home security system
- Thread starter fireryan
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
You recognize that most police departments do not allow direct dial to them, while most insurance does not allow a premium discount for unmonitored alarms?
Just in case you had not considered those points.
Just in case you had not considered those points.
im just looking for something to dial my cell phone number just in case something is going on. We own a farm with a cabin on it and was thinking about putting a security system in it since it would be easy to break in to. i just dont wanna pay a monthly service fee for someone to monitor it.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
I installed a system in my house last September (not long after the break in in August :weeping: ). I can program multiple disarm codes, and give separate codes to the people who remodeled my bathroom, to the people who come in to clean the house on occasion, and to the cat sitters we hire when we are out of town. Any alarm condition is reported by cellular connection to the monitoring company. Their first step is to call the home phone number. If we are home and accidentally set off the system (has happened once), they will ask us for the "secret code word" that we selected when we signed up for the service. If nobody answers at home, they call my cell phone number. If I do not answer, they call the police.
We can also program in a "duress code." If we arm or disarm the system using that code, the monitoring company sees that as a report that we are in imminent danger. They do not call the house, but rather call the police, informing them of the urgency of the alarm.
The system has a battery backup that lasted through the two days last winter that we lost our utility power.
Each sensor (e.g., door open sensor, glass break sensor, motion detector, etc,) communicates with the master unit by cellular signals. So the system cannot be disabled by cutting power to the house.
We have each set up our cell phones to receive a text message when an alarm is triggered or when a sensor has been bypassed. For example, if we leave the master bedroom sliding door open at night during the summer, we have to instruct the system to ignore that open door, as it is armed for the night. We need to use our disarm code in order for the system to allow us to bypass a sensor.
The equipment was supplied and installed by one company (http://absolutesecurityalarms.com/). The monitoring is done by another company (http://www.monitronics.com/). The two companies work together to provide a security solution. I vaguely recall that the cost of the system, including three years of prepaid monitoring service, was on the order of $1500. I do not know if they serve your area of the country, but there will be similar groups that do.
We can also program in a "duress code." If we arm or disarm the system using that code, the monitoring company sees that as a report that we are in imminent danger. They do not call the house, but rather call the police, informing them of the urgency of the alarm.
The system has a battery backup that lasted through the two days last winter that we lost our utility power.
Each sensor (e.g., door open sensor, glass break sensor, motion detector, etc,) communicates with the master unit by cellular signals. So the system cannot be disabled by cutting power to the house.
We have each set up our cell phones to receive a text message when an alarm is triggered or when a sensor has been bypassed. For example, if we leave the master bedroom sliding door open at night during the summer, we have to instruct the system to ignore that open door, as it is armed for the night. We need to use our disarm code in order for the system to allow us to bypass a sensor.
The equipment was supplied and installed by one company (http://absolutesecurityalarms.com/). The monitoring is done by another company (http://www.monitronics.com/). The two companies work together to provide a security solution. I vaguely recall that the cost of the system, including three years of prepaid monitoring service, was on the order of $1500. I do not know if they serve your area of the country, but there will be similar groups that do.
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hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
Any security system will work for you. Only problem is what it will tell you once it calls you. I could be wrong but as far as I know they output a digital data string that only means something to a monitoring services' equipment. So if you program it to call your cell all you will hear is noise. So you would want to check and see what other dialers are available that will have a cellular connection and give a voice message depending on the alarm. If you have an ADI in your area that would be the place to go.
-Hal
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
I am not a security system expert, but you have a lot of choices here. You have packaged systems, modular type systems that are maybe a small package that has expandability, or even build your own system from your own components, and integrate them with some kind of autodialer, or in your case one that uses cell phone technology instead of a land line. Depending on how much you want to spend you can even call the system from remote location and listen in or watch if you have video coverage, or even remote control items at the site, while connected to the system.
Of course just having a few Doberman's roaming the place will help, but it takes money to feed and care for them too:happyyes:
Of course just having a few Doberman's roaming the place will help, but it takes money to feed and care for them too:happyyes:
Rampage_Rick
Senior Member
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
Any system with a cellular connection will have a monthly bill at the very least. The cost to go from just paying for the cellular connection to cellular with monitoring is probably very little. A GSM modem can be added to just about any alarm system, and if you really want to avoid the monitoring fee just google "GSM self-monitoring"
The HAI C3 is a basic cellular gateway that will convert plain old telephone to cellular. You can use one at a cottage for phone and alarm service.
flatlander
Senior Member
- Location
- Diamond bar, CA , Tempe AZ
HAI ELK , DSC, 2 GIG
Any of the home automation type should work. You can get text or email alerts. These can be IN based. If they don't have a GSM module you can always use a GSM type router such as Cradlepoint.
Any of the home automation type should work. You can get text or email alerts. These can be IN based. If they don't have a GSM module you can always use a GSM type router such as Cradlepoint.
readydave8
re member
- Location
- Clarkesville, Georgia
- Occupation
- electrician
I guess if no landline then no internet? Otherwise a camera system would be nice, if you got alarm you could see what was going on.
- Status