Need Advice For Packaged Home Alarm Purchase

I plan to

Yep, you sitting there with your mouth open ...... just waiting for .....

You to say something stupid?

If you think that you need to study more psychology, you haven't quite got it yet

You will do that no matter who you go with

I should HOPE they come out before quoting prices

Awwww! C'mon Mark... Everyone here knows that a couple of hours on the phone and they won't need to come out. You can "DIY". It isn't rocket science. :-)

news01 wrote:

Mike I'm gonna try and advise you as best as I can here. First, I'm from your area. I know Slomins and the market and I've been in it for over 36 years. You can take the info or leave it.

The system that Slomins installs is among the cheapest systems that Napco makes. There will be no room for expansion and it has little if any options. The keypads are LED. The keyfob is a $40 dollar item and takes no time to install. The police alarm register is exactly what? Is it a annual recurring charge? If you live in Nassau county you have to apply for a police dept alarm permit and a fire permit a $75.00 and $50.00 each. Therefore I don't have a clue what the $20.00 police register and $27.00 electrical permit are for. If you don't live on Long Island, I don't know what the municipal fees are. If the above fees are ligitimate in your area, you may want to find out if you have to pay permit fees above what they are asking for.

Why wouldn't you get at least a one year warrantee on a new installation? Why should you have to pay for a warrantee on new equipment that's warranteed for 18 months by the manufacturer? If the fee is for extended coverage AFTER the initial FREE warrentee, does it cover you for both the three year and and the addtional two year term?

Again, if you live on Long Island you can get monitoring for less than $25.00 per month and don't forget there's tax on monitoring service in NY. In my opinion, Slomins isn't a bargin and your dealing with a lickum-stickum type alarm system. They're going to put your main panel in the front closet with the keypad on the other side of the wall of the closet. Likely no ground wire or RJ31X jack either. What about your basement? What kind of protection do you have when you're at home, sleeping? Do you have any animals that have run of the house when you're not home?

Slomins is going to be in and out of your house in less than 4 hours. and you'll only get to know how to arm and disarm the panel an told the rest of the information is in the handbook. Anyone who will give you a price over the telephone isn't taking the security of your home and family seriously. I would NEVER give a client a price over the telephone. To do so shows a decidedly unconcerned, "cookie cutter" attitude towards security. Certainly there are end users out there who think of it the that way, and low and behold, there's companies like Slomins to fill the bill. So you can't take anything away from them. If you want security that is concerned about what YOU are concerned about, then get in a professional who will survey your home, find out what your concerns are and provide you with an estimate that will meet those needs. If you're going to "bargin hunt" then likewise you're STILL not getting your moneys worth by going with Slomins. If you can negotiate with an independent alarm installer, I'm sure you can work something out where you can have him install security for what your concerns are at the present, but knowing that you want to enhance it in the future, you can make provisions to have the next level of control panel installed now. The increase in the dealer cost for the hardware from the lowest to the highest level panel is only about $100 to maybe $150.00. There's a little (but not That much) more labor to install a larger panel but not enough to break the bank and the better keypads can get expensive. Most of the cost of a system is in the labor to install the detection devices( if a wired system) or if wireless, the cost of the transmitter devices. If you can go with hardwire, it's the preferred system but keep in mind, newer systems can be wired, wireless or both. So, for instance, if you've got a room that's on a slab with a cathederal ceiling, with no way to get a wire to openings without cutting sheet rock, a couple/few transmitters can be used for that area only. So don't let anyone tell you that you only can have wired OR wireless. Wireless is less disruptive and cleaner to install and when installed to the best standards, there's no difference in how you will perceive the systems operation as compared to a wired system. As far as reliability is concerned, don't be put off by the ridiculous claims that component failure is of any concern. Electronic components have life expectancies ranging in the hundred year and more range, now days. Changing the batteries every 3 to 7 years isn't that much of an inconvenience or cost and as far as becoming obsolete, I'm still monitoring and servicing wireless alarms systems that were installed in the 70's and are no longer manufactured. Over 25 years. Parts are obtained by alarm installers from their own old installations that are replaced by newer ones and installers trade parts from old systems all the time, in this area.

You've got to decide how much security you want and getting a number of estimates from various sources, as well as the information you're obtaining here is going to put you in the great spot of being an informed consumer.

Good point, there'sa tremedous amount of costruction going on and I suspect the good ones are involved in that.

Mike

I' never talked to them in the first place I call leave a message with an answering service then might get a call back the next day or so or might not. Of the ones I spoke with they call back after initial call or interview. I see it as the good ones do what they what to do. I suspect the big money is in arming the big mcmansions in the county. If ADT didn't charge $42.99 a month monitoring fee it would've been a done deal. Oh, and I'm in my office and 25% of my work day in the field, such as it is, the rest of ther day.

Mike

Never asked for a quote over the 'phone just about about equipment and policy I don't nickel and dime people.

You're so predictable. Do you ever have an original thought? js

Why sure!

It just that you're so stupid you wouldn't recognize one if you swallowed it.

But here's one for you.

Paint your bald headed, fat round face, yellow and you could be the poster boy for the (-:Happy Face :-)

Then just stand on your favorite corner and I'll guarantee you'll attract more hits.

snip the same old drool

You are the oldest eight year old I know. js

Got a return call from Monitronics today. They'll install a honeywell lynx system which replaces the ademco system. The pricing was pretty good and monitoring fee starts at $26.00 for burgalry and medical fire is , I think, is $3.00 more a month. What's the verdict on the Honeywell Lynx System? Anybody know of Capital Defense security company? They'll install the system. I only got a rep's cell phone #., Will call back tomorrow and learn more about the company.

honeywell lynx system

Mike

it appears the Honeywell Lynx System panel and keypad are in one piece. what are the pros/cons of that design?

Mike

Most of the companies I talked with say movement sensors are enough. What's your opinion?

Mike

js

And you?

What's your f****ng problem? YOU'RE the one who's always got to butt your fat lips into other people business. I don't say a damn thing to you but you've always got some wise ass remark to make to me. So f*ck you. YOU shut your f****ng dick sucking lips and you won't have anything to complain about. YOU'RE the one that should grow up, you fat f****ng goof drooling idiot.

Don't give me any of your stupid shit and you wont get the same back.

End it or not.

Motion detectors are not a source of primary protection. First line of defense is perimeter doors and windows. Next line of defense is motion detectors which can be activated when you are not home. With motion detectors only, how would you expect to arm your system and be able to move around while you are home? The most important time to arm your system is when you and your family are in it. With motion detectors only, the intruder is already in your home before he's detected. If you were breaking into a house and you opened a window or door and the alarm tripped what would you do? If you were breaking into a house and you opened a window or door and nothing happend, until you got all the way in the house, do you think you'd stop and turn around or go for it. Up to the master bedroom and out. What if you were home sleeping? Would you want some to be detected after they had gained entry to to your home?

It's all about obstacles. Good lighting. Keep shrubs low. Make the house look lived in. Good security lighting. Good strong door and window locks. THEN the alarm system is the back up for all that. Your first goal is to keep them away from the house to begin with. An alarm warning sign, or decals. With the perimiter of the house wired, they know first thing that you've got an alarm. With motions only, someone could get into the basement and wait for you to come home. If you're going to have a security system don't skimp. No one can predict how someone is going to attempt to gain entry.

Mike, I'm going to wade into the fray again ! These "all in one" systems such as the Ademco Lynx, DSC Envoy and Paradox Magellan were originally designed for smaller locations like apartment buildings and trailers. They are easy to install and as such, often used. There is usually only capacity for one or two hardwired zones, with the balance being wireless zones. The whole alarm is in one box, keypad, motherboard, enemic siren, and dialer. As such, destroy the unit and the whole alarm is kaput !

Probably the biggest thing to watch out for is that the installing company doesn't just plug the panel into a telephone jack rather do the correct job of installing line exclusion. Either way though, simply pull the jack out and the panel is off line. Bottom line, they are much more "vulnerable" than a conventional hardwired alarm to being disabled by someone with few skills. However, in any "real world" situation, I have to wonder how often this sort of thing would actually happen, given the "smarts" of the average home burglar.

There is one unit made by GE with the dialer mounted as a separate unit in the basement, which provides the panel the opportunity to dial out the alarm signals even as the wall mounted unit is disabled. Speaking only for myself, that is the only one of the units I would even consider installing for a client !!

Personally, I still believe the best system design is a full, hardwired, conventional, perimeter system backed up with motions and glassbreaks, using wireless components only when absolutely needed. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive !

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

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