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Using an alarm system off-line

I just moved into a new house which has a Brink's system already installed. We haven't decided if we want to activate it with Brinks yet or not. I don't see the need to pay >$30/month to protect my household goods. That's what I have insurance for. My main concern is protecting my family when we are home. Because the equipment is all purchased, is there a way to use it off-line so that the alarm will go off, but it just won't be connected to the police/fire department? I was originally told yes by someone at Brinks, but when I called back to get instructions on how to do it, I was told that it was impossible to do.

-Thanks Matt

Reply to
Matt
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Do yourself a favor and replace the Brinks system. Even if you did get it to work, it is obsolete equipment with little to no features.

Brinks will not make your system usable without signing up for their service for 3 years. They basically run things like a cable company. But unlike the cable company, Brinks is too lazy to remove the equipment they claim they own. And since you are the new owner of the home, you are not bound by and of Brinks' demands or ownership claims to the system in your home...toss it, or sell it on eBay, and keep away from Brinks. They don't have your best interest in mind. If they did, one would think they would at least let you use the system without their monitoring. But hey, that's just my opinion.

I have plenty of customers who I service, that do not have monitoring. I just bill them for time & materials. Everyone is happy. Many times, I have had those same customers later signup, or their insurance company is now requesting the home to be monitored. And because I didn't force the monitoring issue, they usually give me the account.

Jim Rojas

Reply to
Jim Rojas

If you think the $30.00 a month you're not spending on monitoring is somehow going to "protect your family", you've obviously never experienced a home invasion (nor know of someone who has). The monitoring fee has nothing to do with "protecting your property". If you have a Brinks system, then expect nothing more than the absolute minimum for protection. The basic system comes with two door contacts and a motion detector. It would barely work for your dog's house. If you're thinking of protecting your family, you have to re-evaluate your entire security system. A perimeter system is what you want (and I don't care which alarm company you choose to provide it). I'd suggest you have a look at what Frank's put together at

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Click on the "FAQ's" link. Oh, and by the way... ditch the Brinks system. You probably don't even "own" it.

Reply to
FIRETEK

Matt,

The alarm isn't there to protect your property, or to replace insurance coverage. It is there to detect and report an alarm event, such as intrusion or fire. It will not prevent an event- it will only report one. If the occupants are home, this will alert them so they can take proper action. If the occupants are absent, the alarm's primary function is to notify the authorities (and you) of the event, be it fire or intrusion, etc. Secondarily, a sounding alarm can be helpful to minimize the amount of time an intruder is willing to spend stealing or damaging your property.

I'm sure someone here will have an answer about whether your Brinks system is programmable by the end user to be local only. Since the Brinks systems are proprietary, you might be faced with replacing the control (CPU) and keypad(s).

Reply to
Stanley Barthfarkle

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