my monitoring and they were hopeless to deal with - wouldn't recommend them - I just upgraded my system for about $500 installed

 

[Shelf]

I used Melbourne Alarms & Monitoring early this year. Pricing seemed reasonable and I'm happy with the product.

New systems can alert your mobile when the alarm activates. I don't see much benefit in monitoring.

 

[cove]

We have security cameras at both work and home and the pictures are really amazing. I think our 8 camera system cost $3300 for a home and smaller places could be done for less.

 

[kalboy]

Hi DontGetMeStarted, companies such as ADT, RAC etc supply/instal your basic burg alarm for a few hundred dollars but regain their costs on the monitoring contract. Im sure everyone could appreciate that the cost of labour for 1 or 2 guys for possibly half to a full day wouldn't be covered by the upfront cost. They will want to sign you up for a few years at a pretty high rate. These basic systems are very limited in my opinion ie. no use if you have pets, no perimeter protection so you can arm up while your family is asleep.
If you budget is @ 1K you may be better off with a do it your self cctv system, fairly easy to instal if you feel comfortable throwing cables through your ceiling space. Just dont install the DVR where it to can get pinched. Even these cheapies have network capability, which not only record but can be viewed on iphone or android for free.
I'm a police licensed consultant, feel free to PM me with any questions you may have.

 

[medhead]

I used Melbourne Alarms & Monitoring early this year. Pricing seemed reasonable and I'm happy with the product.

New systems can alert your mobile when the alarm activates. I don't see much benefit in monitoring.

Old systems can call your mobile as well. Purchased our house at least 12 years ago and it had an ADT system. Long story, but the seller didn't include the alarm monitoring service as part of the house sale contract. When they finally realised and asked if we'd take on their contract we declined. (of course they refused to provide the alarm code, and also didn't provide a particular key for one of the doors). So we ended up with an unusable, unmonitored alarm system.

Anyway, a few years later some clown pressed the "on" button. SWMBO wasn't bothered with waiting for me to enter 10000 codes, so we got out an independent alarm guy who reset the code, and also set the alarm to ring my mobile when set off.

 

[clazman]

I would have a word with your insurance company and ask for their recommendation as this will reduce your premiums.

 

[moa999]

If you budget is @ 1K you may be better off with a do it your self cctv system, fairly easy to instal if you feel comfortable throwing cables through your ceiling space. Just dont install the DVR where it to can get pinched. Even these cheapies have network capability, which not only record but can be viewed on iphone or android for free.
I'm a police licensed consultant

Throwing cables for a camera system which is connected to the internet....
Unfortunately our nanny state/ protectionist laws stop you doing this

 

[clazman]

I bought my Alarm through RAC, probably paid more that i should of, but 10 years down the track still works.

The system in question is scalable and I have added to it over the years

 

[love_the_life]

We had a bit of a similar experience medhead at our last place. We had a few sensors around the house but it was never switched on. On morning (after we had lived there for something like 5 years) it suddenly went off. The only way to stop it was to cut the wires - even unplugging the power supply did not help. The siren stopped but then we had 2 days of clicking while the battery in the control panel went flat.

On the usefulness of a good system, a friend was burgled a couple of years ago and so had a system installed. A couple of weeks back he went home to find that his load of firewood had been stolen from the front yard. A quick survey of the film showed the culprit who was particulate thick and had a truck with his name and phone number! The firewood was returned the next day.

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

I bought my Alarm through RAC, probably paid more that i should of, but 10 years down the track still works.

The system in question is scalable and I have added to it over the years

Thanks, I will take up your idea and go to RACV and see what they recommend. I might be being overly cautious but would feel better with some sort of alarm

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

We had a bit of a similar experience medhead at our last place. We had a few sensors around the house but it was never switched on. On morning (after we had lived there for something like 5 years) it suddenly went off. The only way to stop it was to cut the wires - even unplugging the power supply did not help. The siren stopped but then we had 2 days of clicking while the battery in the control panel went flat.

On the usefulness of a good system, a friend was burgled a couple of years ago and so had a system installed. A couple of weeks back he went home to find that his load of firewood had been stolen from the front yard. A quick survey of the film showed the culprit who was particulate thick and had a truck with his name and phone number! The firewood was returned the next day.

its a bit off topic but still about alarms, we are just back from the USA and stay in a lovely apartment in Carlsbad for a few days. Was woken up by a voice in the apartment, frightening the living daylights out of us and turned out to be a carbon monoxide alarm installed warning us....turned out we had left the gas on the oven ( lit) but some fumes must have been around but it was a speaking alarm until it turned into a screaming alarm, managed to get the batteries out to stop it eventually. Guess what we did it again a few days later. Was half expecting police and fire engines - Not sure we have those type of fire/carbon alarms here ?

 

[love_the_life]

I can imagine the voice alarm would have given you quite a shock, especially in the middle of the night. I haven't seen them here but we live in an apartment so don't need one (the building has its own cameras and monitoring).

 

[moa999]

I suspect we are at a bit of a switch point with alarms as internet of things takes over.

Almost all current alarms are pretty dumb and basically work via on/off signalling with each zone/switch identified by an old school resistor.
The systems and software is generally pretty ancient.

Then you have the newer IP style cameras. I can only think that this will eventually converge (eg. Google Nest and Smoke Alarm, but at the moment these products are expensive and not widely distributed)..

Only think I can suggest is that if you have an opportunity to run wires, run cat6 in parallel to future proof.

 

[medhead]

Throwing cables for a camera system which is connected to the internet....
Unfortunately our nanny state/ protectionist laws stop you doing this

I didn't read that as throwing cables to connect to the internet, rather a DVR. That DVR might then be connected to the internet via some means, but the nanny state didn't prevent me from connecting my router to the internet via a cable.