Home alarm systems - smart / self monitored

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timmmay

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#231892 19-Mar-2018 11:49

We currently have / own a Bosch alarm system. It's meant to be good quality, but the design probably hasn't changed in 20 years. There are no smart features, no remote unlock, it uses a third party module for monitoring, that kind of thing. The firm that does monitoring has botched the 2degrees 2G turn off, so I'm considering getting rid of that alarm and putting in something more modern that I can monitor myself.

Is there a decent quality modern smart alarm that can use existing sensors (motion PIR type things) that has a bit more smarts and no ongoing fees? Maybe an app that alerts me if it goes off, or a text message, remote disarm / arm, etc.

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#1979772 19-Mar-2018 12:25

They're all going proprietary clouds I believe. So dedicated apps run by them....with (I would assume) a limited shelf life where they'll support it until your alarm becomes too old (ie per cellphone manufacturers, smart tvs etc).

I was actively told by Paradox, that I couldn't have their SDK as I was an end user looking to integrate it to home automation, and they they only give it to alarm installers, resellers and monitoring companies (didn't stop me going around them....but was a very good hint as to their intentions)....and their later IP modules are hard coded to use their cloud and now cannot use their old apps, or protocol.

But I would expect others are headed that way as well.....they haven't quite got the message that open is good.

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NZSmartie

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#1979773 19-Mar-2018 12:26

Arrowhead Alarm Products sell a Module for existing alarm systems that provide a (branded) mobile app for monitoring your setup. From memory it has two mdoes of operation.

1) It'll pretend to be a phone line for your alarm and listen in for all Contact ID messages, and translatingthem into push notifications

2) if used with an Arrowhead Alarm panel, it'll integrate with the keypad and relay all that to the phones app.

https://www.aap.co.nz/shop/Alarm+Systems/Accessories/IP-MODULE.html

mdf

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#1979809 19-Mar-2018 12:47

I like the look of Konnected; open source and works with existing sensors. I would have got one of these if I hadn't paid for a new Paradox system a couple of months before hand. @konnected is on Geekzone and apparently they've just started shipping. Not sure on the timing of new orders though.

davidcole

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#1979810 19-Mar-2018 12:49

mdf:

I like the look of Konnected; open source and works with existing sensors. I would have got one of these if I hadn't paid for a new Paradox system a couple of months before hand. @konnected is on Geekzone and apparently they've just started shipping. Not sure on the timing of new orders though.

I haven't figured out if that's been extricated from smartthings yet though? It didn't look as if initially it would just communicate via mqtt - and since my paradox is currently doing that, I'm relatively happy, just will avoid firmware at all costs.

davidcole

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#1979811 19-Mar-2018 12:50

@timmay have you thought about getting a serial interface to talk to it? or do you prefer off the shelf? And do you care if it's tied to a vendor platform?

timmmay

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#1979819 19-Mar-2018 13:05

I'd rather buy off the shelf, not going to mess about with open source. I don't think adding an IP module to the existing alarm sounds like much fun, but if it's easy and much cheaper, maybe. We had an IP module in the alarm but it didn't work well with the cellular module.

Maybe I just leave the existing alarm in and don't worry about monitoring.

antoniosk

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#1979841 19-Mar-2018 13:22

timmmay:

We currently have / own a Bosch alarm system. It's meant to be good quality, but the design probably hasn't changed in 20 years. There are no smart features, no remote unlock, it uses a third party module for monitoring, that kind of thing. The firm that does monitoring has botched the 2degrees 2G turn off, so I'm considering getting rid of that alarm and putting in something more modern that I can monitor myself.

Is there a decent quality modern smart alarm that can use existing sensors (motion PIR type things) that has a bit more smarts and no ongoing fees? Maybe an app that alerts me if it goes off, or a text message, remote disarm / arm, etc.

Quite curious, how was botched and where in country are you?

I assume your insurance has no problem with a self-built alarm that you monitor yourself?

________

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timmmay

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#1979898 19-Mar-2018 14:57

@antoniosk

2 degrees is an NZ Telco. There was heaps of warning the 2G network was being switched off, they provided the sim cards and hardware, they let a huge customer base go without alarm monitoring they're paying for because they only started changing when it stopped working. Safegard in Wellington is the company.

Insurance is irrelevant, we didn't tell them we had an alarm as the discount was negligible. I would never do a self built alarm, as I said I want off the shelf.

gabba

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#1980024 19-Mar-2018 17:35

Interesting. Had a call from safeguard today saying they need to swap out 2 degrees sim for Vodafone sim. Annoying thing is alarm only went in 2 to 3 months ago. Sounds like they had no idea at all about the change.

I had hoped they had put in something more modern than a card restricted to a 2g connection.

timmmay

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#1980075 19-Mar-2018 18:43

My current card is actually one I put in myself a few years ago. They had 4G then. No idea why the alarm is only using 2G.

Goosey

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#1980076 19-Mar-2018 18:53

Can you not just swap the sim yourself?

timmmay

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#1980103 19-Mar-2018 19:57

Goosey:
Can you not just swap the sim yourself?

I don't know. I asked them what to replace it with, they said they didn't know but would call me back, and never called me back. Plus I've hurt myself and getting to where it is would be difficult.

We didn't really want a monitored alarm but they convinced us to when we purchased. So either we'll keep what we have without monitoring, just a hell of a loud siren and friendly neighbors, or change for an alarm that uses existing sensors and sirens and is a bit smarter.

Mavarick

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#1980284 20-Mar-2018 08:33

Mate just got a 4Ch CCTV which is motion sensor and IR, records to a HDD and alerts to his phone. pretty good price, on special in the US was like $130US, and can be expanded to take more cameras

timmmay

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#1980506 20-Mar-2018 14:09

Not really interested in cameras thanks, just alarming when sensors go off.

phrozenpenguin

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#1980802 21-Mar-2018 07:50

NZSmartie:

Arrowhead Alarm Products sell a Module for existing alarm systems that provide a (branded) mobile app for monitoring your setup. From memory it has two mdoes of operation.

1) It'll pretend to be a phone line for your alarm and listen in for all Contact ID messages, and translatingthem into push notifications

2) if used with an Arrowhead Alarm panel, it'll integrate with the keypad and relay all that to the phones app.

https://www.aap.co.nz/shop/Alarm+Systems/Accessories/IP-MODULE.html

I've got this as the Elite S came with the property and I added the IP Module and the Serial module. The IP Module works well enough, allowing me to see status, arm/disarm alarm, control outputs etc from phone. Serial board is a work in progress to integrate with Home Automation.

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