"Smart" alarm options

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xpd

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#295493 1-Apr-2022 15:43

Been in this house over 10 years now, and the alarm has never worked, so thinking this year might be the year to replace it :D

Don't need anything overly fancy, just a couple of motion sensors but would like it to be "smart" - so alerts to my mobile.

Any recommendations ?

XPD / Gavin

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#2895467 1-Apr-2022 15:55

I haven't used it myself, but have heard good things about https://konnected.io/. There has been some discussions on GZ about it, IIRC.

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#2895471 1-Apr-2022 16:01

I find the paradox alarms to be great for home.

They're easily configured using the babyware software, instead of trying to program then using the keypad.

And you can use the PAI project to integrate them into home assistant, that will give you access to the sensor states, allow to you control the alarm via home assistant, and push a notification out when it gets set off.

They also wont fall over when the internet goes out.

If you dont want to go down the home assistant route, you can use their IP module and phone app to control it and get notifications

rosco62

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#2895936 2-Apr-2022 21:55

Ajax Alarm, totally wireless, 5 year battery life, don't need any keypads, controlled totally from your phone, new generation tech. Those paradox and similar are old tech, difficult to programme and the ip module is a horrible and complex thing to connect and programme and in the case of my paradox really unreliable. I binned it and replaced with Ajax alarm.

RoscoP

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CCastaway

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#2895976 3-Apr-2022 06:57

Try A Ring Alarm System, Works With My Doorbell And Inside Cameras. The Alarm Sounds Hooks To Your Phone And Can Remotley Turn The System Off/On

CCastaway

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#2895977 3-Apr-2022 06:59

MuzaNZ:

I find the paradox alarms to be great for home.

They're easily configured using the babyware software, instead of trying to program then using the keypad.

And you can use the PAI project to integrate them into home assistant, that will give you access to the sensor states, allow to you control the alarm via home assistant, and push a notification out when it gets set off.

They also wont fall over when the internet goes out.

If you dont want to go down the home assistant route, you can use their IP module and phone app to control it and get notifications

Paradox Were Crap With Me.

Install The System, Show The App And They Left

And Now I Have To PAY For My Paradox App.

Great Job Paradox! (NOT)

k1w1k1d

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#2895983 3-Apr-2022 07:47

Rosco62,

Can you buy the Ajax modules and install yourself, or does it have to be installed by an Ajax installer?

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#2895999 3-Apr-2022 08:48

MuzaNZ:
I find the paradox alarms to be great for home.

They're easily configured using the babyware software, instead of trying to program then using the keypad.

And you can use the PAI project to integrate them into home assistant, that will give you access to the sensor states, allow to you control the alarm via home assistant, and push a notification out when it gets set off.

They also wont fall over when the internet goes out.

If you dont want to go down the home assistant route, you can use their IP module and phone app to control it and get notifications

I have a basic Paradox alarm, with a Raspberry Pi running PAI and integrating with Homebridge to expose the motion sensors and alarm within the Home app on iOS. Works perfectly, no reliance on rubbish Paradox web monitoring software, zero monthly costs, all smarts hosted locally or through the Apple ecosystem. Highly recommended. You need to be happy tinkering with hardware and software, but this is Geekzone…

Dynamic

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#2896080 3-Apr-2022 10:34

The CHUANGO alarms are smart enough for me. App controlled. WiFi connected. 4G backup communication. RFID tag options and remote keyring tag and keypad options. SMS commands. Wireless sensors options include a smoke alarm and a glass break sensor.

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3puttssuck

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#2896195 3-Apr-2022 13:44

rosco62: Ajax Alarm, totally wireless, 5 year battery life, don't need any keypads, controlled totally from your phone, new generation tech. Those paradox and similar are old tech, difficult to programme and the ip module is a horrible and complex thing to connect and programme and in the case of my paradox really unreliable. I binned it and replaced with Ajax alarm.

How does the cost of an Ajax system stack up?

pipe60

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#2896239 3-Apr-2022 15:33

I done a lot of the arrowhead alarms,easy to program etc,app is ok

https://www.aap.co.nz/

MarkM536

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#2896248 3-Apr-2022 15:49

Paradox alarm system here.

Parts of the old Paradox system are working 26 years later, 5 years ago the mainboard got upgraded to have a touchscreen keypad and wireless remote module added.

Paradox app isn't the best thing....

I like the idea mentioned above for local integration.

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neb

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#2896876 4-Apr-2022 17:14

xpd:
Been in this house over 10 years now, and the alarm has never worked, so thinking this year might be the year to replace it :D

Don't need anything overly fancy, just a couple of motion sensors but would like it to be "smart" - so alerts to my mobile.

Do you already have all the cabling in place? That's the biggest influencing factor, if everything is already wired up then a Konnected.io is probably your best bet since you won't need to restart from scratch with wireless everything.

neb

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#2896880 4-Apr-2022 17:21

pipe60:
I done a lot of the arrowhead alarms,easy to program etc,app is ok

I'm significantly underwhelmed by the Arrowhead alarms, the app is awful, the ability to send data to an external server is next to useless, the app and control panel don't talk to each other so you have to program everything in the entire system in twice, the app plays an alarm siren sound on your phone any time day or night the control panel loses connectivity which happens quite a bit, etc etc. It's probably fine if you just want a dumb alarm, but I'd avoid it if you want any kind of device or IoT integration, which is what I was after.

rosco62

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#2896936 4-Apr-2022 20:59

The Ajax alarms come in different "kits" which make them more affordable. Because you can use a virtual remote on your phone, keypads are unnecessary which keeps the costs down. You can buy relays and integration modules and reuse your existing sirens and pir's and also have a range of add ons, smoke detectors and leak detectors etc. I also use an external "curtain" sensor with detects anyone walking around outside at night. One of my mates is an installer so that helps too. Best thing though is the text messaging on activation and I can change programming using my app really easily.

RoscoP

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rogercruse

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#2896994 5-Apr-2022 04:19

Dynamic: ... CHUANGO alarms are smart enough for me. App controlled. WiFi connected. 4G backup communication. RFID tag options and remote keyring tag and keypad options. SMS commands. Wireless sensors options include a smoke alarm and a glass break sensor ...

Certainly looks interesting. Other than improved commutation, what else does it offer?

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