Wireless Home Security Systems

All newsgroups are a reflection of the world as a whole. There are some people who should not be permitted outside unless they have supervision. Inevitably, some of these will find their way to a newsgroup. As you would with anyone you meet in the world, ignore those you don't get along with, and befriend those who will help you. Lots of nice people here.

Bob

Sir, I know of no sites that rate professional alarm equipment in the same way that Consumers Reports does.

Firstly, it pays to mention that most of these all-in-one / wireless alarm systems were primarily designed for small apartments and trailer sites etc, where security has to be easy to install. This would seem to be your case. Since then, however, a large number of companies have taken to using them because they are simple to install, require little if no wiring, and can be used to sign more clients up to long term monitoring contracts.

That said, provided you use equipment such as the GE Simon, Ademco Lynx, Paradox Magellan, or the DSC Envoy, you can be assured of professional level equipment. Usually the wireless that goes along with these is the same wireless used in hybrid systems of the same manufacture, so is professional in quality as well. Other makes, I know nothing about, so perhaps post the makes you are considering and someone with experience can guide you from there.

Pet motions must be set up properly in order to work as designed. Follow the height instructions to the letter; don't aim them at stairs, and make sure that no animal can climb within 6 measured feet of them, and you should be OK. (I have other information on my site about pet motions you might want to read...,)

In my experience, it is highly unlikely that other wireless devices in the area of your wireless devices will cause a problem. Watch out for high powered ham transmitters within a block of your home; they can trigger wireless devices by overloading them, and in extreme cases, can make it impossible to reliably install wireless of most any kind in their vicinity.

Certainly, referring to the devices I have listed, set up and programmed properly, there is no reason why you shouldn't expect them to work as well as conventional alarms. Their weakness is that often they are installed in situations without proper line exclusion, and walking in and unplugging them is enough to take them off line, rendering monitoring useless. Most also have the dialer built in, so someone trashing the main control box is also trashing it's ability to call the station. So with no monitoring, any real protection is gone....

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Okay, here goes.

Stay away from Protect America. They have a horrible reputation, and , they deserve it. The GE line is good, but only when installed professionally.

Done.

Armadillo Soup wrote:

See Top Post for Reply !

Sir, I don't know this equipment at all. However, one advantage to buying from an online retailer would be support when you go to do programming. Even a professional has trouble with a new panel he's never seen. That said, perhaps someone here can assist you with specific advice on the particular equipment in question

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Yeah, their wireless is some of the best, exceeded only by ITI equipment (or so I'm told).

The Paradox Magellan is a nice little unit with lots of features (I bought one to play with to learn how to crack it when locked). A new unit is coming along soon with a remote dialer; until then, I wouldn't dream of installing it.....

RHC

I've tried reading through some of the threads in this newsgroup to get an idea about some of these wireless home security systems/alarms, but frankly I was unable to find out any useful information.

Everybody on here seems so cocky and quasi aggresive and recalcitrant. Not everyone, of course, but lots of the posters. It sort of makes the whole industry look bad.

Where can I go to actually find unbiased opinions on these types of systems ? The ones like the GE/ProtectAmercica and SecureHome SecureLink II systems. Is there any site that ranks/reviews/tests these systems ? Sort of like Consumer Reports.

Also, in general, are these systems at least somewhat reliable in real life situations ? I'm not trying to protect the crown jewels here, just my TV, stereo, and computer. I live in an apartment building.

I am a little worried other wireless devices will set of the alarm. I'm also worried my cat will set off the motion detector. I've seen ones that say they are "pet proof", but am somewhat doubtful. Does anyone have real world experience with these motion detectors and a cat ?

Thanks for any helpful advice.

cheers, e

Armadillo Soup wrote in news:Xns96F195E5FE13Clouispointyourmommac@140.99.99.130:

Thanks for the advice.

I guess I sort of came of aggresive myself, hee hee. I think I must have simply stumbled on some particularly nasty old threads.

Anyway, I was looking at this system:

GE Deluxe Security Kit

url: I wish they told you more about this system. Like if you can disarm it by phone, for example, though this is not totally necessary.

Isn't working too well for General Motors

Armadillo Soup wrote in news:Xns96F195E5FE13Clouispointyourmommac@140.99.99.130:

Or how about this Visonic PowerMax + Wireless Security System Kit System ?

I found it on the norco alarms site, though I am not sure they make it.

Hi!

My real life experience with wireless is this:

I always prefer to have an hybrid system,why? cause all the system like Simon ,Simon 2,links and such can be defeated too easily..

On the pet immune detector..most wireless detector are less then adequate for this.. a good PID (pet immune detector) like the one made by paradox is not wireless

if you can wire a few detector and have a few wireless part, this can make a good system

many company make hybrid system(wired and wireless)

DSC Ademco Paradox are a few example,DMP and Napco too but this is a bit pricey..(here at least there is a big price difference..)

having an hybrid system in your apartment can be a solid base for a future system in your home (when you will buy one ;-) )

Armadillo Soup" a écrit dans le message de news: Xns96F195E5FE13Clouispointyourmommac@140.99.99.130...

Armadillo Soup wrote in news:Xns96F1A0D27CB04louispointyourmommac@140.99.99.130:

Turns out this SmartHome is just a Visonic Powermax Plus.

Apparently several companies are selling this unit under their own name, but when you go to download the user manual it says Powermax at the top.

I guess in a way that is a good sign ... that other companies have enough faith in the product to repackage it and sell it.

The sad truth about wireless is that only professionals can install it and make it work right and many of them don't seem to know how to do it either.

Its NOT a do-it-yourself item if you want it to be reliable.

It also offers no security against keypad smashers and about 20% of the time burglars do knock the keypads off the wall thinking it will silence the alarm - it won't of course. But in the case of wireless it will make the whole system kaput. GE has a solution for this but nobody uses it or markets it to the public.

Home Depot offer both the ADT branded GE Simons and the SecureHome branded Paradox - ProtectAmerica also offers the GE Simon system.

They offer these because they hope millions of stupid consumers will buy this stuff thinking they can stick 25 wireless switches on their windows and a couple more on the doors and then plug the box into the phone jack and wall outlet and have a complete home security system.

The next step (and the most important one because it eliminates the high cost of signing up accounts by eliminating the dealers) is hoodwinking them into calling the tolllfree and signing up for monitoring while not having any actual security because half of the window transmitters don't work and with any luck at least one door won't work either. If a professional installed the system, most likely he would end up having to get it to work.

The poor consumer is left with something he knows nothing about and in the majority of cases cannot be fixed over the phone. Some of these will end up back at Home Depot but most won't.

Many will become 'Paul' systems with a string of continuous bad references for the security industry even though the security industry had nothing to do with it. We get the blame for these just like we do for false alarms and

99% of false alarms are not the fault of the security industry or caused by any security systems.

If you are willing to spend $149. on a security system and want one that is relaible and actually works why not call several local dealers(or call everyone in the phone book if you want) and get estimates for the same wireless system.

Sure you can buy the Home Depot system for $149. and it covers two doors and has one motion detector but the cost goes up real fast to add any more doors or motions or to add all your windows.

Brinks offers a system for $199. but the actual cost is cloer to $1800. wehn they are all done but I have seen peeps get it for just under $1000. Brinks suckers people with an extra keypad and that low $199. come on price but ADT does the same thing. Local companies in every area have similar bad deals but there are good deals if you shop around.

"It also offers no security against keypad smashers and about 20% of the time burglars do knock the keypads off the wall thinking it will silence the alarm - it won't of course. But in the case of wireless it will make the whole system kaput."

what wireless alarm systems have you been using where tearing down the keypad disables the whole alarm??????????

Hmmm, Control Panel in bedroom closet, keypad downstairs by front door, Receiver in attic. Ring a bell??

Professionals you say, what can they do sooo good?

Can you explain HOW you make wireless alarm systems reliable?

Noting can prevent radio muzzling from the outside with a low power wireless transmitter ON THE FREQUENCY. ALL Wireless alarm systems fail during Radio Frequency Interferences (RFI)without warning to the owner or CS and nothing can prevent it.

If you have a wireless alarm systems and are a VICTIM of wrong advertisements and sellers talk... For few box, TEST YOUR system get a FCC/CE approved transmitter on your wireless alarm frequency from:

If there are other wireless alarm systems in the vicinity, look to the multiple alarms going off, a nice midnight show. The wireless RFI alarm night OWL will keep "you and police" awake... __________ / ___ ___ \\ / / @ \\/ @ \\ \\ \\ \\___/\\___/ /\\ \\____\\/____/|| / /\\\\\\\\\\// | |\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\ \\\\\\\\\\\\ \\______/\\\\\\\\ _||_||_

Install alarm systems

Training and experience

Actually most systems DO warn of loss of signal or jamming

Professional systems have transmitters that are coded to a specific alarm panel. A transmitter coded into one system will Not be picked up by another, regardless of proximity.

Sorry guys - I know we are supposed to ignore him... but this thread was about someone asking for real information about wireless systems and he may not know how utterly stupid Paul's post was...

Umm I guess you haven't been around long enough, he's been at this for about

5 years now, here is his alarm. Tell me by looking at that how much he really knows about wireless security

I wonder why they put a key lock on something you can just unplug and throw out the window? The antenna is cute though, I guess a thief may mistake it for a clock radio or something eh?

and only 418 E a real bargain too.

| > what wireless alarm systems have you been using where tearing down the | > keypad disables the whole alarm?????????? | >

| > Hmmm, Control Panel in bedroom closet, keypad downstairs by front door, | > Receiver in attic. Ring a bell?? | | Umm I guess you haven't been around long enough, he's been at this for about | 5 years now, here is his alarm. Tell me by looking at that how much he | really knows about wireless security | |

| | |

i didnt know it was paully . . sorry :-)

From personal experience I can tell you that if you use a keyfob-device, please make sure that it is encrypted, has coderolling and x-million codes to choose between!

I have an "Infinite"

home alarm. When I returned after being away from home one night, the alarm had gone off and the mainboard had been taken out and remounted. The next evening we could hear the alarm being armed - not from us but from somewhere outside the house. Later we experienced that someone had been in our flat on several occasiones, having switched the alarm off and on the same way we did.

Technically I am not sure how all this was done, but I ssuspect the keyfobs, which do not have coderolling, they have only encryption and this is not secure if they are scanned.

If I buy a new alarm, it would be wired, no doubt about that and I will not , repeat not, use keyfobs!

Regards

Georg Lavik ____________ "I tider med bedrag som dagens orden, er det en revolusjonær handling å si sannheten".

George Orwell _____________

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